Atlantic Coast Camellia Society

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A Non·Prolit Organization

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Vol. 5, No.4 OFFICIAL BULLETIN June, 1952

Photo by 1. O. Huggins, Santa Barbara, Calif.

2 Northern California Camellia Society, Inc.

NORTHERN CALIFORNIA CAMELLIA SOCIETY. INC.

ROSTER OF OFFICERS

PRESIDENT:Barlow W. S. Hollingshead (Orinda 2054)12 La Cintilla Ave.. Orinda 2

VICE PRESIDENT:Fred E. Heitman, D.D.S. (Orinda 2177)5833 Patton St., Oakland 18

TREASURER:Woodford Harrison (LA 4-4671)910 Oxford St., Berkeley

BULLETIN EDITOR:Mrs. Barlow Hollingshead (Orinda 2054)12 La Cintilla Ave., Orinda 2

COMMITTEE CHAIRMEN:ARRANGEMENTS:

Mrs. Carl B. Bowen (GL 1-0979)225 Montecito Ave., Oakland

BLOOM DISPLAY:Donald K. Staples (KE 4-4937)2811 Morcom Ave., Oakland 2

PUBLIC ADDRESS SYSTEM:Walter N. Powell (OL 3-1586)423 - 60th St., Oakland 9

CULTURAL EXPERIMENTATION:David L. Feathers (Orinda 2171)1 Camellia Lane, Lafayette 1

HOSTESS:Mrs. John J. Kampschroer1115 Wellington St., Oakland 2

LAKESIDE PARK CAMELLIA GARDEN:O. E. Hopfer (AN 1-5737)1872 Brentwood Road, Oakland

SECRETARY:Bruce Harless (LA 5-8218)1301 Stannage Ave., Berkeley

DIRECTORS:John Paul Edwards (GL 1-1854)1347 Trestle Glen Road, OaklandGordon W. Richmond, M·.D. (Beacon 2-1576)475 Mount St., RichmondWalker M. Wells, M.D. (HU 3-0951)133 Hagar St., Piedmont

MEMBERSHIP:Harold B. Parks(Walnut Creek 6406)990 Pleasant Hills Rd., Walnut Creek

NOMENCLATURE AND CLASSIFICATION:Barlow Hollingshead (Orinda 2054)12 La Cintilla Ave., Orinda 2

PROGRAM:Fred E. Heitman, D.D.S. (Orinda 2177)5833 Patton St.. Oakland 18

QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS:Wilson Footer, M.D.2828 Summit St., Oakland 9

SERGEANT-AT-ARMS:John J. Kampschroer1115 Wellington St., Oakland 2

ANNUAL CAMELLIA SHOWEXECUTIVE COMMITTEE:

Barlow Hollingshead (Orinda 2054)John Paul Edwards (GL 1-1854)David L. Feathers (Orinda 2171)Fred E. Heitman, D.D.S. (Orinda 2177)Harold L. Paige (OL 2-5040)Gordop. W. Richmond, M.D. (Beacon 2-1576)

The Northern California Camellia Society, Inc. is a non-profit organization of camellia fanciersinterested in the culture, propagation, and development of camellias. Meetings are held onthe second Monqay in each month from October to May inclusive, at 8 p.m., at the ChabotSchool Auditorium, Oakland. Membership is open to all those with a serious interest in thesubject. Annual Dues $5.00. Membership application blanks may he obtained from BruceHarless, Secretary, 1301 Stannage Ave., Berkeley.

Published by the Northern California Camellia Society, Inc.

Copyright, 1952 .;....)

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COVER FLOWER

NOBLE PEARL (Jewelry, Paochucha) is a large 6-inch, deep-red flower, incom-D

plete-double with petals very crinkled. Large wide leaves. Compact growth.

This is one of the celebrated Camellia reticulatas imported from Kungming,

China, by Descanso Distributors, Inc., La Canada, CaUf.

Northern California Camellia Society, Inc. 3

The above talk was given at the April 7,1952 meeting of the N.C.C.S. and was reportedby Mrs. Barlow Hollingshead.

SOIL CONDITION FOR PLANT GROWTHWITH SPECIAL EMPHASIS ON CAMELLIAS

By J. Vlamis, Ph.D., Assistant Soil Chemist,College of Agriculture, University of California, Berkeley

Some plants have very exacting re- conditions, here in the Bay area mostquirements with respect to climatic soils tend to be on the neutral or onconditions; are supposed to like an the alkaline side.acid or some other condition of the You have probably heard quite asoil. Other plants have wide toler- bit, over a decade, of work that hasance of growth conditions. Think of been done using water-culture tech-the usual garden, such as you may nique (hydroponics) in studying con-have in your yards: most of those ditions for plant growth. You mayplants could go to almost any part of wonder why we use such a method.the country and produce a collection· The answer is: You can control con-of flowers similar to those you have. ditions and study a simple system;Most plants have a wide range of then go to a more complicatedsys-tolerance with respect to soil. rainfall, tern and see to· what extent theyetc. A good example is corn; it is apply to the soil. What conditions ofgrown on the West Coast. in New the soil do we want for growingEngland, in the South. Cotton was healthy plants? Many of the thingsgrown for a long time in the South; we know now, we learned originallynow California surpasses the South in by the water-culture technique.per-acre cotton-production by a wide Even water can become unavail-margin. There is a very wide range able to a plant. To illustrate I shallin conditions where most plants can give an example of what often hap-grow. But the Camellia has some spe- pens in the greenhouse. Suppose wecial peculiarities. The Orchid plant is are growing plants in water contain-still more highly specialized, I sup- ing nutrients; we have cool nights,pose. The Monterey Cypress grows then the morning sun comes out andnaturally only in the Monterey area. the temperature rises quite rapidly.Another example of a plant that has a This causes the leaves to start evap-restricted range is the Redwood; it orating water quite rapidly. The rootsgrows along the north coast of Cali- are wet in water solution, but the tem-fornia. I wouldn't say that the reason perature of the water where the rootswhy they are restricted to a certain are doesn't rise so rapidly as thearea is known exactly, but it is temperature of the leaves. The rootsthought to be related to high humid- cannot take water up fast enough toity; namely, the fog belt. supply the leaves and they start to

There are a couple of conditions wilt. This may not do any permanentpEculiar to soil. We have large areas damage, however.of alkaline soil where not even wild So you see, a plant's roots may beplants will grow. Such soil may be re- absolutely wet in water and yet notclaimed by adding sulphur, gypsum, be <:bel to absorb enough moisture toor other amendment. Most of our acid furnish water for the plant. Mostsoils are up along the north coast of plants submerged in water - loggedCalifornia, approximately paralleling soil, wtih the exception of plants suchthe Redwood belt. as rice which is grown in flooded

From the point of view of the Ca- fields, would be killed. Submersionmellia which seems to prefer acid of the plant in water cuts off the oxy

gen supply and raises the carbon dioxide in the soil to a damaging level.As a result the roots no longer func-

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tion actively; they are probablyslowly becoming injured and willdie shortly. What applies to water absorption also applies to absorption ofnutrients. The essential elements thatplants require come mostly from thesoiL although carbon dioxide andoxygen can come from the air to supply the leaves. If the plant is deprivedof water, ultimately it also is deprivedof nutrients. In this area we have awide distribution of heavy clay adobesoil which tends to provide poordrainage and aeration conditions forplants.

We have a keen interest in what todo about these heavy clay adobesoils and I have brought along a kitto demonstrate what you have inadobe soil. I shall use beach sand asa contrast for high-drainage condition; and I shall use equal parts ofsoil and sand to simulate loam condition. A sample of each soil-mediumis placed in a glass tube pluggedloosely with cotton; a solution pouredinto the glass tube will percolatethrough the soil-medium and flow outinto a glass container. Specimen # 1is beach sand; specimen #2 is amixture of sand and clay; specimen#3 is a heavy type of clay soil.

First I shall use a red-colored solution with negative charge; it is similar to the charge that some importantfertilizers have. It would have beenbetter to show what happens to phosphate, which is an important nutrientfor plants, but that would require achemical test. The red solution ispoured into each glass tube. As thesolution passes through beach sand,it retains its red color and flows outinto the glass container. As the solution passes through loam, it loses itsred color; the loam has captured thenegatively-charged ions. That demonstrates an important property of retaining nutrients that soils have thatis useful for plants; that gives a tremendous advantage over sand. Theabsorption of phosphate is electricaLsticking on to the clay particles in thesoil. A favorable rate of percolation

of water is desirable. In the thirdcase, there is too much clay in thesoil and the water remains standing.While there are lots of nutrients inthe heavy soil, they are sacrificeddue to poor drainage and aeration.

This demonstrates the different technique you have to use on differenttypes of soil: a heavy soil requiresless frequent watering; a sandy soilfrequent watering. How often watering is required depends on theamount of clay in the soil, which isa measure of its water-holding capacity.

Now I shall use a solution containing a blue dye with a positive chargelike ammonia. As in the previouscase, the blue liquid passes quicklythrough the sand without losing itscolor. But the blue solution passingthrough loam loses its color, indicating that ammonia is absorbed byloam. As before, the heavy soil prevents the water from flowing through.

To make the record complete, thereis another important factor: the nitrateion. This nitrate does not behave likeothers. It is negatively charged butit does not stick to the soil as phosphate does.

Of use in increasing percolation isgypsum (calcium sulphate). The addition of gypsum to a heavy soil tendsto produce the same effect as addingorganic matter such as compost orstraw or leaf mold, to make the soilmore porous and more suitable forplant growth. According to microbiologists, the addition of a largeamount of organic matter promotesthe growth of organisms in soil andcauses decomposition at a tremendous rate. Certain carbon compoundsare produced which have the abilityto act like a binding agent; they takethe millions of particles of clay andmake small spheres of the particles.That also improves the conditions forplant growth, drainage, etc.

There is another product, Krilium,that has an effect similar to gypsum.Krilium-treated soil has gone threeyears without requiring to be re-

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treated; these experiments will showeventually how long a time a singleapplication of Krilium will last. As arule, compost-treated soil must be retreated with compost, for the bacteriachew it up.

Chemically, Krilium is a sodium orcalcium salt of hydrolized polyacrylonitrile, which has an effect on particles of clay and soluble salts, calledaggregation of colloidal particles.

Application of Krilium to heavyclay soil has a similar effect to thatof gypsum but multiplied manytimes. A single pound of Krilium isas effective as several hundredpounds of compost in increasing theporosity of the soil. Krilium, however,appears to resist microbial decomposition, so that annual applications arenot necessary. Since Krilium increases the porosity of the soil, rootspenetrate more easily and use up thenutrients; this may mean that plantfood must be replenished.

Krilium looks like a pretty gooddiscovery. It was originated by Monsanto Chemical Company and willbe out for public sale sometime in1952; but probably will be quite expensive at first. If you have need foronly a small amount, it probablywon't matter whether you use organicmatter or Krillium.

In studying the nutrient status ofsoils, we have found there are manydeficient in nitrogen; relatively fewdeficient in potash. An intermediatenumber of soils indicate a low phosphate condition.

Camellias require an acid conditionhaving a pH around 5.5 or even less,which is getting close to the point ofintolerance of many plants. When thepH gets down to 5, you get close tothe zone of potential trouble; therefore, you need to protect your plantsfrom too high acidity. One possiblereason that Camellias require a relatively low pH is that they may havedifficulty picking up sufficient ironfrom the soil necessary for formationof chlorophyl.

Some ions stick to the soil andothers don't. About 90 per cent ofammonia would be tied on to soil;but only a trace of nitrate would behooked on. We think of ammonia asbeing alkaline, but actually in soil itcreates an acid condition due to itshigh rate of entry into roots, leavingan acid residue. A heavy soil cantake it better than a light soil. Nitratetends to bring the pH to the alkalineside. It is probably better to use amixture of the two for most plants,and use ammonium sulphate forplants like Camellias.

When you acidify soil by addingammonium sulphate, it is not a question of what it does to the soil rightnow but what the plants do to thesoil after ammonium sulphate hasbeen introduced. Ammonium ionsare absorbed very slowly. Roughlyten ions of ammonium are absorbedfor everyone of sulphate. Hydrogenions have to take its place. You endup with sulphuric acid. Aluminumsulphate is a different type of acidifier. Alumnium sulphate can becometoxic and will kill plants. That is oneof the reasons you should not go toofar below a pH of 5. For most plantsit is not toxic above pH 5; but belowpH 5 it becomes very toxic. But itmust be added that plants vary intheir tolerance of high acidity andcorresponding aluminum toxicity. Itis entirely plausible that Camelliasbelong to the group of plants that willtolerate a certain amount of acidityfor aluminum. There is danger ofknocking a plant out fooling aroundwith acids that would bring the soilmuch below pH 5.

Hormones are used sometimes inthe propagation of Camellia cuttings.The actual utility of hormones isquestionable; the results are not consistent enough, but worth trying forthe sake of building up our knowledge of their effects.

Vitamins are not taken seriouslyany more with respect to plantgrowth. A claim was once made thatvitamins are beneficial to plants; but


plants manufacture their own vitamins, not only for themselves, buthave enough left over for us, too.

BOARD MEMBERS RETIREAt the end of the 1951-52 camellia

year, three directors resigned fromthe board, after making important contributions toward building a strongand vital society as well as the production of outstanding annual camellia shows.

Secretary Bruce Harless completedtwo years on the board, havinghandled the office of secretary 195052, chairman of Advance Ticket Salesand chairman of Display Blooms.

Dr. Gordon W. Richmond completed three years as board member,having filled the offices of vice-president 1949-50 and president 1950-51;chairman of Illumination, Public Address System, Background Music atShow, Executive Show Committee.

Dr. Walker M. Wells completedthree years as board member, havingfilled the offices· of vice-president1948-49 and president 1949-50, as wellas Executive Show Committee chairman.

At the organizational meeting ofthe new board a resolution waspassed to thank these retiring directors for their outstanding contributions to the Northern California Camellia Society, Inc.

DR. H. V. ALLINGTON, M.D"OAKLAND

Triangular Notch GraftingA notch-graft can be used on al

most any size of understock. On largeshrubs several scions can be fittedaround the circumference· of the understock without the need of splitting it.

I prepare the scion first, cutting soas to produce a triangular wedgetapering smoothly to a point. Theouter side of the wedge is composed

PRIZE WINNERS AND DONORSFred E. Heitman, D.D.S., Chairman

Throughout the 1951-52 Camelliaseason, nurserymen have been generous in providing plants of fine varieties to be used as door prizes andexhibitors' prizes.

At the final meeting of the year onMay 12, 1952, officers of the Societyprovided the plants for prizes; thenames of varieties, donors and prizewinners were as follows:

May 12, 1952BLOOD OF CHINA (Victor Emman

uel) One of the most celebrated ofthe red Camellias - a dark salmonred. Large and deep incomplete double with yellow stamens intermixedwith petals. Late bloomer. Vigorous,compact growth, suitable for tub culture. Donated by DR. FFED E. HEITMAN, Vice - President, Orinda, andwon by Mr. and Mrs. C. F. Jensen ofRichmond.

VIRGIN'S BLUSH One of the greatnew varieties. White flushed pink topalest pink. Exquisite petal texture.Double incomplete imbricated, budcenter opening to petals intermixedwith stamens. Vigo rous uprightgrowth. Midseason bloomer. Donatedby BARLOW W.S. HOLLINGSHEAD,President, Orinda, and won by Mr.and Mrs. C. A. Roberts of Alameda.

of undamaged bark and cambiumlayer.

A V-shaped notch is then cut intothe understock to fit the preparedscion. This notch likewise tapers toa point. With care the notch in theunderstock can be prepared to fit thescion quite accurately so that thecambium layers on scion and understock touch all around.

The scion, or scions, are then heldin place with rubber grafting bandsor with string or other binding material as desired. .

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1. Six-year-old plant of Camellia japonica usedas understock. Cut understock at angle tospeed callusing.

(Ordinarily the understock is cutoff about 4 inches above ground. Mr.Mitchell has cut a heel in excess of 6inches: in case graft does not take,there is plenty of understock left forregrafting; branching takes place at agreater distance abo've ground, whichis often desirable. Ed.)

Northern California Camellia Society, Inc.

HOW TO GRAFT A CAMELLIACourtesy SUNSET Magazine

Photographs by Herbert V. Mitchell. Walnut Creek

Although camellias most often arepropagated by cuttings, grafting issometimes a more useful method.

Suppose that a camellia is strongand healthy but blooms shyly ordoesn't have particularly attractiveflowers. Rather than discard that plantand lose the advantage of severalyears' growth and an established rootsystem, use the lower part as an understock and graft it with a desirablevariety.

This method can also be used forpropagating camellias which do notgrow readily from cuttings or produce only meager amounts of satisfactory cutting wood.

Here are other advantages:If vigorous stock is used, grafted

plants grow more rapidly and produce more and larger flowers, untilthe upper part of plant balances theroot system.

Slow-growing varieties grafted onfast-growing understock will bloomsooner than they would if grown fromcuttings.

Three to four-year-old seedlings orrooted-cuttings of Camellia - japonicaand C. sasanqua can also be used asunderstock.

For scions, select the same kind ofwood as for cuttings. Use firm wood-it should not be soft nor brittlefrom the ends of branches.

The best time to graft camellias isin early spring just before the plantsbegin to grow actively. Camellias aremost dormant when they are inbloom. Growth starts immediatelyafter.

Herbert V. Mitchell of WalnutCreek prepared a series of photographs to show his technique of cleftgrafting.

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2. Trim cut end of stock with clean sharp grafting knife for smooth clean cut. Top edge is cutoff for easier placement of the scion.

(Advantage of trimming top edge,as in photo No.2: It is easier to seecambium layer on understock whenscion is inserted; the cambium layeron scion should match cambiumlayer on understock.

Disadvantage: Any flat surface onface of understock tends to hold droplets of sap, which could serve as abreeding place for fungus. Fungusdisease is the villain in graft-failure.Top edge of understock need not becut off; it won't be quite so easy toplace scion, but one chance for fungus growth will be eliminated. Ed.)

3. Cut vertical split about. an inch long, usingsharp knife to avoid tearing the dark-greencambium layer between bark and wood.

4. Make tapering wedgelike cut at end ofscion. Open cleft in understock with smallclean screw-driver. and insert scion in upperend of split.

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5...Remove screw-driver and wrap understockwith grafting rubber. The scion should fit securely in understock.

(Wrapping of grafting rubber acrosssurface of cut, as shown in photo 5,may tend to hold droplets of sap andencourage fungus growth-may alsoretard healing. To avoid these hazards, wrap grafting rubber aroundbark surface below the slanting cuton understock. Ed.)

(In photo No.6, the glass jar is aclean gallon -size mayonnaise jar.These may be purchased at a secondhand bottle dealer - see classifiedsection of telephone directory.

Photo No.6 shows a gallon-size tincan, with top and bottom removed,placed around understock, to hold upglass jar, thus giving greater height

'_ to growing space within. Since Mr.Mitchell cut the understock off six or

6. Jar over grafted plant maintains humiditynecessary for callus formation. Vermiculite incan raises soil level; supports jar.

eight inches above the soil, this additional growing space was necessary. Mr. Mitchell used vermiculiteinside tin can to raise soil level andto support jar, thus maintaining humidity within. Vermiculite is verylight in weight and is sterile.

Common practice is to leave a heelof about four inches on understock.Then the glass jar alone is sufficientto give growing space. If there is anymold or old mulch on soil surfacearound understock, it must be scrapedoff, or it may become a source offungus growth. A half-inch of cleanbuilders' sand may be used to support glass jar and to seal out air, tomaintain humidity to keep scionalive. Ed.)


NOTES ON GRAFTING OF CAMELLIASGLEANED AT PAST MEETINGS OF THE N.C.C.S.

From time to time during the pastsix years symposiums on graftinghave been held at monthly meetingsand members have contributed information concerning their grafting experience. Below are comments thatmay be helpful to those planning tograft next season.

O. E. HOPFER, Oakland

Understock

What kind of camellias do we usually use as understock for grafting?The answer is that we normally tryto take advantage of the root systemof an established plant which mayhave attained considerable size, butwhose blooms are not of the qualitywhich we consider fine today. Sometimes we get discouraged with theperformance of a certain variety, andfinally we decide to cut its head offand graft a first-class scion onto theestablished root stock. There is noneed to dig up and destroy an entireplant just because we do not like thequality of its flowers. It is much easierto cut it off within a couple of inchesof the surface and insert several highgrade scions. If the plant is a largeone, with a trunk say of 1Yz to 4inches in diameter, we often use thetriangular notch-graft.

Sometimes we have seedlings thathave grown to flowering size buthave inferior flowers. Since we do notwant to be horticultural wasters, weutilize the root stock by grafting ontoit a choice variety.

ScionsCamellias which are very scarce

are often used to supply scions forgrafting; first, because of the paucityof new growth from which to makecuttings; secondly, because two orthree scions can be made from thesame amount of wood that is usedfor a cutting; and thirdly, because the

single or two-eyed scion grafted ontoa well - developed root - system willgrow much faster than a cutting on itsown roots. This rapidity of growth,however, continues only until naturestrikes a balance between the amountof roots and foliage. Thereafter, agrafted plant will grow no faster thanone on its own roots.

Combination Grafts

At my home we have grafted allkinds and sizes of camellias, from 4inch pots up to trees 18 feet tall. Rightnear our front entrance, for instance,I had planted Jennie Lind which developed into a fine looking tree, butevery year the flowers were miserable. Camellia fans would visit myhome with high expectations, feelingthat here they would surely see somefine foreign importations and the bestin camellias - then, mounting myfront steps, they would be greeted byJennie Lind. Well, we watched Jenniegrow from 4 feet to 18 feet, and it wassuch a nicely formed tree and lookedso green and glossy we hated to cutit down and start all over. It was notgood enough to keep, yet it was toogood-just as a green tree-to throwit away. So one Wednesday morningI called Dr. H. V. Allington and suggested that if he felt like doing a littlesurgery on his afternoon off, I wouldleave my office at noon and meet himat my home and we would cut downJennie Lind and work her over. Docis a whizzer with a scalpel and beforewe got through we had put in triangular notch-grafts of Adolphe Audusson, Gigantea, and English DonckelarL Now when visitors come to ourhome during camellia season theysee three of the choicest varieties immediately they set foot on the property.

Another tree that I worked overwas a large La Peppermint. I tired ofits habit of producing blooms which

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I could not pick. Every time I tried totwist off a bloom, all I got was ahandful of petals; the blooms alwaysshattered. One afternoon I cut it downand grafted eight choice varietiesonto it.

Cutting off one of my large seedlings, I grafted 14 choice white varieties, which some day may bloominto a regular symphony in white.In grafting combinations of varietiesonto understock, it is possible to conjure up many interesting combinations, all of which can be grown onone bush; but if you want to maintain a beautiful garden instead of developing a horticultural curiosityshop, you will need to use good tasteand judgment in grafting. I have usedthe art of grafting primarily to dosomething useful with worthlessseedlings and to correct some of myearlier mistakes in judgment when Iwas an avid camellia collector.

MRS. KREENA SMYTH,SMYTH CAMELLIA NURSERY,LAGUNITAS ROAD, ROSS

Grafting Tools

The grafting tools needed are agrafting knife or a 40-cent shoe knifewhich can be purchased at hardwarestores, and a wedge (plant label orscrew driver). The wedge is used tohold the cut open.

Understock and Scion

Prepare understock before you doar..y grafting. It should be thoroughlywetted three or four days before grafting. Then add Yz inch to 1 inch ofpotting mixture above the soil. Thegraft is to be sealed with a jar; if youdon't have something soft for the jarto seal into, you are not going to havea good seal on the bottom, that isnecessary to maintain an even hu-midity. .

Cut understock off about threeinches above the ground. Then cutthe heel off a little at an angle, clean

it and smooth it, using a sharp grafting knife; a clean cut will heal betterthan a raveled one. Now cut downvertically about one inch into heel.

Prepare scion. One growth bud andone leaf may be used, leaving theleaf whole or cutting off tip of leaf.Cut both sides of the stem end ofscion about the shape of a smallscrew driver, except that it is to be alittle thicker on one side than on theother.

Use screw-driver as a wedgein holding cut open while insertingscion. The little green cambium layeron understock and on scion shouldmeet. A magnifying glass may beused for matching the cambium layers. Then bind with grafting band tokeep scion secure.

Now take a clean jar and place itover the graft, sealing jar into thepotting mix to maintain an evenhumid condition. Keep jar on top fortwo or three months.

When callus is formed take plantlabels and set one on each side ofjar to raise it a little to let in air. Ona cloudy day or at night, take jar offaltogether. If you have a greenhouse,that's the place to put it; otherwisebuild a little frame over it with muslin; it should get light without directsunlight, for the chlorophyll in theleaves has to perform its function.

If any mold develops - watch thatcarefully, particularly after being inframe about three weeks - apply avinegar solution (2 teaspoonsful in aquart of water)-with a camel's hairbrush.

If the scion does not take but theunderstock lives, it can be used againfor grafting.

Question: Why do you cut understock on slant?

Answer: If the understock is cut onslant, sap will run down and won'tstay on top.


w. H. HALL, CAMELLIA HALLNURSERY, SACRAMENTO

Ordinarily we consider that thebest root-stock for grafting is a lush,well-grown plant preferably slightlypot-bound. It is important that the understock have a strong, sturdy rootsystem.

If you have a camellia in your garden that you don't think much of,take better care of it before you graftit. I know definitely that the weak,the starved, and the unkempt camellia does not work well as understock.

Grafting Tool

A good sharp knife to use as agrafting tool is important. To protectyour hands, it might be a good ideato save that right thumb by using several layers of adhesive tape to protectit from cuts.

Cleft Grafting

We prefer in our cleft-grafting touse a slanting cut in cutting down theunderstock, since we have found thatthe slanting .cut causes less of thatunsightly .bulge as the graft heals.Sometimes by the third, fourth, orfifth year, there is nothing more thana slight waver in the line of the trunkto show where the grafting was done.

We have also found that in cuttingthe understock it is best to pick asmooth side for the high side inwhich you produce your cleft so thatthere will be a nice even point for aunion, rather than cut where a leafcame out. That particular area of thebark is irregular and the scion doesnot fit quite so well.

In taking a scion I use only oneeye, rather than two or three. In thefirst place I am stingy with most scions if the wood is rare. In the secondplace, the grafted plant is off theground before it starts to branch. Ifthree leaf buds are used, the plantwill branch close to the ground. If ithappens to be a prostrate or lowgrowing variety, the branches droopbelow the pot level and it becomes

necessary to prune and reshape theplant after it is well on its way. However, if you are growing in containers, you may like to have an occasional plant that grows that way sinceit gives that kind of symmetry thatthe orientals have been famous forcenturies. But we have found that theprettiest plant is the one that gets offthe ground a bit before it starts tobranch.

When inserting the scion, be surenot to put it too far into the cleft. Ithas been my experience that you canget by having the cambium layer justoutside the cleft but not inside. If thecambium layer on the cleft is insidethe cambium layer on the scion-thebark edge of the scion being out beyond the bark edge of the cleft-thegraft may take sometimes; but neverhave I found one to take where thescion was inserted so far that the barklayer of the scion was inside the cleft.

Bind with red rubber buddingstrips so as to leave no gaps and thusexclude air from the area of theunion.

Bins for Grafts

At Camellia Hall Nursery we donot use bottles to cover our grafts; weuse bins entirely. These bins areidentical in appearance and construction to cold-frames but are deeper.The bins have ordinary "barn frames"on them - comparable to windowsash frames. The front part of the binis 36 inches high and the rear portionis 42 inches high. They are 16 feetlong, with the exception of one whichis 8 feet in length. The width is 30inches from front to rear.

In the bottom of the bins, we haveapproximately 3 to 4 inches of sandwhich is kept moist before we insertthe newly-grafted plants. From thenon it is oniy a matter of lifting theglass an inch at a time over the wholebin when airing and hardening thecallus. When the temperature getstoo high, we cover the bins withburlap, .even after we have lifted the


glass. In this way we can protect fromsun without having to touch theplants.

The greatest advantage of the binsis that they may be opened for inspection without losing all of the humidity.

Our percentage of takes in bins hasbeen as high as 93 per cent, which isconsidered extremely high for commercial grafting of camellias on alarge scale.

GORDON COURTRIGHT,EAST BAY NURSERY, BERKELEY

One of the first things that I learnedabout grafting was the importance ofpracticing with a knife-not just once,but 20 to 30 times-on the same kindof wood that is to be cut in grafting.

Cutting Tool

The knife blade that I use is straighton one side and sharpened on theother-similar to a chisel.

Removing Mold from Understock

If the understock has any mold onthe ground, it is necessary to cleanoff the top layer of dirt. For this, weuse a broad, flat chisel or a boardabout 1Yz inches wide and scrape offthe mold as well as the top half-inchof dirt.

Scion in Cleft-Grafting

When using a two-eye scion, orlonger, one bud-eye should be setdown into the cleft far enough to meetthe cambium layer. The scion willtake much faster if the eye is set intothe' cambium layer because there isabout forty times as much growingtissue at an eye as on any other partof the cambium layer. It has been ourexperience that the graft not onlytakes faster but that it heals overmore quickly.

Large Understock

When large understock - %-inchdiameter or larger-is being used, it

is necessary to keep the gap openwhile inserting the scion. I use asharpened plant label as a wedge.

On very large understock - 2inches or so in diameter - the labelmay be left in the split to prevent thescion from being crushed. We havefound that it is not necessary to remove the label from that size understock at all so long as the label isbroken off flush with the understockafter growth has started.

Tying the Graft

To tie the graft, I use string. Personally, I do not like budding-strips.I believe callusing sets in faster whenthe wound is not entirely covered.Besides, we can watch the union between the scion and the cambiumlayer after it has been tied to see thatit is still in the right place. Otherspeakers have mentioned that thegraft should be covered completelyto keep the air out; but I have notfound this necessary, grafting in thegreenhouse. We always use a jar tocover the graft and that seems to giveenough protection.

Mulching Grafted Plant

After the plant has been grafted,Yz to % inches of sand, leaf mold, orpeat-or better, a mixture of all three-is used to keep the air out andmake a good seal for the jar.

After Care of Grafts

All too many plants are lost afterthey have been properly grafted because of improper after care.

Since we keep our grafts in thegreenhouse until August, we haveno trouble protecting them on coldnights and our plants keep growingright through the season.

The plants are watered thoroughlyabout a week before they are grafted;after grafting, as little as possibleuntil they have gotten a good start.We keep the grafts on the dry side.After they have been in about amonth, we watch them carefully and


do not let them get too dry. I haveseen many grafts ruined by too muchwater; dampness tends to cause moldto develop.

If mold should begin to form, itmust be taken off. We use a 15-centwater-color brush and a 5 % solutionof white vinegar in water to removethe mold. This treatment does notseem to injure the plants.

Shading the Grafts

We cover our jars in the greenhouse with a long piece of cheesecloth to shade the plants and to prevent the glass jars from acting like amagnifying glass on bright, sunnydays. After the jars are taken off, westill use the cheesecloth to shade theyoung plants for at least a month.

Removing the Jars

The jars are taken off the graftedplants aftE?r the callusing has takenplace and as soon as possible afterthe plant starts to grow. We removethe jars during the morning to giveplants a chance to become accustomed to outside air before nightcomes. If there is any sign of wilting,we place the jar right back on for afew days-then we try removing itagain.

VERNON JAMES,JAMES RARE PLANT NURSERY,HIWAY 17 AT CAMPBELL

About one week before graftingcamellias, water the plants to be usedas understock thoroughly, since verylittle moisture will expire from theplant after the top is cut off. If theunderstock is too wet at the time ofgrafting, mold will form. And moldis the big bugaboo in grafting.

Treatment for Mold

At the first sign of mold, wipe itoff with finger and air the plant. Ifthe day is warm, I to I V2 hours willbe sufficient. On a cool day, 3 to 4hours will be required. Such airing

should kill any mold that is formed,in the early stages. If the mold persists, use about a 2% solution ofwhite vinegar in water and apply itwith a small water-color brush. Afungicide, such as sulphur, could beused, but too strong a solution willburn. Usually a little air is all that isnecessary if the mold is caught whenit first starts to form.

After Care

After the healing process startsalong the base of the scion, let ashoulder build out until the cut orwound is completely closed in. Then,on a cool evening, take the jar offand there will be no ill effects whatsoever.

If quite a little growth has started,remove the jar on a cool evening andcheck the new growth the followingmorning. If there is any sign of wilt,put the jar back on. Then the nextevening, try removing the jar again.

Question: How long should the jarremain on?

Answer: Leave the jar on until thecallus is formed on both sides andquite a littel shoulder is built up. Thetime required depends upon weatherconditions. In the greenhouse, itwould take about three weeks toshow signs of callus. But on mostplants the jar should come off inabout six weeks.

Question: Should one water thegrafted plant?

Answer: The plant need not bewatered if there is still moisture V2inch down. But don't let the plant getcompletely dryas that will injure theroot more than necessary. I soak theunderstock well the week before Igraft. Then by the time I start grafting, I have a nice moist conditionit isn't too wet and it isn't too dry.Never water the understock the sameday that you graft, for you are justasking for mold to form in a humidatmosphere. (continued on page 15)


O. E. HOPFER, OAKLAND

Whip GraItWhile like the nurseryman I prob

ably make more cleft grafts than anyother type, I want to tell you aboutmy favorite method of grafting-thewhip graft. I like the whip graft particularly because when well done, itis impossible to detect the graft unionwithout minute examination. I use thewhip graft whenever I find that Ihave a scion and an understock of thesame diameter.

I cut off the understock with aslanting, diagonal cut of perhaps I Y2to 2 inches in length. Then I lay thescion alongside the slanted understock and measure on the scion theexact length of the slanting cut Imade on the understock. The lengthof the slanting cut on the scion mustbe exactly the same length as theslanting cut on the understock.

After making the slanting cut at thebase of the scion, I cut a tongue intothe slanting cut on both the scion andthe understock. When these twotongues are neatly fitted and thescion carefully wrapped, there aresix junctures where the cambium layers are matched up - three on oneside and three on the opposite side.Thus, if you are wearing bi-focals andsome of your matching-up is done byfeel rather than by sight, you havesix chances of matching with a whipgraft as compared to two chanceswith a cleft or wedge graft.

I believe that the whip graft isneater, stronger, and avoids all of thehumps and bumps and other disfiguring evidence of grafting so characteristic of other more commonly usedmethods.

VERNON JAMES (continued)

Question: Is it all right to graft afast-growing scion on a slow-growingunderstock?

Answer: No! Absolutely not! If youdo, it will eventually be pinched off.

ALEXANDER PAYETTE, D.D.S.,LOS GATOS

Miniature GraftingGrafting on understock that is

smaller than a pencil is called miniature-grafting.

First, cut a scion; then look for understock exactly that size. The diameter of scion and of understock maybe measured with vernier calipers.

Cut off the top of the understock tobe grafted, square across, and makea slit with an artist's knife downthrough the center of the understock.Cut the end of the scion into a Vshape wedge and place it in the slit.With this method there is union ofthe cambium layers on both sides.

The graft is protected by wrappingthe union with grafting band; then itis covered with a glass jar until callusis formed.

After the grafting jar is completelyoff, is the time to use grafting wax.If the union is not entirely healed,wax should be applied to preventdisease. That large crack that existswill harbor organisms.

Grafting WaxI make my own grafting wax, using

I lb. lamb fat, I lb. beeswax, and I lb.powdered resin. First I render thefat, then add beeswax, gently stirringthe mixture. Very slowly, while theother ingredients are boiling I add thepowdered resin. I boil the mixtureuntil all the resin is in solution; thenempty it into containers. (Cold creamjars are suitable. Ed.) The addition ofresin gives an adhesive quality tothe wax. It never gets hard, and whencallus forms it grows right under itand the wax rolls off.

Question: Can a reticulata scion begrafted onto japonica understock?

Answer: A reticulata scion can begrafted onto any fast-growing japonica variety.


Question: Would you keep thegrafted plant on the dry sIde?

Answer: Yes, particularly until thescion is healed.

Question: Do you use any kind ofwax or healing compound after thejar is removed?

Answer: Yes. A wax or a tree seal-something like that-may be usedto keep the understock from dryingout. Let a small callus form and thenpaint the unhealed portion of the understock with wax or tree seal. In twoyears time, the callus should completely cover the old stock.

Question: When the plant becomesdry after grafting, how much watershould be used?

Answer: Give it only a very lightwatering because you still have amoist condition at the bottom of thecan.

Question: When mold forms aftergrafting, is it due to an excessivelymoist condition?

Answer: No. Mold is formed fromspores in the air or on one's hand.High humidity gives mold an idealcondition for growth.

Question: How much light shouldbe given the newly grafted plant?

Answer: Place the grafted plantunder lath and burlap in the open.I would place the plant, preferably,on the east side of the building whereit would get the morning sun and usedouble burlap. The plant should notbe placed in complete darkness, but

in more shade than in an ordinarylath-house. Darkness, too, helps moldto develop.

Question: Can old wood be usedas scion?

Answer: I have found in graftingthat it might take old wood longer toheal because there is a larger healingsurface. However, you will get moregrowth the first year.

Question: Does tree seal have anyeffect on callus growth?

Answer: I used to use tree seal,but I found it retards callus growth.Use a regular grafting band to catchthe top and bottom of scion to protectit from being disturbed while removin'J or putting on the jar. Put the sealon after the jar is taken off entirelyjust on the bare wood. Sometimes,on very large understock there isquite a gap. In that case, fill thewhole crevice with tree seal.

Question: When do you do yourgrafting?

Answer: I usually start right afterChristmas. Now, the first week inFebruary, I have about fifty more todo, then I am through for the year.

Question: What age understock doyou use?

Answer: I use 3- to 4-year-old understock in gallon cans and 5 to 6year-old in larger containers. If Iwant a lot of wood, I take a 30 to 50year-old plant and graft something onit that I like.

RESULTS OF ELECTION OF OFFICERS AND DIRECTORSFOR THE FISCAL YEAR 1952-53

PRESIDENT: Harold L. Paige, Lafayette.VICE-PRESIDENT: David L. Feathers, Lafayette.TREASURER: Woodford Harrison, Berkeley.SECRETARY: Wallace H. Brown, Berkeley.DIRECTORS: John Paul Edwards, Oakland; Fred E. Heitman, D.D.S.,

Orinda; Barlow W. S. Hollingshead, Orinda.

Atlantic Coast Camellia Society

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