SOUTH CAROLINA CAMELLIA SOCIETY, INC.James H. McCoy

3531 Scottywood Dr.Fayetteville, NC 28303

Editor

BULK RATEU. S. Postage

PAIDFayetteville, NCPermit No. 282 Atlantic C90ast C9amellias

OLDIES (Continued from Page 27)

M/M Geary M. Serpas104 TyVo1a Dr~veC z<)483summerville, s. •

find what beautiful camellias we can growoutside up until about the middle ofDecember. We can say, when asked,that we have our season made andenjoyed up until that time. Whatever elseMother Nature lets us have is just purelagniappe.

We are including here a list ofcamellias which are "oldies" but"goodies." For years, until the advent ofgib, we just looked at these camellias andpassed th€;Jm by. These respond well forus: the rubra family, particularlyvariegated 'Mathotiana' and 'MathotianaSupreme'; 'Hakurakuten', which we usedto grow for grafting stock only but nowhas become a favorite for cutting to usein arrangements; 'Compari', one of thebest and most interesting of the flowers to

have found new life with gib; 'SpringSonnett'; 'Morris Moughon' and roseaf-..lmily; 'Charlotte Bradford'; 'Don Mac';·Allie Habel'; 'Mike Witman'; and'Woodville Red' one of the most cnsistenthead table winners for us.

Right now, the whole camellia yard is"sleeping" from the aforementioned tworecord-setting winters. So many beautifulplants were lost or mutilated, but I guesswe will never give up on our children.We'll just prune them, tend them andhope that they will reward us by survivingand performing even better for havinggone through trying times. At least this iswhat we tell ourselves as we toss anotherdead camellia bush on the throw-awaypile.

Vol. XXXIII

"The Grove" Tallahassee, FL

Winter, 1986 No.1

In Search of Fimbriation

NOTICE

In My Camellia Garden

In my camellia garden I have seenFair nature both tempestous and serene.I've learned to love her every ploy and planAnd through her learned to love my fellow manAnd the Maker of this intricate machine.

In my camellia garden I have feltThe same warm breeze that made the snow flakes melt.The same cool mist that shrouded Bali-Hai,The suffocating heat of Gobi skyBut over all supreme conte ,tment dwelt.

Valdosta, GA

Just wait till I put some of Joe Austin's'King Lear' into it l

As you look at the flowers thisseason, keep an eye out for fimbriation.Be especially watchful of the petaloids,which usually is the first place you will findany indication of a plant's capability ofthrowing a fimbriated bloom. An exampleof this theory is 'Dixie Knight Supreme'. Itwill occasionally bloom completely fim­briated. Others which show this tendencyto fimbriate are 'Massee Lane', the'Tomorrows' and 'Mrs. OW. DavisSpecial'.

I hope that every who reads this arti­cle will be watchful and notify me ofvarieties I have missed. I understand nextyear that Julius Nuccio will release aseedling of Bill Goertz, a fimbriated redreticulata hybrid. Its parentage is 'WilliamHertrich' x 'Clark Hubbs'. Sergio Braccitells me it is a great flower. I am sure it willbe quite an exciting addition to those wea:ready have since it is the only retichybrid we have with fimbriation.

My ultimate goal in hybridizing is adark red, early blooming reticulata withform similar to 'Dr. Clifford Parks', heavi­ly fimbriated and with the fragrance of atea olive. Dream on, dream on! Anyresults in my program will be a long timematerializing. I have to search forbreeding material, then attempt tohybridize the new material and then growoff any seed I might produce. One defini­tion of the word patience is long suffering.I won't be exactly suffering, but I am sureI am in for a lot of disappointment.However, I do believe patience pays offeventually.

Try growing a few camellias for yourown pleasure. Who knows, maybe youwill catch "camellia fimbritis" and join mein my new venture.

Hulyn Smith

I have had an infatuation with fimbria­tion since I came to know Ivan Mitchell ofLake Santa Fe, Florida. Ivan is one of thevery best sources of camellia history andoverall knowledge of the specie I haveever known. In fact, Marion Edwardsclaims that Ivan has given me a severecase of a disease known as "camelliafimbritis. "

Have you ever seen JohnNewsome's 'Ville' in late January whenthe rabbit ears are standing tall and fim­briation is very heavy? Think back a fewyears, how about those beautiful fim­briated 'Lady Kays' that Buster Bushbrought to the shows. If you have everseen either of these flowers, you willknow what fimbriation is, and what morefimbriation could mean to camellias.

About five years ago, I became in­terested in hybridizing. I have now builtmy second greenhouse (24 x 100) and in­tend to use it completely for hybridizing.

There are several areas I want todelve into; fimbriation, early bloomers andyou guessed it, those big red retics! Ihave been gathering fimbriated varieties,and some are very hard to locate.

I hope to graft the following fimbriatedvarieties this season: 'Fred Sander','Dainty (California)', 'Billy McCaskill','Cinderella', 'Barbara McBride', 'CamilleBradford', (trying to find this one),'Hawaii', 'Flame (fimbriated)', 'Dr.Balthazar de Melo', 'Raspberry Ice', 'Fim­briata', 'Rainy Snow', and 'Dr. Knapp'. Ofcourse, I already have 'Ville', 'Lady Kay','Clark Hubbs' and 'Flowerwood'.

Two years ago, Ivan Mitchell sent mea scion of the Rothfus 'Mathotiana' sportwhich is a 'Mathotiana Supreme' sportthat fimbriated. I bloomed this one for thefirst time this season and it bloomed true.This is going to be quite a flower. Eachand every petal was heavily fimbriated.

Fayetteville, NCJames H. McCoy

In my camellia garden I have heardThe "Hello Spring I" song of a mockingbirdThe wind molested, creaking pine tree boughs.The splat, splat, splat of rain on thirsty flowers.A symphony complete in song and word.

In my camellia garden I have KnownThat no one laughs and no one weeps aloneThat when we cry, some one will dry our tearThat all our pleasures double when we share,But no one reaps unless he first has sown.

The Nomenclature Research Committee of the Southern California CamelliaSociety has set a target date of October 1, 1986 for the release of it's 19th RevisedEdition of Camellia Nomenclature. Therefore, the cut-off date of June 1, 1986 hasbeen established for the inclusion of any new registrations and/or for any changes indescriptions of camellia cultivars. Any registrations or changes in descriptions submit­ted after the date of June 1, 1986 will be held for inclusion in the 20th Revised Editionwhich is presently targeted for release in 1989.

CONFIRMATION OF SUSCEPTIBILITYOF CAMELLIA CHRYSANTHA TO DIEBACK

CAUSED BY GLOMERELLA CINGULATALuther W. Baxter, Jr. and Susan G. Fagan1

Atlantic C90ast C9amellias

The Atlantic Coast Camellia Society was organized September 13, 1980 at Myrtle Beach, SouthCarolina. The purpose was to extend the appreciation of camellias and to promote the science of camelliaculture. Dues are $6.00/year for a single membership and $9.00 for a couple. Make payment to AtlanticCoast Camellia Society, 1325 E. Barden Rd., Charlotte, NC 28226.

2....... .4

5.. 7

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... 14................. 15

OFFICERS

.. Col. Elliott Brogden 3904 DuBose Dr., Columbia, SC 28204. ... Richard Waltz 5405 Pioneer Dr., Baltimore, MD 21214

Leslie P. Cawthon, Jr. 2405 Howell Mill Rd. NW, Atlanta, GA 30318J.L. McClintock, Jr. 1325 E. Barden Rd., Charlotte, NC 28226

. James McCoy 3531 Scottywood Dr., Fayetteville, NC 28303w.T. Shepherd 4724 Park Place E., N. Charleston, SC 29406James McCoy 3531 Scottywood Dr., Fayetteville, NC 28303

Editors Page. . .President's Message - .Grow Camellias in Iowa? - Jack Hatfield .C. chrysantha an Endangered Species .Getting C. chrysantha to Bloom Early - Bill DonnanQuestions and Answers about the Yellow Flowered

Camellia - Bill Donnan.Show Reports.Aloe-Vera, A Complete Dud· James H. McCoyReflections on Fertilizer - Boyd McReeThe Response of Asexual Spores (Con ida) of the

Camellia Dieback Fungus, Glomerella Cinguiata,to Captan . Luther W. Baxter, Jr. and Susan G. Fagan .17

Yes, We Grow Camellias - Charles A. Newman. . 20Po' Mouthers - Rupie Drews . .. . 22In and Around the Greenhouse - James H. McCoy. . 23Grafting Stocks for Camellia Reticulata - Col. Tom Durrant 25"Oldies," "Goodies," and "Sleepers" - Gus Dubus 27Confirmation of Susceptibility of Camellia

Chrysantha to Dieback Caused by GlomerellaCingulata - Luther W. Baxter, Jr. and Susan G. Fagan 28

In Search of Fimbriation - Hulyn Smith .. Inside Back Page

PRESIDENT.1st VICE PRES...2nd VICE PRES.SEC. & TREAS.ASST SEC. &TREAS.HISTORIAN.EDITOR

cankers formed within three months.Wounds were made with a knife onmature stems at the time of inoculation.However, we have not, as yet, inoculatedplants thro~gh leaf scars at the time ofnew growth development.

Mr. Savige writes: "However, thisgrowth began to wither, the leaves of thenew growth falling while still green." I didnot pick up on this in the first reading, butMr. Savige is saying that the young leaveson new twigs that become infected fallbefore twigs and leaves mature. It isafter maturation of stems and leaves thatleaves dry up, turn brown and remain at­tached after being killed by the diebackfungus, G. cingulata.

Mr. Savige's observation, along withthose of Colonel Tom Durrant of NewZealand, are compatible with experimen­tal results that we have gotten whensusceptible C. japonica and C. sasan­qua cultivars were inoculated with thisfungus.

We agree with the use of the captan(2 tablespoonsful per gallon of water) ­benomyl (Benlate - one-half tablespoonfulper gallon of water) mix. However, ourresults using griseofulvin were negative.The captan-benomyl mix should be usedat the time just before and during leaf fallsince infection takes place throughwounds left by fresh leaf scars. Once thefungus is inside the camellia tissue,neither captan nor benomyl will kill thefungus. Captan is not a systemicfungicide, and benomyl is not adequatelysystemic to kill G. cingulata insidediseased camellia tissue.

1Professor and AG Science Asst., Department ofPlant Pathology and Physiology, Clemson Universi­ty, Clemson, SC 29631.

This is written in response to the arti­cle by Tom Savige (Australia) published inthe September 1985 edition of CamelliaNews entitled "Camellia chrysantha': AWarning."

Mr. Savige refers to a visit by ColonelTom Durrant of New Zealand, and he(Col. Durrant) concluded that C. chrysan­tha plants that had leaf drop (young,developing leaves) were affected bydieback, caused by Glomerellacingulata.

In our experience over the past 35years with camellias affected by G.cingulata, young, developing leaves canfall as he described when infection oc­curs through fresh leaf scars. Typically,some old leaves fall at, or about the timeof, the beginning of new growth in theSpring - that is, from the development ofmature vegetative buds, usually in the ax­ils of leaves from last year's growth.

We have used known virulentcultures of G. cingulata to inoculatefresh leaf-scar wounds of C. japonicaand C. sasanqua, usually during earlyMay here'at Clemson, SC. Depending ontemperature and camellia variety, infec­tion results, and young twigs that developfrom these inoculated lateral vegetativebuds wilt within 5 to 15 days. Then youngleaves drop off. When older twigsbecome infected and are killed, theleaves turn brown and remain attached tothe dead stem.

We inoculated wounded stems of C.chrysantha with a known virulent isolateof the camellia strain of G. cingulata(G484). Infection resulted and large

28

"OlDllIES," "GOODllIES," AND "SllElElPlElRS"

Our disappearing camellia gardens:this could easily be the title of an article ina camellia publication. I have read aboutour disappearing camellia nurseries oftenenough, but as another sign of thecamellia times, or as a result of disap­pearing nurseries, there are fewer andfewer camellia gardens for camellialovers to enjoy. We don't like to look atugly things or to talk about unpleasantthings or to think about sad things. But ifmy hometown, Fayetteville, NC, is an ex­ample of general conditions, then thecamellia scene is dismal indeed.

Several years ago, perhaps 5 or 6,Mrs. Mae Shuler, a member of our cluband the owner of a fine camellia garden,gave the club permission to come to hergarden and to make as many air layers asthe club wanted. This was a fund raisingidea. The club responded and about 300air layers were made. Almost all of themwere successful. These were "oldies butgoodies." I remember making 6 air layersin the top of one plant of 'Kumasaka'.Now this garden, which used to boastclose to 100 varieties of fine camelliaplants, is a shambles. Mrs. Shuler recent­ly invited some members to come aroundand advise her what to do; whether toprune and try to save some of thesecamellias or to get someone with a chainsaw to cut them down.

2

Another Fayetteville camellia gardenwhich has been decimated by the two"killer" winters is the one belonging toMrs. E.G. Boggs, a member of ACS formore than 25 years. This garden alsocontained scores of the great oldcamellias such as 'Herme', 'Drama Girl','Yuki Botan', 'Alba Plena', et al. On onevisit to her garden, she let me cut a boxfull, at least two dozen, blooms of 'SpringSonnett' with long stems, like roses. Sheis also the originator of the camellia 'RosaPanella', a very nice, large, anemoneform camellia. She has other seedlingswhich are good, but which she has neverregistered. This garden is also a thing ofthe past. Though some of the plants arestill there, Mrs. Boggs has given up onthem. She says that she will not replacethe dead ones, but will concentrate onrhododendrons from now on.

I received a letter in recent days froma camellia grower in Texas. He was be­moaning the fact that nurseries no longerstock camellias, that the membership ofthe camellia club to which he belongedhad dropped from over 100 to less than40, that one camellia show which used toshow 13,000 blooms now feels lucky if itcan exhibit 800 blooms. I know what he istalking about' I have seen a NorthCarolina version of this sad drama.

What can be done? I don't think

on my desk, a fine, 3 metre high plant of'Manderlay Queen' in full flower in aneighbour's garden, was found flat on itsface after a windy night. It had snappedoff just below ground level, at a pointwhere two main roots were twistedtogether. Disasters of this kind are not aninfrequent occurrence, but they can beavoided if the root systems of allcontainer grown stocks, are examinedBEFORE grafting on them.

It has been claimed in some nurserypractise, that the root systems of C.sasanqua are much more resistant toPhytopthora Cinnamomi than are those

Gus Dubus

During the 1950s and 60s, when wewere first becoming interested incamellias, Gus Roberts was consideredby many in our area to be the dean ofcamellia nurserymen. We would wanderthrough his greenhouses and outsidenursery yard and hang on to his everyword as he explained to us the particulargood or bad qualities of each camellia.

He was the first one to bring to our at­tention those camellias that he con­sidered to be "sleepers." We thought atthe time that this was just one of his coin­ed phrases, of which he had many. Welater found that every "camelliaite" hashis own list of sleepers.

One of Gus Roberts particularsleepers was 'Mrs. Hooper Connell'. Atfirst we thought of it as just another white,one of the thousands such. But with theadvent of gib and with its early bloomingqualities, it has become one of au rfavorites among the whites. Thus, manyyears later, we realized what Gus Robertshad meant by his "sleepers." Anotherwhite sleeper was 'Stella Sewell', whichcan be interestingly different. Until gib, wehad very little success with 'Gus Menard',

27

of C. reticulata or C. japonica. In thedeep, free draining soils of volcanic origin,which we mostly enjoy in New Zealand,root rot is rarely, if ever, a problem. But incontainer culture, it can definitely be so. Ifthe claim is substantiated by controlledexperiments to ascertain the relativesusceptibility of various species to thisdisease, it will have to be taken intoaccount when selecting grafting stocks.This subject is included in a list of thosewhich we are hopeful can be investigatedin due course, under our recentlypublished Camellia Memorial ScholarshipTrust.

Savannah, GA

but it has since won more awards for usthan any other white we have evershown. Many friends say that they cannotgrow 'Gus Menard' outside, but that isbecause they do not gib it early enoughfor our section of the country. 'GusMenard' is good only when it is made tobloom early. It is not at all successful hereafter real cold weather sets in. Of course,we are speaking as outside growers ex­clusively. This does not hold true forgreenhouse growers.

We have found that one of thebiggest surprises in our yard for showingin early shows is 'Elegans Supreme'. Thisone is a big winner for us, but a realsleeper for outside growers late in theseason.

Oh yes, another mostly local flower,but one with unusual color and formationis 'Dr. Geechee'. This plant sleeps formany years before putting on somespectacular blooms.

The past two drastic winters havemade almost all camellias in our section"sleepers," permanent "sleepers."However, we are continually surprised to

Continued on Back Cover

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(City)

(State and Zip Code)

Name

Couple Membership: $9.00

larity pendulum to swing the otherway.

3. Just wait till the "baby boom" babiesget to be grand parents, the camellianurseries will not be able to keep upwith the demand!

Please Make Payment to:

Address

ATLANTIC COAST CAMELLIA SOCIETY1325 E. Barden RoadCharlotte, NC 28226

(Please Print or Type)

ABOUT THE COVER DRAWING

ATLANTIC COAST CAMELLIA SOCIETY

An !Jnvilafion fo Join

This is a drawing of "The Grove," a beautiful anti-bellum mansion built inTallahassee in 1825 by the first Territorial Governor of Florida. A descendent of his wasMary Coli Collins, wife of Florida Governor, Leroy Collins. They lived in "The Grove"while the present governor's mansion was being built next door. "The Grove" wasrecently sold to the State of Florida and will be preserved as one of Tallahassee'slandmarks.

Membership which runs with the Calendar year, January 1 through December 31,entitles you to three issues of "Atlantic Coast Camellias", issued usually in winter, spring­summer and fall, which has more regular features, authentic feature articles in Grafting,Planting, Feeding, Gardens, Sasanquas, Judging, Pruning, Arrangement, Disbudding,Diseases, Spraying, and Mulching, to mention a few. Also, there are photographs andother types of illustrations.

The Atlantic Coast Camellia Society will welcome you as a member. For yourconvenience an application blank is printed below.

Single Membership: $6.00

anybody has the answer, or I wouldquickly pass it on. But, for whatever"cheering up" this might bring on, let mesay this:1. We are not supposed to get any more

camellia killing winters for 100 years.2. It's about time for the camellia popu-

have a very large range of vigour andgrowth habit; some are strong andvigorous, others slow and almost dwarf,and the same is true of varieties of C.sasanqua. Since, in our experience,somewhere about one third of reticsgrafted on C. japonica, do not showbottleneck effects, it can be presumedthat some very vigorous varieties orplants, can compete with the retic rate ofgrowth; but the majority cannot. Ifreticulatas are to be grown in containers,or kept pruned down to small size for theproduction of show blooms, it may well bethat the type of understock used is notcritical. When, however, plants are to beallowed to achieve their full size andnatural beauty, the strength and vigour ofthe understock is of vital importance. Wehave never seen a case of "bottleneck"on any plant grafted on C. reticulataseedling stock.

And does "bottleneck" really matter,anyway? I think it does, for two reasons.Firstly, its existence does indicate thatyou have a root system unable to keeppace with the plant it is supporting, andthe restricting effects of this will becomemore apparent as the plant ages.Secondly, as size increases, so does theamount of wind pressure during stormyweather, and we have suffered thedistressing experience of a valued plant,which we had carefully nurtured overmany years, snapping off at ground level,during a not very severe storm. Since thebreak occurred just below the graftingpoint, the plant was a total loss. We havea number of reports of similar disastersoccurring in other gardens.

Two more grafting problems areworth mentioning. Camellia plants grownand held for long periods in containers(this can be true of a large proportion ofthose obtained in garden centres,especially when they are in the bargainbin!) frequently have tangled and twistedroot systems. While this article has been

graft, and another cleft graft made. Thenursery reported a 90% success rate,but we never heard how the resultingplants fared, or if any of them reachedmaturity in garden cultivation.

By 1966, our original Yunnan reticsfrom the United States were over tenyears old, and most had become verylarge plants. About two-thirds of themwere then showing various degrees of theinverted bottleneck effect, which occurswhen the diameter of the stock plant doesnot keep pace with the development ofthe variety it is carrying. It is alwaysdangerous to arrive at conclusions onlimited evidence, but in making com­parisons between the relative merits ofvarious species in the role of understock,many things must be taken into account.A root system must be able to provideadequate moisture and nutrients toenable the leaves to carry out their vitalfunction of photo-synthesis; it must pro­vide a firm anchorage in the groundagainst very considerable wind pressure;and its growth must keep pace with thedeveloping size of the plant it supports, ifit is to continue to fulfill both of these func­tions. J.R. Sealy, in "A Revision of theGenus Camellia," London, R.H.S., 1958,describes C. reticulata as sometimesreaching 15.5 metres (50 ft.). So it is clearthat we are talking about a small tree, andthe "reticulata forest" in Yunnan providesample confirmation of that. Not many ofus are likely to have retics of this size, butgrown under New Zealand conditions, wehave some which have reached 6 metresin 15 years, and have trunks of over 40centimetres circumference at just aboveground level. It follows that C. reticulataseedlings, if properly grown in the firstplace, should be able to meet all the re­quirements of the most vigorously grow­ing variety that they are required tosupport.

When considering the suitability ofother species, varieties of C. japonica

26 3

Grafting Stocks for Camellia ReticulataCol. Tom Durrant Rotorua, New Zealand

Dear Members and Friends of ACCS:I have often wondered if anyone

reads the message from our president.Now I know that some do, because Ireceived quite a few letters frommembers and friends of ACCS concern­ing the message in the last issue of Atlan­tic Coast Camellias. In particular, myremarks about a few exhibitors who bringonly four or five prize winners to a showwhen they could have brought a hundredblooms, caused ripples as far away asCalifornia. Apparently, this is a problem inall areas that have camellia shows.

Another remark that brought forthresponses was the use of various coloredentry cards at some shows that are dif­ferent from colors at most camelliashows on the East Coast. There apparent­ly is a need to standardize entry cards forthe various categorie$ or classes ofblooms. If standardization is necessary,who should take the initiative or respon­sibility? At our next ACeS board meetingthis item will be on the agenda. Even if theBoard of Governors of ACCS shoulddecide to standardize entry cards forvarious classes of blooms, the decisionwould not be binding on a club. ACCSdoes not have authority to mandateanything. All we can do is advise andencourage.

Now, on to more pleasant com­ments. I have been amazed at the quali­ty of outside blooms at our fall shows.

Message~@ta~

Even the quantity of blooms approachesprevious years After two winters of thecoldest weather on record, many outsidegrowers gave up and replaced camelliaswith other plants. Not all the camelliaswere dead, just defoliated. Manyhomeowners who were slow in removing

their plants were pleasantly surprisedwhen new growth appeared. These sameplants set fewer buds than normal, butthe resulting blooms were superior. Ap­parently the root systems were not toobadly damaged and the heavy pruningcoupled with excellent weather in the fallcontributed to outstanding show blooms.

I give a lot of talks on camellias togarden clubs and novice growers in andaround Columbia, SC One thing I alwaystell these folks is that they should attendcamellia shows, choose blooms that ap­peal to them and then talk to an ex­perienced grower who is familiar with theweather, soil, and general growing condi,tions In his locality. By all means, I askthem to discuss with the expert growerswhether the particular variety will performsatisfactorily in an outside environment.Generally, I enourage novice growers toplant camellia plants that bloom eitherearly or late, and avoid mid-seasonbloomers. Plants that respond readily toGibberillic acid in the early fall are accep'table, but the novice must understandthat the plant would not bloom early

4

As one of the pioneer introducers ofe. reticulata from China, I am interestedin what my friend, Len Hobbs, said aboutgrafting stocks for that species, in his re­cent article published in 'Atlantic CoastCamellias.' The twenty-eight or so plantswe obtained from Kunming in 1964 hadall been approach grafted on stocks of e.japonica, and it has been claimed inChinese writing that this was the onlypossible way to propagate these cultivarssuccessfully. When the first shipmentsfrom Yunnan arrived in the USA, theywere cleft grafted in the normal manneron stocks of e. japonica without muchdifficulty, though it was reported that 'Pur­ple Gown', 'Moutancha' and 'Chrysan­themum Petal' were difficult, and gavelow percentages of success. In the mid1950s we already had all the varietieswhich were available from America, andwere fortunate to obtain a plant of e.reticulata (Wild Form) from England. Thiswas extra-ordinarily vigorous, grew veryquickly into a large dense bush whichflowered freely, and set large quantities ofseed. In 1959 our daughter, now Dr. JaneCrisp, carried out a controlled breedingprogramme, using the Wild Form as theseed parent, and pollen from all the thenavailable Yunnan reticulatas.

This programme produced asubstantial number of seedlings, whichwere grown on to flowering and, whenselections had been made, for the firsttime we had surplus reticulata seedlingswhich could be used as grafting stock.They were all growing in the ground andby 1'966, many were large plants, withstems up to 7 or 8 centimetres thick atground level. Large scale commercialpropagators can select a preferred stock,and do all their grafting on that Amateurs,like ourselves, normally use anything

25

available in the garden or from the localnursery, regardless of species. While thedegree of success may have varied, it isfair to say that over many years, we haveno definite evidence of incompatibilitybetween species.

In 1964 we received a large shipmentof plants from China, which included anumber not seen before in the West, andit was when endeavouring to increasethese that we first used seedlingreticulatas as understock. The graftscalloused very' quickly, and grew awaywith great rapidity. One double graft on aneight centimetre thick stock, was alreadya dense shrub 1.3 metres high within 6months, so remarkable that I gave it a fullpage illustration in the March 1967 issueof the New Zealand Camellia Bulletin.Results with the difficult 'Purple Gown'and 'Moutancha' were much more suc­cessful, and all the Yunnan varieties tookreadily and grew away with vigour.

At about this time, we were visiting avery well known camellia nursery inAustralia, and were told that there was avery strong demand for 'Purple Gown',but that they had been unable to obtain acommercially viable percentage of suc­cess when grafting this variety onto theirusual e. sasanqua, so had dropped itfrom their catalogue. (It is possible thatsome of the difficulty arose from the factthat most of the scion material thenavailable was not of very high quality.)The nursery had no reticulata seedlingsavailable, but an enterprising propagatormade a substantial number of 'PurpleGown' grafts, using as stock, plants of e.reticulata, 'Captain Rawes', of whichthey had a substantial number. Thesewere, of course, already grafted on tosasanqua stock. They were cut back to apoint about 12 em above the original

GROW CAMELLIAS IN IOWA?

this remedy reports that two days afterdropping in the Juicy Fruit, "The moleruns looked as if they had been bombed,probably from machinations of strugglingmoles. No new tunnels have appeared. Ipresume that the moles are dead, thoughI did not dig through my flower beds tosee."

We have all been told that new graftsshould be kept on the dry side becausethe "plant" has no leaves to transpire, orget rid of the moisture. Therefore, we donot water our grafts until they have takenand started growing. But is there dangerin using potted up grafting stock which issaturated with water at the time the graftis made? I think that there is. I think that Ilost 4 very precious, almost irreplacablegrafts for this reason last year. The leavesfell off after a few days. Because theywere so special, I used 4 seedlings thathad been grown in containers and wereoutside with the other camellias. Theywere big, beautiful and the soil in the con­tainers was soaking wet. I believe thatthese scions lost their leaves for thisreason. Though they looked nakedwithout any leaves, I did not immediatelygive up on them. I disposed of them oneby one as the scion turned brown anddied.

For two years now, we in the Easthave not been able to harvest sasanquaseed due to the freezing weather. It usedto be that we could gather sasanqua seedby the buckets full in almost any garden.This year, I decided to order seed from

Southern California. I felt like I was bring­ing coal to Newcastle. I was also con­cerned that the seed might have dried outtoo much to be viable. My concern wasunnecessary. I received 250 seed aroundthe first of December. Cracked them andput them into Captan-soaked, moist peatin a wide mouth gallon jar in the base­ment. After about a month, I took out 112,

24

snipped off the root tips and set them in­to half peat, half perlite in a plastic foottub. They are in a well-lighted window do­ing well. The remainder were returned tothe gallon jar with the little radicles poin­ting down around the edges of the jar. Iam looking at the jar now (10 Jan '86) andit seems that they may all be taken outand potted on. I will probably get close to100% to sprout and grow off. They maygo into the seedling patch when warmweather arrives.

In an article in the September 1985issue of Camellia News, a publication ofThe Australian Camellia ResearchSociety, Mr. Tom Savige called attentionof camellia growers to a problem he washaving with C. chrysantha plants. He hadreached the conclusion that they are"extremely susceptible to some strains ofthe dieback fungus." (See response tothis article by Luther W. Baxter, Jr. andSusan G. Fagan on page 28.)

Have you ever heard of root grafting?Actually, it is a camellia propagationmethod by which a large sturdy plant maybe obtained in a relatively short time. Ihave never tried this propagation methodand don't know whether it has anypractical application either forcommercial or home garden operation. Ihave heard that it works. Take a piece ofcamellia root, at least a couple incheslong and at least as big as the scion orcutting. Any time you move a camellia,you generate a lot of unused root. Splitone end of the root like you would for acleft graft. Insert in the root a long scionor cutting which has a tapering cut onboth sides. Insert the root with the scionattached into rooting medium past thejuncture of root and scion. Treat it fromthis point on as you would any cutting.Roots generally form quickly on the pieceof root or the scion or both.

without its use. In mid-South Carolina,winter weather seldom cooperates to theextent that mid-season camellia plantsbloom satisfactorily. Late bloomers aresatisfactory if petal blight is not present inthe neighborhood. Let's all hope that thepast two winters has broken the petalblight cycle, and that it will not be a pro­blem in future years.

The point I am trying to make is forexperienced camellia growers tocooperate with garden club membersand novice growers, and give them perti­nent information that will insure a greaterdegree of success with camellias. Makeyour presentation include climatic condi­tions in the area, planting instructions,and guidance on plant selection.

And now, a final word about theAtlantic Coast Camellia Society: I havetried every gimmick I know to increasemembership in AceS. If any of ourmembers has an idea he thinks will in­crease membership, please write to meimmediately. I'm willing to try anything. Ifwe could just get each of our members to

Jack Hatfield

Outside it is 5 degrees below zero,the wind is blowing, and the wind chill fac­tor is 53 degrees below zero. But as I lookout the door into the greenhouse, I see allthe green plants and pretty flowers andyes, it is all worth the trouble.

I have been asked how I got startedgrowing camellias in this frigid part of thecountry and sometimes, I too, havewondered why. But when I see thebeautiful flowers unfold, I feel it all hasbeen very worthwhile. I got hooked oncamellias during my first visit to SouthGeorgia when I went to visit my wife tobe. Out by their front door was a very tall'Pink Perfection' camellia bush and close

5

recruit one member, we could doublemembership. Surprisingly, some camelliaclubs in the ACCS region do not have30% of their members as members ofAceS. If someone would just take thetime to explain to these camellia growersthe advantage of belonging to AceS, Ifeel that many or most of them would join.Most of you will agree with me that ourpublication is second to none, and Ibelieve that our convention in MyrtleBeach is also second to none. I'm notasking you to try to recruit a person whois new in camellias, but I am asking you toget your local camellia club members tojoin ACCS. I have discovered in the pastfew months that the membership formmust be in your hand at the time you aska prospective member to join and it's bestto get his name on the dotted line im­mediately, if possible. In this issue ofAtlantic Coast Camellias you will find ablank form to be used to sign up amember for Aces. Please use it. Every lit­tle bit helps us survive and prosper.

Elliott Brogden, President

Sioux City, IA

by were many others. I couldn't get overall the various blossoms in all their manycolors, and thought how nice it would beto grow them myself.

Then I spent the next three years inthe service in places that did not havecamellias, but I still remembered theirbeauty. Upon my release from the ser­vice, we moved back to Iowa where I wasborn and where my father also was born.I had been raised by a flower loving familyand I started growing flowers outside,mostly perennials that would withstandour long cold winters.

In reading a Better Homes andGardens article on growing flowers in-

Camellian, November, 1952, page 3.

WHEN WAS THAT?During the regular blooming season last fall and spring, many (camellia) growers

were disappointed at the very limited number of blooms and the loss of many finecamellia plants -- from the severe freeze.

IN AND AROUND THE GREENHOUSE

camellias any longer." (This grower hasso many blooms that he brings theblooms to the show in a Hertz Rentaltruck.)

Have to run - Hertz is on the phone!

Fayetteville, NC

appearance of the roots after only a fewmonths. They seemed healthier than theyhad ever appeared before. I do not knowhow often this material should be used. Ihave been told every 3 months, every 5months, and every 6 months. Afterreading Martin F. Stoner's article on rootrot in volume 46 of the Camellia Review,I have become convinced that it is a po­tent material to use in our efforts to pro­tect our plants from root rot, but shouldnot be overused. So I have decided toapply it every 4 months at a concentra­tion of 1 tablespoon per 30 gallons ofwater. Ridomil is not supposed to cure aplant that has root rot, but to protect itfrom getting the disease or to slow thedevelopment of the disease. But it cer­tainly gives the impression that it curesthe plant!

Want a new method of getting rid ofmoles? I have not tried this, so don'tblame me if you find more moles thanever after trying it. Here goes! Wrigley'sJuicy Fruit gum is deadly to moles accor­ding to the Illinois State Nurseryman'sAssociation Newsletter. Moles are sup­posed to be attracted to the Juicy Fruitscent. They eat the gum and it sticks intheir digestive system This condition pro­ves fatal within one or two days. To useJuicy Fruit against moles successfully, itis necessary to use plastic gloves. Anyhuman scent on the gum will alert themole. Roll up the unwrapped stick of gumlike a carpet. Make a slit in a fresh molerun, drop in the gum and close the hole toeliminate light inside. One who has tried

"Don't think I'll have a flower for thefirst show." (He'll bring twenty-eightcoolers and win the Gold Sweepstakes.)

Between the tea scale and petalblight I don't think I'm going to grow

James H. McCoy

A visitor to my camellia greenhousementioned to me that he had seen aquantity of red substance on top of thesoil in some plant containers at NorthCarolina Botanical Gardens in Chapel Hill.He told me that it was ground red pepper,placed there by one of the gardners tokeep the plants free of scale insects. Thiscalled for an immediate investigation! Anenquiry brought a reply from CharlotteJones-Roe, curator of the garden. Shewould not confirm that the red peppertreatment kept the Botanical Garden freeof scale, or even that it was used for thatpurpose. She says that dormant oilspray is probably still our best bet. She didsay that a horticulturist there made sometests using red pepper several years agoin an attempt to find less toxic controls ofinsects. This horticulturist, Ms. KendalBrown, said that she did not believe thatred pepper will keep down scale insects,but she had good luck using it todiscourage ants from carrying aphids onthe plants.

Let me put in my two cents on thesubject of Ridomil, AKA Subdue. At theannual meeting of Aces at Myrtle Beach,I made a concerted effort to find out howprevalent was the use of Ridomil amongcamellia growers I was surprised to findvery few who had ever used it. Maybethey're like I was the first couple of yearsafter it had been brought to my attention.I think I priced it, and immediately lost in­terest. I finally got around to buying a pintof Ridomil and applying it as a soil drenchto all my containers. I was pleased at the

my greenhouse, so the next year, Ibrought back some more. I thendiscovered Nuccio's in California where Icould order the size and variety I couldbest grow here.

I now have about 30 plants of variouscolors, but my growing them has notbeen perfected. Each year I lose a few,from what I do not know. But this makesme all the more determined to studymore and eventually I hope to besuccessful.

My greatest pleasure in growingcamellias is being able to take a flower,yes I meant one flower, to a friend, a shut­in, a neighbor, or to float one in a bowl inour living room Up here, they are a rarityand people treat them with loving care,putting them in the refrigerator at night sothat they will last longer. This makes allthe trouble of growing them worthwhile.

My membership in the AmericanCamellia Society has been very happyand worthwhile, for I have gained most ofmy information about raising camelliasfrom their publications I also learn aboutgrowing camellias by visiting ACS head­quarters. We go through Fort Valley eachyear and stop at Massee Lane. It hasbeen our pleasure to know Milton Brownand Mrs. Teeter. We have seen theircamellias at their best, at their worst (afterlast year's freeze), after their greenhouseburned down and after the erection oftheir new greenhouse. But with theirfaithful dedication and planning ahead,they always emerge victorious and theACS will always be a guide to manycamellia growers allover the country.

doors in a box under florescent lights, Idecided to try it. At first, it was fine, butthen the heat from the lights would burnthe tender plants I talked with the writerof the above named article, and she saidthat it had been merely an assignmentand that her true love was growingflowers in a greenhouse. Well, this got mestarted thirlking about a greenhouse, andI happened to see an advertisement for aLord & Burnham greenhouse. I sent offfor a brochure. Needless to say, I wasthen too far gone and involved to stop, soI ordered a 10 by 17 foot prefab lean-togreenhouse. I decided that it had to go onthe south side of the house, with an en­trance from the basement. I took out asmall window, broke out brick to makeway for the door into the greenhouse, andthen started the erection of thegreenhouse after having a cement blockfoundation put in. I put in a natural gas in­the-wall heater, thermostats to operatethe heater at 55 degrees and the vents at65 degrees.

After installing a watering system Iwas then ready to start growing flowers.So, what should I start with? I brought insome begonias, geraniums, impatiensand a few others. Then on a trip back toGeorgia I brought back several pottedcamellias. This was quite a job, becauseat night it was below freezing so when westopped for the night, I had to carry eachplant into the motel room so they wouldn'tfreeze. I know that people thought I wascrazy carrying all of them into my room,but knowing how they would develop, Iknew it was worth it. These flourished in

6 23

Bill Donnan

C. CHRYSANTHA, AN ENDANGERED SPECIES

Getting C. Chrysantha to Bloom Early

is threatened, which is an exact classifi­cation for listing some species under theU.S. Endangered Species Act of 1973, asamended. Under CITES, listing in Appen­dix II means that this species, althoughnot necessarily now threatened with ex­tinction, may become so unless trade inits specimens is subject to strict regula­tion ---.

Should you wish to apply for a permitor certificate to allow international trade inthis species, please contact the Fish andWildlife Service's Federal Wildlife PermitOffice, 1000 North Glebe Rd., 6th floorBroyhill Building, Arlington, VA 22201."

Plain English Interpretation:1. C. chrysantha is not an endangered

species, but it might become so in thefuture (without protection).

2. The contracting states, which includeour country and the People's Republicof China will not allow trade in C.chrysantha except in accordance withcertain rules.

3. Trade in seed, spores, pollen, tissueculture and flasked seedling culture isnot regulated.

were growing at the Huntington Gardens.These grafts were made in late Augustusing C sasanqua under-stock. Theywere kept in the green house with plastic"baggy" covers. About 6 weeks laterRudy noticed that one of the grafts wassprouting a flower bud where the leafgrowth would ordinarily appear.

I volunteer as a helper in the green­house each Tuesday morning. Each timeI was at the greenhouse Rudy and I wouldinspect this plant to observe the growth ofthe flower bud. Each week the bud would

The name of the game in the camelliahobby is to get your plants to bloom ear­ly in the camellia season. There is nothingquite as pretty as the first bloom of theFall season. Now, how would you like tohave your C. chrysantha plant bloom inNovember instead of at the usualFebruary or March period? Such was ex­actly what happened to Rudy Moore,Curator of Camellias at the HuntingtonGardens in San Marino, California.

Rudy had grafted several scions fromone of the C. chrysantha seedlings which

Tom Perkins, as regional director ofInternational Camellia Society in America,received a copy of a publication whichseemed to indicate that C. chrysanthahad been placed on an endangeredspecies list. In an attempt to clarify thisregulation, we contacted The Departmentof Interior, Fish and Wildlife Service. Thefollowing explanation is part of the replywe received:

"-- Since this species (C. chrysantha)is now listed in Appendix II of the Conven­tion on International Trade in EndangeredSpecies of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES),import and export of whole specimensand of parts and derivatives other thanseeds, pollen, tissue cultures and flaskedseedling cutlures are regulated.Specimens that are artifically propagatedare regulated as well as specimens ofwild origin, in order to maintain bettercontrol on trade in wild specimens (whichmight otherwise be claimed as artificiallypropagated.)

This species was proposed for place­ment in Appendix II by the People'sRepublic of China. Placement in AppendixII does not always mean that the species

Charleston, SC

100 degree F. mark. We are fortunatethat abundant available water can be ob­tained from underground water bores inmost suburbs, and with heavy mulchingof the surface, we grow plenty of beautifulflowers, including camellias.

(These ten players scored over 1400 onthe SAT and were merit scholars.)

"I don't think we'll win a game thisyear - all of my assistant coaches recentlyresigned." (He just hired Tom Landry,Don Schuler and Mike Ditka asassistants.)

"Po-mouthing" among camelliagrowers goes something along this vein.

"Blooms sure look bad this year. Wehaven't had any rain in three months." (Inreality he has nine automaticallycontrolled Sears pumps on constantlyand doesn't care if it doesn't rain in thenext three years.)

"Boy the freeze sure wiped me out ­Don't think I'll be going to a show thisyear." (Actually he has over four hundreddifferent varieties planted on nine acresand the only plant that he lost was asasanqua that had terminal die-back.)

"The rats are eating the roots of myplants. I put some poison down threeyears ago and it nearly killed all of mycamellias." (This grower has sevenhungry cats patrolling the yard and won"Best in Show" in ten shows that heentered last year.)

"It's been raining for six days and allof my blooms are conpletely ruined."(Look out for this grower - he picked hisblooms seven days in advance and ownsa walk-in cooler.)

"Last year I fertilized my camelliaswith something new and they really lookterrible." (His plants grew 4 V2 feet in oneyear)

sweep in from the west and north-west In­dian Ocean. Our rainfall amounts to anaverage of 34 inches, falling mainly in thewinter months of June, July and AugustWe have by comparison a long dry sum­mer with the hottest days well over the

Rupie Drews

Having coached high school footballfor fifteen years and growing camelliasfor twice that length of time I'm oftenamused at the similarity of the coach andthe camellia grower. The wonderfulcharacteristics of the two groups are toonumerous to mention, but one character­istic they have in common is that they'rethe worst *"po-mouthers" in the world.*(Gullah for understated).

Typical coaching "po-mouthing" runalong these lines:

"I won't have a thing this year. Wegraduated twenty-five seniors." (Actuallyhe has twenty-two 19 year-old freshmenreturning who weigh over 220 Ibs. eachand shave daily.)

"My quarterback broke his right armin a water skiing accident this summerand last year he could throw the ball overfifty-five yards." (In reality that OB isambidextrous and can throw the footballeighty yards with his left arm).

"The best field goal kicker this schoolhas ever had recently moved. Last yearhe was consistant at 40 yards." (ANigerian exchange student recentlyenrolled and can kick the ball over fiftyyards with either foot.)

"I sure hate to open the season withLee High School this year. They have anoutstanding program and their coach hasdone a remarkable job." (Last year theybeat Lee 72-0, the game was called athalf-time, and the coach was fired.)

,'Ten of my most outstanding playersmay fail and become ineligible this year."

22 7

Bill Donnan

BUD ON CHRYSANTHA PLANTGrafted in August; Bloom opened Nov. 17

Questions & AnswersAbout the Yellow Flowered Camellia

can master the art of watering are sure tosucceed. The type of soil and its holdingcapacity must be considered. It shouldnever be made wet and soggy, but keptalways moist. Your weather pattern andwhether exposed to strong winds ordraughts should also be considered. Pro­tecting your plants will test your ingenui­ty. All this may seem a laborious task, buthaving purchased a good plant, growing itto maturity is like rearing a family with allthe joys and pleasures that come with it.

If your budget allows you to only pur­

chase a small or immature plant, I wouldadvise growing it in a container for aseason or two to acclimatise it to location.The big advantage is that you can move itto a favorable spot in hot or stormyweather. Do not overpot. Move up twosizes only at each repotting. Do not over­water, and make sure of good drainage orroot rot will do irrepairable damage. Soilshould be rich in humus and drain well.Be patient and do not try to force yourplant with solid fertilizers. I found that li­quid feeding in early stages is best. App­ly fertilizer strictly as is recommended.Measure the amounts advised carefully.Mix well in a watering can and apply overthe foliage as well as to the soil. Camelliasabsorb through the foliage as well asthrough the roots. Remember, a little andoften is safer and surer. Many plants arelost through over-feeding. Thinking that ifa little is good, a lot is a whole lot bettercan result in disaster!

Yes, we grow camellias in WesternAustralia, particularly in the coastal strip,and also in the Darling Ranges wherethere are many pockets of good loamysoil. The ranges consist of outcrops ofquartz, grey in colour, and also a nearwhite quartzite. There is also plenty ofconglomerate iron stone and gravel. Oursis a temperate climate with prevailingsouth-westerly and easterly winds off thevast inlands. Our rain bearing winds

rather fleshy root system which are thefeeder roots, and hence require gooddrainage and aeration. Also, they mustnever suffer from lack of water. I found inmy experience that it was most importantto add much humus matter in prepara­tion, to a depth of at least 15 inches, andat least 30 inches in diameter. Humusmaterial could consist of animal manureswell matured at 3 months old, rotted leafmold, lawn clippings or any vegetationthat has rotted to the stage where it nolonger engenders heat. Preparation is aforward planning operation. Equal parts ofsand and humus matter will be adequate.Stamp it down firmly to allow for settling.

Open planting hole a few inches widerthan the plant's root ball when it comes toplanting. I always have a good stake han­dy, of durable material, either wood ormetal, about four feet in length which Idrive in before placing the plant in posi­tion, to avoid damaging the roots in theball of soil. Now the most important pointof all, NEVER plant deeper than yourcamellia grew in the container it came toyou in. I always plant an inch or twoabove the soil level to allow for settling,stamp soil firmly, and place a good mulchto bring plant level about twelve inchesout form the main stem. I usually dunk theroot ball in a bucket of water before plan­ting out, to ensure the root ball isthoroughly wet. I also water well to makesure the surrounding soil is wet.Camellias often die or fail to progress ifplanted out deeper. Secure plant to thestake. I use plastic twine as it will stretcha little and not cut into the bark. Examineties from time to time to make sure thisdoes not occur. I emphasize these points,remembering that mum took me by thehand and made me comfortable until Iwas able to meet all the challenges andstand firmly on my own two feet.

Watering correctly and whennecessary is also important. They who

Q. If one owns a C. chrysantha plantand it blooms, what should hename it?

A. If it is a true species if should not benamed unless the seedling bloomsdifferently from the true species. C.chrysantha plants purchased fromthe Southern California CamelliaSociety have already been given thename 'Olympic Gold' by the originatorMeyer Piet.

Q. Can a person graft a scion of C.chrysantha on any species ofunder-stock?

A. Yes. The scion will grow on anyunderstock and it thrives on Csasanqua.

Q. Can C. chrysantha be propagatedfrom cuttings?

A. Yes, this species roots very easily asa cutting.

Q. What is the climate tolerance of C.chrysantha?

A. This species was found in the wild in

Ever since the yellow floweredcamellia has been available to plantbreeders, nurseries, camellia hobbyistsand flowers lovers, there have been athousand questions about propagating,growing and hybridizing these camellias.This article hopes to answer some ofthese questions.Q. How many yellow flowered

camellia species are there?A. Chang Hung Ta in' his recent book

"CAMELLIAS" list 11 species asfollows: C. flavae; C au rea; C.chrysantha; C flavida; C. impressiner­vis; C. euphlebia; C. chrysanthoides;C. tunghinensis; C. pingguoensis; C.pubipetala; and C. luteoflora.

Q. What species do we have here inthe United States?

A. Many of the botanical gardens plantbreeders and hobbyists were sent C.chrysantha seeds in the spring of1980. In addition, some of thecamellia nurseries have C. euphlebia.

swell a little more and get a little moreyellow color. Finally, on the weekend ofNovember 16th and 17th the bud opened.On Monday November 18th Rudy sawthe flower in full bloom. He phoned meand said he was going to take the plant upto Nuccio's Nursery - so I drove up thereto see the bloom. The bloom wasbeautiful, 2 inch in diameter, yellow flowerwith a burst of orange colored stamens.The pollen was "dabbed" onto some ofthe early blooming cultivars there at theNursery. And so, dear camellia hobbyist ­if you want your C. chrysantha plant tobloom early - all you have to do is graft inAugust and get lucky!

8 21

---------------- ------

Charles A. Newman Western Australia

YES, WE GROW CAMELLIAS

*Each value is the range in number of colonies of G. cingulata growing per Petri dish (16 Petri dishes pertime-concentration combination). When the number of colonies exceeded 50 per plate, they could not becounted accurately.

Table 1. The response of conidia, composited from four isolates of the camellia strainof Glomerella cingulata, to captan at various concentrations for various exposureperiods.

light to deep.Q.. Have there been any "pink" C.

chrysantha blooms?A. No! So far, all of the C. chrysantha

blooms have been some shade ofyellow. The "pink" blooms reported in1983 were C. sasanqua understocksuckers which bloomed on grafted C.chrysantha cultivars.

Q. Will C. chrysantha species crosswith other species of camellia?

A. The experience in China, Japan, andhere in the United States would seemto indicate that C. chrysantha can becrossed successfully into many otherspecies. However, the viability ofseeds has been very poor using C.japonica species. The greatest suc­cess in setting seed and in seedviability has been obtained when us­ing a hybrid cultivar as the "mother"plant.

Q. What does the future hold forcreating a yellow, orange orapricot hybrid camellia bloom?

A. The prospects for obtaining newyellow colored blooms would appearto be quite a few years in the future.The Chinese have been makingcrosses for ten years without suc­cess. The blooms have all been pink,red or white. Perhaps by using"bridge" plants or one of the otheryellow flowered species such as C.euphlebia or C. luteoflora, thechances of obtaining good yellow col­ored blooms might be morepromising.

Whenever I am worried or perplexed, or feel off colour, I take refuge among mycamellias. Sure they are one of nature's greatest tonics.Charles A. NewmanWestern Australia

a sUb-tropical location. It will with­stand full sunlight but it thrives best insemi-shade (lath-house) locations. Itappears to be able to withstand lowtemperatures down to at least 30degrees F.

Q. What is the yearly growth patternof C. chrysantha?

A. This species has many flushes ofgrowth, being slow growing during thehot summer and during the cold por­tions of the winter. It has two or moreflushes of growth during the coolperiods of spring and two or more inthe fall.

Q. When do the buds form on C.chrysantha?

A. Buds began to form in the late sum­mer. However, bud drop or completebud shedding may occur during thefall flush of leaf growth.

Q. When does C. chrysantha bloom?A. This species blooms in February and

March here in the United States.Q. Has the C. chrysantha bloomed

here in the United States?A. Yes. The first blooms were observed

on February 1, 1984.Q. What is the size of the C. chrysan­

tha flower?A. The flower measured about 2 inches

in diameter.

Q. What is the color of the C.chrysantha bloom?

A. The bloom has deep "butter-cup"yellow petals and orange coloredstamens. Depending on the culturalpractices this yellow may vary from

48 48 48

0-25 0-6 00-25 0-25 00-25 0-20 0

Exposure time (in minutes) ofconidia to captan

lO 15 305

48

I came to Bayswater, a suburb ofPerth, the capital city of WesternAustralia, four miles to the east. I wasthen ten years old. It was 1915. The soil (ifyou could call it such) is a fairly coursegrey sand. On my way to school, I watch­ed my present home being built. Little didI think that I would become the proudowner in 1942. This sand had little virtues,but by the same rule, few vices. Gooddrainage and aeration are the two mostimportant features in successful camelliaculture. They have a surface fibrous and

injured by this treatment but no injury hasbeen observed to date. It is possible thatexposure of conidia of G. cingulata ex­posed to captan at temperatures of 11 Cor 31 C, 10 C below and 10 C above nor­mal room temperature, for 30 minutescould give different results. Therefore, werecommend that the water temperaturebe carefully monitored throughout thescion-soaking period.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTThanks are extended to Drs. W.M. Epps and

O.J. Dickerson for critiquing the manuscript, and toJames Martin and Dave Lewis of the ClemsonUniversity Communication Center for thephotographs.

25-500-500-25

48

50*5050

Control

60012002400

Total Petri dishes

Captan concentration(ppmai)

I am always pleased to meet or hearfrom anyone interested in growing or pro­moting camellias anywhere in the world.We all have our problems. Many of us findourselves facing the vagaries of theweather and the vastly different kinds ofgood earth which we find in our posses­sion. Maybe now, having fallen in lovewith their immaculate forms, theirrichness of colour, their rich shiny foliage,I have reached the point of no return andso must meet the camellia challenge ofthe hour. Lucky me?

scions are soaked for 30 minutes atwhich time grafting is begun. The scionsshould be submerged in the captan or thecaptan-benomyl suspension during thesoaking period. The remaining scions areleft in the captan-benomyl suspension un­til grafted even though some scions maysoak for 60 minutes or longer. No injury toscions has been noted even thoughdozens of camellia cultivars have beenstudied under these conditions. Also, thescions graft successfully and grow offwell when compared with scions soakedin water only

Since there are hundreds of camelliacultivars it is possible that a few may be

20 9

SHOW REPORTSAMERICAN CAMELLIA SOCIETY

Houston, TX November 14-16, 1985Best blooms grown unprotected:

Japonica, large to very large: 'Helen Bower', JA PenningerRunner-up: 'Woodville Red', Dudley Beaudreaux

Japonica, medium: 'Magic City, Red', Eugene L. SealsRunner-up: 'Betty Sheffield Blush Supreme', Kermit Agee

Japonica, small: 'Little Babe, Var', Mr. & Mrs. G.F. AbendrothRunner-up: 'Little Babe', RA Sansing

Japonica, miniature 'Tammia', John GeiserRunner-up: 'Man Size', Kermit Agee

Reticulata or Retic-Hybird: 'Valentine Day, Var', Dudley BeaudreauxRunner-up: 'Harold Paige', Alvin Johnson

Non-Retic Hybrid: 'Julie', Tommy WeeksRunner-up: 'Cinnamon Cindy', Greg Davis

Collection of three, same variety: Dudley BeaudreauxCollection of five, different varieties: Mr. & Mrs. GF AbendrothSasanqua or Hiemalis 'Our Linda', Tommy WeeksSweepstakes: Emil Carroll

Sweepstakes runner-up: Boyd McReeBest blooms grown protected:

Japonicas, large to very large: 'Lucy Stewart', Lew & Annabelle FettermanRunner-up: 'Tomorrow's Dawn', Lew & Annabelle Fetterman

Japonica, medium: 'Magic City', Ed & June AtkinsRunner-up: 'Harriet Bisbee', Emil Carroll

Japonica, small: 'Buddy, Var', WF MannRunner-up: 'Kitty', Dave Scheibert

Japonica, miniature: 'Mansize', Mr. & Mrs. GF AbendrothRunner-up: 'Dryade, Var', George Griffin

Reticulata or Retic-Hybrid: 'Harold Paige', David RubinRunner-up: 'Jean Pursel', Mr. & Mrs. GF Abendroth

Non-Retic Hybrid .'Mona Jury, Var', Roy StringfellowRunner-up: 'Julie, Var', Roy Stringfellow

Collection of three, same variety: Ed & June AtkinsCollection of five, different varieties Emil CarrqllSweepstakes: Dave Scheibert

Sweepstakes Runner-up: Alvin Johnson873 Blooms shown Show Chairman: Greg Davis

COASTAL CAROLINA CAMELLIA SOCIETYMagnolia Plantation & Gardens November 3, 1985Best blooms grown in open:

Best bloom: 'Mathotiana Supreme', Mrs. H.C. ScottRunner-up: 'Mary Agnes Patin', Rupert E. Drews

10

exposed for 30 minutes, none survived,as revealed by no growth occurring in 48Petri dishes.Discussion

Since all spores of all four isolates ofG. cingulata were killed, within 30minutes, it is probable that most, if not all,isolates of G. cingulata are susceptibleto the killing action of captan. Captan50WP is currently recommended on or­namental plants at 2 Ib per 100 gallons ofwater (1200 ppmai). It is suggested thatthis rate should be used for soakingcamellia scions immediately prior tografting.

Since benomyl is long lasting in its ac­tion, and is an excellent suppressant ofthe germination of conidia of G.cingulata, and since it has beenestablished as being safe to camelliascions, it is recommended that captanand benomyl (Benlate") be mixedtogether during the soaking of camelliascions immediately prior to grafting. Therecommended use rate of benomyl as ascion soak is 300 ppmai (V2 tablespoon­ful per gallon of water) and the recom­mended exposure time is 30 minutes.

Fig. 1 Apparently healthy vegetative camellia budssometime harbor pathogenic strain Glomerellacingulata.

19

Fig. 2 Crotches of C. japonica or C. sasanquasometimes harbor strains of Glomerella cingulata.

Fig. 3 Diseased wood in camellia cankers harbormyceliu;n of Glomerella cingulata.

Thus, the recommended captan-benomylsuspension rate is 1200 and 300 ppmai,respectively, and the recommended ex­posure time is 30 minutes. In practice,

*Benlate is du Pont's proprietary name for benomyl.It is commonly sold as a 50% wettable powder;typically, Benlate 50WP.

can probably attack most other Camelliaspecies The pathogen, or the cause ofthe disease, is a strain of Glomerellacingulata. Bitter rot of apple, anthrac­nose of bean, and anthracnose ofwatermelon are diseases caused by veryclosely related fungi.

Studies of this camellia fungalpathogen through the years have reveal­ed that it is commonly found in apparentlyhealthy buds (Fig. 1) and in the crotchesof twigs (Fig. 2) Studies have also shownthat it is invariably found in diseasedwood in cankers (Fig. 3) and in somecamellia leaf spots. Because high humidi­ty favors this camellia pathogen, diebackis seen on camellias grown in the South­east, especially where they grow well out­of-doors. This disease, however, is prac­tically unknown out-of-doors in Californiawhere conditions are dry.

G. cingulata normally invades theplant through wounds; and, since woundsare created both on scion and stock, graf­ting affords an ideal opportunity forspores to infect either scion or stock.Disease, in the form of graft failure, oc­curs frequently. It has been shown ex­perimentally that benomyl (Benlate) givesgood control of this phase of camellia die­back. It is not very efficient in killingspores of G. cingulata, but is quite effec­tive because it suppresses theirgermination.Experimental

Asexual spores (conidia) of fourisolates of the camellia dieback strain ofG. cingulata were induced to form oncarrot juice agar in the laboratory.Virulence (capacity to cause disease) ofthese isolates had previously been deter­mined by wounding and inoculatingstems of susceptible C. sasanqua seedl­ings with spores from each isolate. In­oculated plants were maintained in agreenhouse at 21 C (70 F). The sporescaused infection, resulting in cankers onthe inoculated stems of C. sasanqua

18

seedlings. Wounded, non-inoculatedstems of C. sasanqua healed.

Masses of spores of the four G.cingulata isolates were produced, col­lected, standardized, and exposed to cap­tan at 21 C for 5, 10, 15, or 30 minutes ata concentration of 600, 1200, or 2400parts per million, active ingredient(ppmai). After exposure, one milliliter ofthe captan-spore suspension (100 K*strength) was removed and added to 1liter of sterile water at room temperature.After thoroughly shaking to randomlydistribute the conidia in the water, 1milliliter of the diluted suspension wasadded to each of eight (8) Petri dishesThe plates were poured with carrot juiceagar amended with lactic acid and strep­tomycin sulfate to inhibit growth of anycontaminating bacteria but which allowedgrowth of G. cingulata. The cultureswere incubated at room temperature (21C - 70 F) for 7 days, observed and resultsrecorded. Each test was run twice, eachat different times.

Data in Table 1 reveal that all conidiaof these four camellia isolates of G.cingulata were killed after 30 minutes,but not after 5, 10 or 15 minutes when ex­posed to captan at 600, 1200 or 2400ppmai.

As occurs in many tests involving bio­logical subjects, there was considerablevariability. The conidia (composite of fourisolates) were produced and exposed tocaptan in two independent tests. Thenumber of colonies that developed fromsurviving conidia varied from test to testand from Petri dish to Petri dish within atest at exposure times of 5, 10 and 15minutes. However, when conidia were

'Standardized value using Klett·Summersonphotoelectric colorimeter, model 800·3, with redfilter. Three hundred milliliters of conidia (asexualspores) of C. cingulata (reading 100 K concentra­tion) were added to 700 milliliters of a captansuspension. After the spores and the captansuspension were mixed, the resulting caplan con·centration was 600, 1200 or 2400 ppmai.

Best 'Miss Charleston': RD. DeadmondBest White bloom: 'Marie Shackleford', Parker E. Connor, Jr.Sweepstakes: Parker E. Connor, Jr.

Runner-up: Mrs. H.C. ScottBest bloom originated by Magnolia Gardens: 'Mathotiana, Var', Parker E. Connor, Jr.Court of Honor - grown in open:

'Tomorrow', Rupert E. Drews'Helen Bower, Var', Parker E. Connor, Jr.'Rosea Superba', Donna & Bill Shepherd'Mary Alice Cox', Donna & Bill Shepherd'Sue Ann Mouton', Mrs. H.C. Scott'Drama Girl, Var', Mrs. H.C. Scott

Runner-up Court of Honor, grown in open:'Erin Farmer', Rupert E. Drews'Tomorrow, Var', Rupert E. Drews'White Empress', Mrs. H.C. Scott'Spring Sonnett', Dr. & Mrs. Herbert Racoff'Betty Sheffield', Parker E. Connor, Jr.'Woodville Red', Parker E. Connor, Jr.

Best blooms grown protected:Best bloom: 'Tomorrow Park Hill Pink', Mr. & Mrs. Mack McKinnon

Runner-up: 'Mary Alice Cox', Mr. & Mrs. F.N. BushBest reticulata: 'Hulyn Smith, Var', Mr. & Mrs. Jack TeagueBest non-retic hybrid: 'Elsie Jury, Var', Mr. & Mrs. Oliver MizzellBest 'Miss Charleston', Mr. & Mrs. F.N. BushBest White bloom: 'Charlie Bettes', Mr. & Mrs. Oliver MizzellSweepstakes: Lew & Annabelle Fetterman

Runner-up: Mr. & Mrs. Jack TeagueCourt of Honor - protected:

'Easter Morn', Mr. & Mrs. Oliver Mizzell'Guest Star', Lew & Annabelle Fetterman'Helen Bower', Lew & Annabelle Fetterman'Mathotiana', Mr. & Mrs. Mack McKinnon'Vi Henderson', W. Gist Duncan, Jr.'Swan Lake', Mr. & Mrs. Jack Teague

Court of Honor Runner-up, protected:'Carter's Sunburst Pink, Var', Mr. & Mrs. FN Bush'Mathotiana Supreme', Mr. & Mrs. Jack Teague'Arch of Triumph', Mr. & Mrs. William C. Robenson'Tomorrow Park Hill', Mr. & Mrs. Oliver Mizzell'Carter's Sunburst Supreme', Mr. & Mrs. F.N. Bush'Fashionata', Lew & Annabelle Fetterman

Best bloom by novice: 'Rose Dawn', Mrs. Emily GibbonsBlooms shown: 549 Show Chairman: Geary Serpas

11

THE RESPONSE OF ASEXUAL SPORES (CONIDIA)OF THE CAMELLIA DIEBACK FUNGUS,

GLOMERELLA CINGULATA, TO CAPTANLuther W Baxter, Jr and Susan G. Fagan

COASTAL CAROLINA CAMELLIA SOCIETYCharleston, SC November 16-17, 1985Grown in open:

Best bloom: 'Mary Alice Cox', Parker E. Connor, JrRunner-up 'Clark Hubbs, Var', Mr. & Mrs. F.N. Bush

Best 'Miss Charleston' Parker E. Connor, JrBest retic or retic-hybrid 'Dr. Clifford Parks', Parker E. Connor, Jr.Best nan-retic hybrid: 'Tamsin Coull', Mrs. Marla HollandSweepstakes: Parker E. Connor, Jr

Runner-up Mrs. H.C. ScottGrown under protection

Best bloom 'Tomorrow, Var', Mrs. JC BickleyRunner-up 'Ruffian', Fred Hahn

Best 'Miss Charleston'. Mrs. J.e. BickleyBest retic or retic-hybrid 'Cameron Cooper', William C RobertsonBest non-retic hybrid 'Mona Jury', RF SteubenrauchSweepstakes Jack Teague

Runner-up William e. RobertsonBest Seedling Joe AustinBest novice bloom Bloom exhibited by Meryl B. JonesCourt of Honor:

'Mathotiana Supreme Var', Fred Hahn'Clark Hubbs Var', Mr. & Mrs. Oliver Mizzell'Tomorrow Park Hill Pink', Mr. & Mrs. Oliver Mizzell'Harriett Bisbee', Mr. & Mrs Stanley Holtzclaw'Woodford Harrison', William e. Robertson'Margaret Davis', Mr. & Mrs. Stanley Holtzclaw'Tiffany', Parker E. Connor, Jr'Helen Bower', Parker E. Connor, Jr.'Valentine Day Var', Parker E. Connor, Jr'Dixie Knight Supreme', Mrs. Marla Holland'Ville de Nantes', Elliott Brogden'Carter's Sunburst', Mr. & Mrs. FN Bush

Runner-up Court of Honor:'Lady Kay', Albert V Ewan'Mathotiana Supreme Var', Parker E. Connor, Jr.'Betty Sheffield Supreme', Parker E. Connor, Jr·'I mperator', Parker E. Connor, Jr.'Donckelaari', Mrs. H.G. Scott'Sue Ann Mouton', Mrs. H.e. Scott'Valentine Day', William e. Robertson'Easter Morn', Ann & Mack McKinnor'Betty Sheffield Blush Supreme', Joe Austin'Dr. Clifford Parks Var', Mr. & Mrs. Oliver Mizzell'Pink Frost', Mr. & Mrs. Stanley Holtzclaw'Arch of Triumph', William C. Robertson

Blooms shown: 750 Show Chairman Charles H. Heins

12

Luther Baxter

AbstractCaptan at the rate of 600, 1200 or

2400 parts per million, active ingredient(ppmai) killed within 30 min, but not within5, 10 or 15 min, all asexual spores (con­idia) of Glomerella cingulata, thecamellia dieback fungus. Camelliadieback, as herein used, includes canker,graft failure, and leaf and pod spot as wellas death of stems distal to cankers, the"camellia dieback" of camellia literature.Captan at 600, 1200 or 2400 ppmai isequivalent to 1,2 or 4 pounds (50% wet­table powder - 50WP) per 100 gallons, orapproximately 1, 2 or 4 tablespoonsful pergallon, respectivelyBackground

Captan is an organic agriculturalchemical compound used as a protec­tive, eradicating fungicide. Its origin datesback to 1949 with the Chevron ChemicalCompany and Stauffer Chemical Com­pany It is manufactured in the form of adust, as a flowable liquid and as a wet­table powder Although it may cause skinirritation, its LD50 (lethal dose for 50 % ofa population of test animals) is 9,000mg/kg (milligrams per kilogram of bodyweight). The higher the LD50, the saferthe material. Thus, captan at 9,000 mg/kg

Technical Contribution No. 2502 of the SouthCarolina Agricultural Experiment Station, ClemsonUniversity

17

Susan Fagan

is a very safe material. It is also con­sidered safe to most plants on which it isrecommended. It is recommended on atleast 75 crop plants plus the large groupof plants collectively called ornamentals.It is recommended as a protectivefungicide against many disease­producing fungal pathogens including bit­ter rot of apple and various other anthrac­nose diseases caused by fungi of thegenus Glomerella, or by the form generaColletotrichum and/or, Gloeosporiumwhich are fungal names designated forthe conidial (asexual) stage ofGlomerella.

Camellia dieback, canker, leaf spot,pod spot, and graft failure are namesgiven to different phases of a diseasecomplex caused by a strain of theascomycetous fungus, Glomerellacingulata The entire lot of names, in myjudgement, should be collectively housedunder the inclusive name of camellia an­thracnose. However, since the term"camellia dieback" is so widely usedthroughout camellia literature, it will be re­tained for all of these manifestations ofcamellias infected by G. cingulata.

Camellia dieback occurs onCamellia japonica, C. sasanqua, C,reticulata, C. oleifera, C. chrysantha,C. saluenensis and various C. hybrids,but not on C. sinensis (tea). C. cingulata

elaborated on the subject for the entiresession. Further they represented areasacross the country from Florida to Califor­nia. The audience was largely of the topechelon of Camellia growers as noted bytheir attendance at the national meeting.Several present or past presidents of theACS were present. Winners of headtableblooms were also present.

As moderator, I had prepared for theaudience and panel, an outline for a well­balanced discussion including prepara­tion and care of the patient relative to theapplication of a proper fertilizer program.

The first two points of discussion, soilconsideration and planting area (pro­tected, unprotected, container, ground)were passed over almost unnoticed.

Then the panelists found a fertilizersubject that they could get their teeth in­to. Highly technical in nature, the subjectevoked considerable response on whysand whats and hows. The panel could notagree either on the proper Ph or reasonsfor it being so important. This subject heldthe audience spellbound for nearly anhour.

Finally each element of most fer­tilizers were reviewed with their effect onplants or blossoms. Some poor soul ask­ed why, if the air contains 80% nitrogen,does a plant require more nitrogen whichseemed to be the most needed ingre­dient. The answer, of course, was that theroots needed a catalyst and under properconditions of Ph, the plant roots couldassimilate the nitrogen.

A prepared Table listing moistureretention, Ph, organic matter %, ash,nitrogen, phosphoric acid and potassiumoxide for various manures as publishedby Gene Snooks was furnished the au­dience. No one asked what the

16

potassium oxide does or how to find andapply it. It was noted that althoughelephant manure was not analyzed, itwas very high in each constituent.

A small amount of time was left totalk about trace elements. Dire resultscould result either from over or under useand yellow leaves would likely appear. I'meither over or under. I don't know which:Someone wanted to know where youcould buy them. The reply was, "Well,one source is Micromax Micronutrientsfrom some factory in Georgia." This wasa big help to us that shop at localnurseries and feed stores.

As we were leaving the seminar, Iasked one knowledgeable camelliagrower what he thought about theseminar. He said it was full of sound andfury signifying nothing. Now, I don't agreewith that but to the very large majority ofgrowers we need to come to earth andprovide practical help. One of the han­douts at the seminar was a typical fer­tilizer program by three outstanding ex­hibitors. These are excellent but lackingsoil consideration, watering technqiue,when, how, and how much, they couldvery well signify nothing.

At the close of the seminar, I pleadedwith the editors of Camellia journals to ad­dress this matter. Instead of growing, ourACS membership has dropped nearly50% in the last 20 years. Many localsocieties have vanished. The same ex­hibitors, perhaps 20, were winning theshows 20 years ago and they still are.

We are greatly indebted to these 20and to the PHD's. But, what we need isnot piled higher and deeper but fertilizerspreaders. A little knowledge is adangerous thing, less knowledge evenworse.

MID CAROLINA CAMELLIA SOCIETYColumbia, SC October 26-27 1985Grown in open: '

Best bloom large-very large: 'Drama Girl', Mrs. H.C. ScottRunner-up: 'Elegans Supreme', Gus Dubus

Best bloom medium-small: 'Betty Sheffield Silver', Parker E. Connor, Jr.Runner-up: 'Veiled Beauty', Parker E. Connor, Jr.

Best white: 'Feathery Touch', Donna & Bill ShepherdSweepstakes: Parker E. Connor, Jr.

Runner-up: Mrs. H.C. ScottGrown protected:

Best bloom large-very large: 'Ivory Tower', Fred HahnRunner-up: 'Helen Bower', Oliver Mizzell

Best bloom medium-small: 'Mary Alice Cox', F.N. BushRunner-up: 'Compari', Lew & Annabelle Fetterman

Sweepstakes: Lew & Annabelle FettermanRunner-up: Oliver Mizzell

Best white: 'Snowman', Oliver MizzellBest Retic or Retic-Hybrid: 'China Lady', Gist Duncan

Runner-up: 'Harold Paige', Oliver MizzellBest non-retic hybrid: 'Galaxie') Oliver Mizzell

Runner-up: 'Anticipation', Jack TeagueBest miniature: 'Mansize', Ken-BlanchardBest seedling: Lew & Annabelle FettermanCourt of Honor:

'Little Slam', Lew & Annabelle Fetterman'Debbie', Mr. &Mrs. W.C. Robertson'Gus Menard', Mrs. H.C. Scott'Compari', Gus Dubus'Tomorrow Park Hill', Oliver Mizzell'Gus Menard', Oliver Mizzell'Betty Sheffield Supreme', Fred Hahn'Miss Charleston, Var', Geary Serpas'Valentine Day', Mr. & Mrs. F.N. Bush'Shiro Chan', Mrs. H.C. Scott'Tomorrow Park Hill', Rupert E. Drews'Mathotiana Supreme', Rupert E. Drews

Blooms shown: 762 Show Chairman: Elliott Brogden

WEST CAROLINA CAMELLIA SOCIETYGreenwood, SC October 19-20, 1985Best bloom in show: 'Carter's Sunburst', Mrs. H.C. ScottBest japonica protected: 'Charlie Bettes', Mr. & Mrs. Oliver MizzellBest japonica grown in open: 'Melinda Hackett', Parker E. Connor, Jr.Best retic or retic-hybrid: 'Dr. Clifford Parks', Mr. &Mrs. Oliver MizzellBest non-retic hybrid: 'Mona Jury', Mr. & Mrs. Oliver Mizzell

13

AlOJE..VJERA 9 A COMPLETE D!lID?

Best sasanqua 'Sparkling Burgundy', W.A. GardnerBest miniature: 'Little Slam, Var', Mr. & Mrs. Stanley HoltzclawBest collection of three, same variety: Mrs. H.C. ScottBest collection of five, different varieties Mrs. H.C. ScottCourt of Honor, grown in open:

'Lady Kay', Mrs. H.C. Scott'Guilio Nuccio', Mrs. H.C. Scott'Helen Bower', Parker E. Connor, Jr.'Kick Off', W.A. Gardner

Court of Hoor, grown protected:'Sea Foam', Mr. &Mrs. Charles Hendrix'Gus Menard', Mr. &Mrs. Charles Hendrix'Lady Kay', Mr. & Mrs. Stanley Holtzclaw'Clark Hubbs Var', Mr. & Mrs. F.N. Bush

Best novice bloom: 'Rena Swick', Mr. Broadus DavisRunner-up: 'Mathotiana', Mr. Broadus Davis

Best seedling: Number 70, Mrs. R.W HartSweepstakes, grown protected: William C Robertson

Runner-up: Mr. & Mrs. Oliver MizzellSweepstakes, grown in open Parker E. Connor, Jr

Runner-up: Mrs. H.C ScottBlooms shown 486 Show Chairman: Mrs. Linda Foxworth

REFLECTIONS ON FERTILIZER

James H. McCoy

Aloe-vera never caught my interestuntil the summer of 1984. At a meeting ofAtlantic Coast Camellia Society officersand directors in Atlanta, several camelliagrowers were discussing the use of Aloe­vera sap as an aid to callusing in camelliagrafting. It was also mentioned that it wasgood for treating burns. I made a mentalnote of this conversation and laterreported it in the winter issue of thispublication

Dr. Luther Baxter, I found out later,had heard about this use of Aloe-vera andhad made some tests in February 1984. Itwas a relatively small test, only 24 graftsinvolved; 12 using Aloe-vera, and 12 con­trols. He got no takes on the grafts usingAloe-vera, but 10 out of the 12 controlswere successful. (See 1984 ACS Year­book, page 52).

14

Fayetteville, NC

After reading this article, I bought anAloe-vera plant specificially to test it oncamellia grafts. I thought that even if itwere not helpful in grafting, I could use itwhen and if I ever got burned.

I do not have an abundance of graf­ting stock to use on a test like this, but Idid make a small test. Year before last, afriend gave me scions from a camelliaplant'that was growing at his ancestralhome in central Georgia He wanted meto graft it for him. From the description ofthe bloom, I decided that it must be 'Pro­fessor Charles S. Sargent' I proceded tomake 4 grafts using my best stock in theseedling patch. They all took. Since it wasa japonica and probably cold hardy atthat, I did not pot up these grafts in thefall, but left them outside so they couldput on some more growth during the next

growing season. Everybody knows whathappened. The Alberta Clipper came, orwas it the Siberian Express, and all youngcamellia grafts were killed or badlydamaged. These four grafts were killed.

Last grafting season, this same deter­mined friend brought me more scionsfrom that camellia bush in Georgia. Thistime I had Aloe-vera, so I decided to makea test. I used Aloe-vera sap on the top ofthe stock and the scion on two grafts, andmade two more grafts without using Aloe­vera. Everything was the same; samescions, same stock, same grafting pro­cedure. I expected to wind up with twovigorous, fast healing and fast growinggrafts, and two ordinary grafts. What Iwound up with was two ordinary graftsand two failures. Aloe-vera did not workfor me. But at least I had a plant whichthe Pilgrims used to treat burns, or thepioneers, or somebody. I would keep it incase I got burned.

It wasn't long before I got a chance touse it to treat burns. I was frying baconone morning about a month ago I pouredthe hot grease into an empty frozenorange juice container. I picked up thecontainer to move it to the back of thestove and it slipped out of my hand. Thehot grease splashed up on my left hand. It

Boyd McRee

Fertilizer has contributed more bothto head table blossoms and to anemic ordead camellia shrubs than any othercause. A recent advertisement by ourfederal government read - "WANTED ­Man to work on nuclear fissionableisotypes, molecular reactive countersand three phased cyclotronic uraniumphotosynthesizers - no experiencenecessary. "

Most camellia growers take thisliterally and enthusiastically adopt recipesfor their fertilizer programs without con-

15

burned it from the lower knuckle of thethumb down and across the back of thehand about half way. I said "Ouch", orsomething like that, and quickly ran coldwater on the burned hand. I rememberedAloe-vera in the basement under its gro­lux light. I ran down the steps, sliced off aspike of Aloe-vera and smeared the thickslimy sap allover the thumb and back ofthe hand. I expected the pain to go awayimmediately and stay away. It didn't! Thehand continued to throb with pain. After awhile the pain subsided and I forgot aboutthe burn. The next day there were severalbig clear blisters on the back of the hand.

I thought to myself, "Well, Aloe-veraworks for burns. As soon as these blistersgo away, I'll never know I was burned."Wrong again I In a couple of days, theblisters did go away, but the evidence ofthe burn was still there; red seared skin I

Now, after a month, the back of this handstill shows the scars of that I-thought­simple burn.

I just read the other day that Aloe­vera is good to take away the itchingwhen you get poison oak or poison ivy.Am I going to test this use of Aloe-vera?You had better believe that I am not. Asfar as I am concerned, Aloe-vera is acomplete dud!

Conroe, TX

sidering companion requirements or soil,protected or unprotected, container or inground, Ph, when, amount, how, etc. Ex­perience is required in the making ofalmost anything except mistakes.

The ACS Fall Convention in Houstonin November, 1985, attempted to addressthis subject with the main thrust of a near­ly 2-hour education seminar on fertilizer.The panel consisted of renowed personsin the area of fertilizer and horticulture ingeneral.

Anyone of these persons could have

AlOJE..VJERA 9 A COMPLETE D!lID?

Best sasanqua 'Sparkling Burgundy', W.A. GardnerBest miniature: 'Little Slam, Var', Mr. & Mrs. Stanley HoltzclawBest collection of three, same variety: Mrs. H.C. ScottBest collection of five, different varieties Mrs. H.C. ScottCourt of Honor, grown in open:

'Lady Kay', Mrs. H.C. Scott'Guilio Nuccio', Mrs. H.C. Scott'Helen Bower', Parker E. Connor, Jr.'Kick Off', W.A. Gardner

Court of Hoor, grown protected:'Sea Foam', Mr. &Mrs. Charles Hendrix'Gus Menard', Mr. &Mrs. Charles Hendrix'Lady Kay', Mr. & Mrs. Stanley Holtzclaw'Clark Hubbs Var', Mr. & Mrs. F.N. Bush

Best novice bloom: 'Rena Swick', Mr. Broadus DavisRunner-up: 'Mathotiana', Mr. Broadus Davis

Best seedling: Number 70, Mrs. R.W HartSweepstakes, grown protected: William C Robertson

Runner-up: Mr. & Mrs. Oliver MizzellSweepstakes, grown in open Parker E. Connor, Jr

Runner-up: Mrs. H.C ScottBlooms shown 486 Show Chairman: Mrs. Linda Foxworth

REFLECTIONS ON FERTILIZER

James H. McCoy

Aloe-vera never caught my interestuntil the summer of 1984. At a meeting ofAtlantic Coast Camellia Society officersand directors in Atlanta, several camelliagrowers were discussing the use of Aloe­vera sap as an aid to callusing in camelliagrafting. It was also mentioned that it wasgood for treating burns. I made a mentalnote of this conversation and laterreported it in the winter issue of thispublication

Dr. Luther Baxter, I found out later,had heard about this use of Aloe-vera andhad made some tests in February 1984. Itwas a relatively small test, only 24 graftsinvolved; 12 using Aloe-vera, and 12 con­trols. He got no takes on the grafts usingAloe-vera, but 10 out of the 12 controlswere successful. (See 1984 ACS Year­book, page 52).

14

Fayetteville, NC

After reading this article, I bought anAloe-vera plant specificially to test it oncamellia grafts. I thought that even if itwere not helpful in grafting, I could use itwhen and if I ever got burned.

I do not have an abundance of graf­ting stock to use on a test like this, but Idid make a small test. Year before last, afriend gave me scions from a camelliaplant'that was growing at his ancestralhome in central Georgia He wanted meto graft it for him. From the description ofthe bloom, I decided that it must be 'Pro­fessor Charles S. Sargent' I proceded tomake 4 grafts using my best stock in theseedling patch. They all took. Since it wasa japonica and probably cold hardy atthat, I did not pot up these grafts in thefall, but left them outside so they couldput on some more growth during the next

growing season. Everybody knows whathappened. The Alberta Clipper came, orwas it the Siberian Express, and all youngcamellia grafts were killed or badlydamaged. These four grafts were killed.

Last grafting season, this same deter­mined friend brought me more scionsfrom that camellia bush in Georgia. Thistime I had Aloe-vera, so I decided to makea test. I used Aloe-vera sap on the top ofthe stock and the scion on two grafts, andmade two more grafts without using Aloe­vera. Everything was the same; samescions, same stock, same grafting pro­cedure. I expected to wind up with twovigorous, fast healing and fast growinggrafts, and two ordinary grafts. What Iwound up with was two ordinary graftsand two failures. Aloe-vera did not workfor me. But at least I had a plant whichthe Pilgrims used to treat burns, or thepioneers, or somebody. I would keep it incase I got burned.

It wasn't long before I got a chance touse it to treat burns. I was frying baconone morning about a month ago I pouredthe hot grease into an empty frozenorange juice container. I picked up thecontainer to move it to the back of thestove and it slipped out of my hand. Thehot grease splashed up on my left hand. It

Boyd McRee

Fertilizer has contributed more bothto head table blossoms and to anemic ordead camellia shrubs than any othercause. A recent advertisement by ourfederal government read - "WANTED ­Man to work on nuclear fissionableisotypes, molecular reactive countersand three phased cyclotronic uraniumphotosynthesizers - no experiencenecessary. "

Most camellia growers take thisliterally and enthusiastically adopt recipesfor their fertilizer programs without con-

15

burned it from the lower knuckle of thethumb down and across the back of thehand about half way. I said "Ouch", orsomething like that, and quickly ran coldwater on the burned hand. I rememberedAloe-vera in the basement under its gro­lux light. I ran down the steps, sliced off aspike of Aloe-vera and smeared the thickslimy sap allover the thumb and back ofthe hand. I expected the pain to go awayimmediately and stay away. It didn't! Thehand continued to throb with pain. After awhile the pain subsided and I forgot aboutthe burn. The next day there were severalbig clear blisters on the back of the hand.

I thought to myself, "Well, Aloe-veraworks for burns. As soon as these blistersgo away, I'll never know I was burned."Wrong again I In a couple of days, theblisters did go away, but the evidence ofthe burn was still there; red seared skin I

Now, after a month, the back of this handstill shows the scars of that I-thought­simple burn.

I just read the other day that Aloe­vera is good to take away the itchingwhen you get poison oak or poison ivy.Am I going to test this use of Aloe-vera?You had better believe that I am not. Asfar as I am concerned, Aloe-vera is acomplete dud!

Conroe, TX

sidering companion requirements or soil,protected or unprotected, container or inground, Ph, when, amount, how, etc. Ex­perience is required in the making ofalmost anything except mistakes.

The ACS Fall Convention in Houstonin November, 1985, attempted to addressthis subject with the main thrust of a near­ly 2-hour education seminar on fertilizer.The panel consisted of renowed personsin the area of fertilizer and horticulture ingeneral.

Anyone of these persons could have

elaborated on the subject for the entiresession. Further they represented areasacross the country from Florida to Califor­nia. The audience was largely of the topechelon of Camellia growers as noted bytheir attendance at the national meeting.Several present or past presidents of theACS were present. Winners of headtableblooms were also present.

As moderator, I had prepared for theaudience and panel, an outline for a well­balanced discussion including prepara­tion and care of the patient relative to theapplication of a proper fertilizer program.

The first two points of discussion, soilconsideration and planting area (pro­tected, unprotected, container, ground)were passed over almost unnoticed.

Then the panelists found a fertilizersubject that they could get their teeth in­to. Highly technical in nature, the subjectevoked considerable response on whysand whats and hows. The panel could notagree either on the proper Ph or reasonsfor it being so important. This subject heldthe audience spellbound for nearly anhour.

Finally each element of most fer­tilizers were reviewed with their effect onplants or blossoms. Some poor soul ask­ed why, if the air contains 80% nitrogen,does a plant require more nitrogen whichseemed to be the most needed ingre­dient. The answer, of course, was that theroots needed a catalyst and under properconditions of Ph, the plant roots couldassimilate the nitrogen.

A prepared Table listing moistureretention, Ph, organic matter %, ash,nitrogen, phosphoric acid and potassiumoxide for various manures as publishedby Gene Snooks was furnished the au­dience. No one asked what the

16

potassium oxide does or how to find andapply it. It was noted that althoughelephant manure was not analyzed, itwas very high in each constituent.

A small amount of time was left totalk about trace elements. Dire resultscould result either from over or under useand yellow leaves would likely appear. I'meither over or under. I don't know which:Someone wanted to know where youcould buy them. The reply was, "Well,one source is Micromax Micronutrientsfrom some factory in Georgia." This wasa big help to us that shop at localnurseries and feed stores.

As we were leaving the seminar, Iasked one knowledgeable camelliagrower what he thought about theseminar. He said it was full of sound andfury signifying nothing. Now, I don't agreewith that but to the very large majority ofgrowers we need to come to earth andprovide practical help. One of the han­douts at the seminar was a typical fer­tilizer program by three outstanding ex­hibitors. These are excellent but lackingsoil consideration, watering technqiue,when, how, and how much, they couldvery well signify nothing.

At the close of the seminar, I pleadedwith the editors of Camellia journals to ad­dress this matter. Instead of growing, ourACS membership has dropped nearly50% in the last 20 years. Many localsocieties have vanished. The same ex­hibitors, perhaps 20, were winning theshows 20 years ago and they still are.

We are greatly indebted to these 20and to the PHD's. But, what we need isnot piled higher and deeper but fertilizerspreaders. A little knowledge is adangerous thing, less knowledge evenworse.

MID CAROLINA CAMELLIA SOCIETYColumbia, SC October 26-27 1985Grown in open: '

Best bloom large-very large: 'Drama Girl', Mrs. H.C. ScottRunner-up: 'Elegans Supreme', Gus Dubus

Best bloom medium-small: 'Betty Sheffield Silver', Parker E. Connor, Jr.Runner-up: 'Veiled Beauty', Parker E. Connor, Jr.

Best white: 'Feathery Touch', Donna & Bill ShepherdSweepstakes: Parker E. Connor, Jr.

Runner-up: Mrs. H.C. ScottGrown protected:

Best bloom large-very large: 'Ivory Tower', Fred HahnRunner-up: 'Helen Bower', Oliver Mizzell

Best bloom medium-small: 'Mary Alice Cox', F.N. BushRunner-up: 'Compari', Lew & Annabelle Fetterman

Sweepstakes: Lew & Annabelle FettermanRunner-up: Oliver Mizzell

Best white: 'Snowman', Oliver MizzellBest Retic or Retic-Hybrid: 'China Lady', Gist Duncan

Runner-up: 'Harold Paige', Oliver MizzellBest non-retic hybrid: 'Galaxie') Oliver Mizzell

Runner-up: 'Anticipation', Jack TeagueBest miniature: 'Mansize', Ken-BlanchardBest seedling: Lew & Annabelle FettermanCourt of Honor:

'Little Slam', Lew & Annabelle Fetterman'Debbie', Mr. &Mrs. W.C. Robertson'Gus Menard', Mrs. H.C. Scott'Compari', Gus Dubus'Tomorrow Park Hill', Oliver Mizzell'Gus Menard', Oliver Mizzell'Betty Sheffield Supreme', Fred Hahn'Miss Charleston, Var', Geary Serpas'Valentine Day', Mr. & Mrs. F.N. Bush'Shiro Chan', Mrs. H.C. Scott'Tomorrow Park Hill', Rupert E. Drews'Mathotiana Supreme', Rupert E. Drews

Blooms shown: 762 Show Chairman: Elliott Brogden

WEST CAROLINA CAMELLIA SOCIETYGreenwood, SC October 19-20, 1985Best bloom in show: 'Carter's Sunburst', Mrs. H.C. ScottBest japonica protected: 'Charlie Bettes', Mr. & Mrs. Oliver MizzellBest japonica grown in open: 'Melinda Hackett', Parker E. Connor, Jr.Best retic or retic-hybrid: 'Dr. Clifford Parks', Mr. &Mrs. Oliver MizzellBest non-retic hybrid: 'Mona Jury', Mr. & Mrs. Oliver Mizzell

13

THE RESPONSE OF ASEXUAL SPORES (CONIDIA)OF THE CAMELLIA DIEBACK FUNGUS,

GLOMERELLA CINGULATA, TO CAPTANLuther W Baxter, Jr and Susan G. Fagan

COASTAL CAROLINA CAMELLIA SOCIETYCharleston, SC November 16-17, 1985Grown in open:

Best bloom: 'Mary Alice Cox', Parker E. Connor, JrRunner-up 'Clark Hubbs, Var', Mr. & Mrs. F.N. Bush

Best 'Miss Charleston' Parker E. Connor, JrBest retic or retic-hybrid 'Dr. Clifford Parks', Parker E. Connor, Jr.Best nan-retic hybrid: 'Tamsin Coull', Mrs. Marla HollandSweepstakes: Parker E. Connor, Jr

Runner-up Mrs. H.C. ScottGrown under protection

Best bloom 'Tomorrow, Var', Mrs. JC BickleyRunner-up 'Ruffian', Fred Hahn

Best 'Miss Charleston'. Mrs. J.e. BickleyBest retic or retic-hybrid 'Cameron Cooper', William C RobertsonBest non-retic hybrid 'Mona Jury', RF SteubenrauchSweepstakes Jack Teague

Runner-up William e. RobertsonBest Seedling Joe AustinBest novice bloom Bloom exhibited by Meryl B. JonesCourt of Honor:

'Mathotiana Supreme Var', Fred Hahn'Clark Hubbs Var', Mr. & Mrs. Oliver Mizzell'Tomorrow Park Hill Pink', Mr. & Mrs. Oliver Mizzell'Harriett Bisbee', Mr. & Mrs Stanley Holtzclaw'Woodford Harrison', William e. Robertson'Margaret Davis', Mr. & Mrs. Stanley Holtzclaw'Tiffany', Parker E. Connor, Jr'Helen Bower', Parker E. Connor, Jr.'Valentine Day Var', Parker E. Connor, Jr'Dixie Knight Supreme', Mrs. Marla Holland'Ville de Nantes', Elliott Brogden'Carter's Sunburst', Mr. & Mrs. FN Bush

Runner-up Court of Honor:'Lady Kay', Albert V Ewan'Mathotiana Supreme Var', Parker E. Connor, Jr.'Betty Sheffield Supreme', Parker E. Connor, Jr·'I mperator', Parker E. Connor, Jr.'Donckelaari', Mrs. H.G. Scott'Sue Ann Mouton', Mrs. H.e. Scott'Valentine Day', William e. Robertson'Easter Morn', Ann & Mack McKinnor'Betty Sheffield Blush Supreme', Joe Austin'Dr. Clifford Parks Var', Mr. & Mrs. Oliver Mizzell'Pink Frost', Mr. & Mrs. Stanley Holtzclaw'Arch of Triumph', William C. Robertson

Blooms shown: 750 Show Chairman Charles H. Heins

12

Luther Baxter

AbstractCaptan at the rate of 600, 1200 or

2400 parts per million, active ingredient(ppmai) killed within 30 min, but not within5, 10 or 15 min, all asexual spores (con­idia) of Glomerella cingulata, thecamellia dieback fungus. Camelliadieback, as herein used, includes canker,graft failure, and leaf and pod spot as wellas death of stems distal to cankers, the"camellia dieback" of camellia literature.Captan at 600, 1200 or 2400 ppmai isequivalent to 1,2 or 4 pounds (50% wet­table powder - 50WP) per 100 gallons, orapproximately 1, 2 or 4 tablespoonsful pergallon, respectivelyBackground

Captan is an organic agriculturalchemical compound used as a protec­tive, eradicating fungicide. Its origin datesback to 1949 with the Chevron ChemicalCompany and Stauffer Chemical Com­pany It is manufactured in the form of adust, as a flowable liquid and as a wet­table powder Although it may cause skinirritation, its LD50 (lethal dose for 50 % ofa population of test animals) is 9,000mg/kg (milligrams per kilogram of bodyweight). The higher the LD50, the saferthe material. Thus, captan at 9,000 mg/kg

Technical Contribution No. 2502 of the SouthCarolina Agricultural Experiment Station, ClemsonUniversity

17

Susan Fagan

is a very safe material. It is also con­sidered safe to most plants on which it isrecommended. It is recommended on atleast 75 crop plants plus the large groupof plants collectively called ornamentals.It is recommended as a protectivefungicide against many disease­producing fungal pathogens including bit­ter rot of apple and various other anthrac­nose diseases caused by fungi of thegenus Glomerella, or by the form generaColletotrichum and/or, Gloeosporiumwhich are fungal names designated forthe conidial (asexual) stage ofGlomerella.

Camellia dieback, canker, leaf spot,pod spot, and graft failure are namesgiven to different phases of a diseasecomplex caused by a strain of theascomycetous fungus, Glomerellacingulata The entire lot of names, in myjudgement, should be collectively housedunder the inclusive name of camellia an­thracnose. However, since the term"camellia dieback" is so widely usedthroughout camellia literature, it will be re­tained for all of these manifestations ofcamellias infected by G. cingulata.

Camellia dieback occurs onCamellia japonica, C. sasanqua, C,reticulata, C. oleifera, C. chrysantha,C. saluenensis and various C. hybrids,but not on C. sinensis (tea). C. cingulata

can probably attack most other Camelliaspecies The pathogen, or the cause ofthe disease, is a strain of Glomerellacingulata. Bitter rot of apple, anthrac­nose of bean, and anthracnose ofwatermelon are diseases caused by veryclosely related fungi.

Studies of this camellia fungalpathogen through the years have reveal­ed that it is commonly found in apparentlyhealthy buds (Fig. 1) and in the crotchesof twigs (Fig. 2) Studies have also shownthat it is invariably found in diseasedwood in cankers (Fig. 3) and in somecamellia leaf spots. Because high humidi­ty favors this camellia pathogen, diebackis seen on camellias grown in the South­east, especially where they grow well out­of-doors. This disease, however, is prac­tically unknown out-of-doors in Californiawhere conditions are dry.

G. cingulata normally invades theplant through wounds; and, since woundsare created both on scion and stock, graf­ting affords an ideal opportunity forspores to infect either scion or stock.Disease, in the form of graft failure, oc­curs frequently. It has been shown ex­perimentally that benomyl (Benlate) givesgood control of this phase of camellia die­back. It is not very efficient in killingspores of G. cingulata, but is quite effec­tive because it suppresses theirgermination.Experimental

Asexual spores (conidia) of fourisolates of the camellia dieback strain ofG. cingulata were induced to form oncarrot juice agar in the laboratory.Virulence (capacity to cause disease) ofthese isolates had previously been deter­mined by wounding and inoculatingstems of susceptible C. sasanqua seedl­ings with spores from each isolate. In­oculated plants were maintained in agreenhouse at 21 C (70 F). The sporescaused infection, resulting in cankers onthe inoculated stems of C. sasanqua

18

seedlings. Wounded, non-inoculatedstems of C. sasanqua healed.

Masses of spores of the four G.cingulata isolates were produced, col­lected, standardized, and exposed to cap­tan at 21 C for 5, 10, 15, or 30 minutes ata concentration of 600, 1200, or 2400parts per million, active ingredient(ppmai). After exposure, one milliliter ofthe captan-spore suspension (100 K*strength) was removed and added to 1liter of sterile water at room temperature.After thoroughly shaking to randomlydistribute the conidia in the water, 1milliliter of the diluted suspension wasadded to each of eight (8) Petri dishesThe plates were poured with carrot juiceagar amended with lactic acid and strep­tomycin sulfate to inhibit growth of anycontaminating bacteria but which allowedgrowth of G. cingulata. The cultureswere incubated at room temperature (21C - 70 F) for 7 days, observed and resultsrecorded. Each test was run twice, eachat different times.

Data in Table 1 reveal that all conidiaof these four camellia isolates of G.cingulata were killed after 30 minutes,but not after 5, 10 or 15 minutes when ex­posed to captan at 600, 1200 or 2400ppmai.

As occurs in many tests involving bio­logical subjects, there was considerablevariability. The conidia (composite of fourisolates) were produced and exposed tocaptan in two independent tests. Thenumber of colonies that developed fromsurviving conidia varied from test to testand from Petri dish to Petri dish within atest at exposure times of 5, 10 and 15minutes. However, when conidia were

'Standardized value using Klett·Summersonphotoelectric colorimeter, model 800·3, with redfilter. Three hundred milliliters of conidia (asexualspores) of C. cingulata (reading 100 K concentra­tion) were added to 700 milliliters of a captansuspension. After the spores and the captansuspension were mixed, the resulting caplan con·centration was 600, 1200 or 2400 ppmai.

Best 'Miss Charleston': RD. DeadmondBest White bloom: 'Marie Shackleford', Parker E. Connor, Jr.Sweepstakes: Parker E. Connor, Jr.

Runner-up: Mrs. H.C. ScottBest bloom originated by Magnolia Gardens: 'Mathotiana, Var', Parker E. Connor, Jr.Court of Honor - grown in open:

'Tomorrow', Rupert E. Drews'Helen Bower, Var', Parker E. Connor, Jr.'Rosea Superba', Donna & Bill Shepherd'Mary Alice Cox', Donna & Bill Shepherd'Sue Ann Mouton', Mrs. H.C. Scott'Drama Girl, Var', Mrs. H.C. Scott

Runner-up Court of Honor, grown in open:'Erin Farmer', Rupert E. Drews'Tomorrow, Var', Rupert E. Drews'White Empress', Mrs. H.C. Scott'Spring Sonnett', Dr. & Mrs. Herbert Racoff'Betty Sheffield', Parker E. Connor, Jr.'Woodville Red', Parker E. Connor, Jr.

Best blooms grown protected:Best bloom: 'Tomorrow Park Hill Pink', Mr. & Mrs. Mack McKinnon

Runner-up: 'Mary Alice Cox', Mr. & Mrs. F.N. BushBest reticulata: 'Hulyn Smith, Var', Mr. & Mrs. Jack TeagueBest non-retic hybrid: 'Elsie Jury, Var', Mr. & Mrs. Oliver MizzellBest 'Miss Charleston', Mr. & Mrs. F.N. BushBest White bloom: 'Charlie Bettes', Mr. & Mrs. Oliver MizzellSweepstakes: Lew & Annabelle Fetterman

Runner-up: Mr. & Mrs. Jack TeagueCourt of Honor - protected:

'Easter Morn', Mr. & Mrs. Oliver Mizzell'Guest Star', Lew & Annabelle Fetterman'Helen Bower', Lew & Annabelle Fetterman'Mathotiana', Mr. & Mrs. Mack McKinnon'Vi Henderson', W. Gist Duncan, Jr.'Swan Lake', Mr. & Mrs. Jack Teague

Court of Honor Runner-up, protected:'Carter's Sunburst Pink, Var', Mr. & Mrs. FN Bush'Mathotiana Supreme', Mr. & Mrs. Jack Teague'Arch of Triumph', Mr. & Mrs. William C. Robenson'Tomorrow Park Hill', Mr. & Mrs. Oliver Mizzell'Carter's Sunburst Supreme', Mr. & Mrs. F.N. Bush'Fashionata', Lew & Annabelle Fetterman

Best bloom by novice: 'Rose Dawn', Mrs. Emily GibbonsBlooms shown: 549 Show Chairman: Geary Serpas

11

SHOW REPORTSAMERICAN CAMELLIA SOCIETY

Houston, TX November 14-16, 1985Best blooms grown unprotected:

Japonica, large to very large: 'Helen Bower', JA PenningerRunner-up: 'Woodville Red', Dudley Beaudreaux

Japonica, medium: 'Magic City, Red', Eugene L. SealsRunner-up: 'Betty Sheffield Blush Supreme', Kermit Agee

Japonica, small: 'Little Babe, Var', Mr. & Mrs. G.F. AbendrothRunner-up: 'Little Babe', RA Sansing

Japonica, miniature 'Tammia', John GeiserRunner-up: 'Man Size', Kermit Agee

Reticulata or Retic-Hybird: 'Valentine Day, Var', Dudley BeaudreauxRunner-up: 'Harold Paige', Alvin Johnson

Non-Retic Hybrid: 'Julie', Tommy WeeksRunner-up: 'Cinnamon Cindy', Greg Davis

Collection of three, same variety: Dudley BeaudreauxCollection of five, different varieties: Mr. & Mrs. GF AbendrothSasanqua or Hiemalis 'Our Linda', Tommy WeeksSweepstakes: Emil Carroll

Sweepstakes runner-up: Boyd McReeBest blooms grown protected:

Japonicas, large to very large: 'Lucy Stewart', Lew & Annabelle FettermanRunner-up: 'Tomorrow's Dawn', Lew & Annabelle Fetterman

Japonica, medium: 'Magic City', Ed & June AtkinsRunner-up: 'Harriet Bisbee', Emil Carroll

Japonica, small: 'Buddy, Var', WF MannRunner-up: 'Kitty', Dave Scheibert

Japonica, miniature: 'Mansize', Mr. & Mrs. GF AbendrothRunner-up: 'Dryade, Var', George Griffin

Reticulata or Retic-Hybrid: 'Harold Paige', David RubinRunner-up: 'Jean Pursel', Mr. & Mrs. GF Abendroth

Non-Retic Hybrid .'Mona Jury, Var', Roy StringfellowRunner-up: 'Julie, Var', Roy Stringfellow

Collection of three, same variety: Ed & June AtkinsCollection of five, different varieties Emil CarrqllSweepstakes: Dave Scheibert

Sweepstakes Runner-up: Alvin Johnson873 Blooms shown Show Chairman: Greg Davis

COASTAL CAROLINA CAMELLIA SOCIETYMagnolia Plantation & Gardens November 3, 1985Best blooms grown in open:

Best bloom: 'Mathotiana Supreme', Mrs. H.C. ScottRunner-up: 'Mary Agnes Patin', Rupert E. Drews

10

exposed for 30 minutes, none survived,as revealed by no growth occurring in 48Petri dishes.Discussion

Since all spores of all four isolates ofG. cingulata were killed, within 30minutes, it is probable that most, if not all,isolates of G. cingulata are susceptibleto the killing action of captan. Captan50WP is currently recommended on or­namental plants at 2 Ib per 100 gallons ofwater (1200 ppmai). It is suggested thatthis rate should be used for soakingcamellia scions immediately prior tografting.

Since benomyl is long lasting in its ac­tion, and is an excellent suppressant ofthe germination of conidia of G.cingulata, and since it has beenestablished as being safe to camelliascions, it is recommended that captanand benomyl (Benlate") be mixedtogether during the soaking of camelliascions immediately prior to grafting. Therecommended use rate of benomyl as ascion soak is 300 ppmai (V2 tablespoon­ful per gallon of water) and the recom­mended exposure time is 30 minutes.

Fig. 1 Apparently healthy vegetative camellia budssometime harbor pathogenic strain Glomerellacingulata.

19

Fig. 2 Crotches of C. japonica or C. sasanquasometimes harbor strains of Glomerella cingulata.

Fig. 3 Diseased wood in camellia cankers harbormyceliu;n of Glomerella cingulata.

Thus, the recommended captan-benomylsuspension rate is 1200 and 300 ppmai,respectively, and the recommended ex­posure time is 30 minutes. In practice,

*Benlate is du Pont's proprietary name for benomyl.It is commonly sold as a 50% wettable powder;typically, Benlate 50WP.

---------------- ------

Charles A. Newman Western Australia

YES, WE GROW CAMELLIAS

*Each value is the range in number of colonies of G. cingulata growing per Petri dish (16 Petri dishes pertime-concentration combination). When the number of colonies exceeded 50 per plate, they could not becounted accurately.

Table 1. The response of conidia, composited from four isolates of the camellia strainof Glomerella cingulata, to captan at various concentrations for various exposureperiods.

light to deep.Q.. Have there been any "pink" C.

chrysantha blooms?A. No! So far, all of the C. chrysantha

blooms have been some shade ofyellow. The "pink" blooms reported in1983 were C. sasanqua understocksuckers which bloomed on grafted C.chrysantha cultivars.

Q. Will C. chrysantha species crosswith other species of camellia?

A. The experience in China, Japan, andhere in the United States would seemto indicate that C. chrysantha can becrossed successfully into many otherspecies. However, the viability ofseeds has been very poor using C.japonica species. The greatest suc­cess in setting seed and in seedviability has been obtained when us­ing a hybrid cultivar as the "mother"plant.

Q. What does the future hold forcreating a yellow, orange orapricot hybrid camellia bloom?

A. The prospects for obtaining newyellow colored blooms would appearto be quite a few years in the future.The Chinese have been makingcrosses for ten years without suc­cess. The blooms have all been pink,red or white. Perhaps by using"bridge" plants or one of the otheryellow flowered species such as C.euphlebia or C. luteoflora, thechances of obtaining good yellow col­ored blooms might be morepromising.

Whenever I am worried or perplexed, or feel off colour, I take refuge among mycamellias. Sure they are one of nature's greatest tonics.Charles A. NewmanWestern Australia

a sUb-tropical location. It will with­stand full sunlight but it thrives best insemi-shade (lath-house) locations. Itappears to be able to withstand lowtemperatures down to at least 30degrees F.

Q. What is the yearly growth patternof C. chrysantha?

A. This species has many flushes ofgrowth, being slow growing during thehot summer and during the cold por­tions of the winter. It has two or moreflushes of growth during the coolperiods of spring and two or more inthe fall.

Q. When do the buds form on C.chrysantha?

A. Buds began to form in the late sum­mer. However, bud drop or completebud shedding may occur during thefall flush of leaf growth.

Q. When does C. chrysantha bloom?A. This species blooms in February and

March here in the United States.Q. Has the C. chrysantha bloomed

here in the United States?A. Yes. The first blooms were observed

on February 1, 1984.Q. What is the size of the C. chrysan­

tha flower?A. The flower measured about 2 inches

in diameter.

Q. What is the color of the C.chrysantha bloom?

A. The bloom has deep "butter-cup"yellow petals and orange coloredstamens. Depending on the culturalpractices this yellow may vary from

48 48 48

0-25 0-6 00-25 0-25 00-25 0-20 0

Exposure time (in minutes) ofconidia to captan

lO 15 305

48

I came to Bayswater, a suburb ofPerth, the capital city of WesternAustralia, four miles to the east. I wasthen ten years old. It was 1915. The soil (ifyou could call it such) is a fairly coursegrey sand. On my way to school, I watch­ed my present home being built. Little didI think that I would become the proudowner in 1942. This sand had little virtues,but by the same rule, few vices. Gooddrainage and aeration are the two mostimportant features in successful camelliaculture. They have a surface fibrous and

injured by this treatment but no injury hasbeen observed to date. It is possible thatexposure of conidia of G. cingulata ex­posed to captan at temperatures of 11 Cor 31 C, 10 C below and 10 C above nor­mal room temperature, for 30 minutescould give different results. Therefore, werecommend that the water temperaturebe carefully monitored throughout thescion-soaking period.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTThanks are extended to Drs. W.M. Epps and

O.J. Dickerson for critiquing the manuscript, and toJames Martin and Dave Lewis of the ClemsonUniversity Communication Center for thephotographs.

25-500-500-25

48

50*5050

Control

60012002400

Total Petri dishes

Captan concentration(ppmai)

I am always pleased to meet or hearfrom anyone interested in growing or pro­moting camellias anywhere in the world.We all have our problems. Many of us findourselves facing the vagaries of theweather and the vastly different kinds ofgood earth which we find in our posses­sion. Maybe now, having fallen in lovewith their immaculate forms, theirrichness of colour, their rich shiny foliage,I have reached the point of no return andso must meet the camellia challenge ofthe hour. Lucky me?

scions are soaked for 30 minutes atwhich time grafting is begun. The scionsshould be submerged in the captan or thecaptan-benomyl suspension during thesoaking period. The remaining scions areleft in the captan-benomyl suspension un­til grafted even though some scions maysoak for 60 minutes or longer. No injury toscions has been noted even thoughdozens of camellia cultivars have beenstudied under these conditions. Also, thescions graft successfully and grow offwell when compared with scions soakedin water only

Since there are hundreds of camelliacultivars it is possible that a few may be

20 9

Bill Donnan

BUD ON CHRYSANTHA PLANTGrafted in August; Bloom opened Nov. 17

Questions & AnswersAbout the Yellow Flowered Camellia

can master the art of watering are sure tosucceed. The type of soil and its holdingcapacity must be considered. It shouldnever be made wet and soggy, but keptalways moist. Your weather pattern andwhether exposed to strong winds ordraughts should also be considered. Pro­tecting your plants will test your ingenui­ty. All this may seem a laborious task, buthaving purchased a good plant, growing itto maturity is like rearing a family with allthe joys and pleasures that come with it.

If your budget allows you to only pur­

chase a small or immature plant, I wouldadvise growing it in a container for aseason or two to acclimatise it to location.The big advantage is that you can move itto a favorable spot in hot or stormyweather. Do not overpot. Move up twosizes only at each repotting. Do not over­water, and make sure of good drainage orroot rot will do irrepairable damage. Soilshould be rich in humus and drain well.Be patient and do not try to force yourplant with solid fertilizers. I found that li­quid feeding in early stages is best. App­ly fertilizer strictly as is recommended.Measure the amounts advised carefully.Mix well in a watering can and apply overthe foliage as well as to the soil. Camelliasabsorb through the foliage as well asthrough the roots. Remember, a little andoften is safer and surer. Many plants arelost through over-feeding. Thinking that ifa little is good, a lot is a whole lot bettercan result in disaster!

Yes, we grow camellias in WesternAustralia, particularly in the coastal strip,and also in the Darling Ranges wherethere are many pockets of good loamysoil. The ranges consist of outcrops ofquartz, grey in colour, and also a nearwhite quartzite. There is also plenty ofconglomerate iron stone and gravel. Oursis a temperate climate with prevailingsouth-westerly and easterly winds off thevast inlands. Our rain bearing winds

rather fleshy root system which are thefeeder roots, and hence require gooddrainage and aeration. Also, they mustnever suffer from lack of water. I found inmy experience that it was most importantto add much humus matter in prepara­tion, to a depth of at least 15 inches, andat least 30 inches in diameter. Humusmaterial could consist of animal manureswell matured at 3 months old, rotted leafmold, lawn clippings or any vegetationthat has rotted to the stage where it nolonger engenders heat. Preparation is aforward planning operation. Equal parts ofsand and humus matter will be adequate.Stamp it down firmly to allow for settling.

Open planting hole a few inches widerthan the plant's root ball when it comes toplanting. I always have a good stake han­dy, of durable material, either wood ormetal, about four feet in length which Idrive in before placing the plant in posi­tion, to avoid damaging the roots in theball of soil. Now the most important pointof all, NEVER plant deeper than yourcamellia grew in the container it came toyou in. I always plant an inch or twoabove the soil level to allow for settling,stamp soil firmly, and place a good mulchto bring plant level about twelve inchesout form the main stem. I usually dunk theroot ball in a bucket of water before plan­ting out, to ensure the root ball isthoroughly wet. I also water well to makesure the surrounding soil is wet.Camellias often die or fail to progress ifplanted out deeper. Secure plant to thestake. I use plastic twine as it will stretcha little and not cut into the bark. Examineties from time to time to make sure thisdoes not occur. I emphasize these points,remembering that mum took me by thehand and made me comfortable until Iwas able to meet all the challenges andstand firmly on my own two feet.

Watering correctly and whennecessary is also important. They who

Q. If one owns a C. chrysantha plantand it blooms, what should hename it?

A. If it is a true species if should not benamed unless the seedling bloomsdifferently from the true species. C.chrysantha plants purchased fromthe Southern California CamelliaSociety have already been given thename 'Olympic Gold' by the originatorMeyer Piet.

Q. Can a person graft a scion of C.chrysantha on any species ofunder-stock?

A. Yes. The scion will grow on anyunderstock and it thrives on Csasanqua.

Q. Can C. chrysantha be propagatedfrom cuttings?

A. Yes, this species roots very easily asa cutting.

Q. What is the climate tolerance of C.chrysantha?

A. This species was found in the wild in

Ever since the yellow floweredcamellia has been available to plantbreeders, nurseries, camellia hobbyistsand flowers lovers, there have been athousand questions about propagating,growing and hybridizing these camellias.This article hopes to answer some ofthese questions.Q. How many yellow flowered

camellia species are there?A. Chang Hung Ta in' his recent book

"CAMELLIAS" list 11 species asfollows: C. flavae; C au rea; C.chrysantha; C flavida; C. impressiner­vis; C. euphlebia; C. chrysanthoides;C. tunghinensis; C. pingguoensis; C.pubipetala; and C. luteoflora.

Q. What species do we have here inthe United States?

A. Many of the botanical gardens plantbreeders and hobbyists were sent C.chrysantha seeds in the spring of1980. In addition, some of thecamellia nurseries have C. euphlebia.

swell a little more and get a little moreyellow color. Finally, on the weekend ofNovember 16th and 17th the bud opened.On Monday November 18th Rudy sawthe flower in full bloom. He phoned meand said he was going to take the plant upto Nuccio's Nursery - so I drove up thereto see the bloom. The bloom wasbeautiful, 2 inch in diameter, yellow flowerwith a burst of orange colored stamens.The pollen was "dabbed" onto some ofthe early blooming cultivars there at theNursery. And so, dear camellia hobbyist ­if you want your C. chrysantha plant tobloom early - all you have to do is graft inAugust and get lucky!

8 21

Bill Donnan

C. CHRYSANTHA, AN ENDANGERED SPECIES

Getting C. Chrysantha to Bloom Early

is threatened, which is an exact classifi­cation for listing some species under theU.S. Endangered Species Act of 1973, asamended. Under CITES, listing in Appen­dix II means that this species, althoughnot necessarily now threatened with ex­tinction, may become so unless trade inits specimens is subject to strict regula­tion ---.

Should you wish to apply for a permitor certificate to allow international trade inthis species, please contact the Fish andWildlife Service's Federal Wildlife PermitOffice, 1000 North Glebe Rd., 6th floorBroyhill Building, Arlington, VA 22201."

Plain English Interpretation:1. C. chrysantha is not an endangered

species, but it might become so in thefuture (without protection).

2. The contracting states, which includeour country and the People's Republicof China will not allow trade in C.chrysantha except in accordance withcertain rules.

3. Trade in seed, spores, pollen, tissueculture and flasked seedling culture isnot regulated.

were growing at the Huntington Gardens.These grafts were made in late Augustusing C sasanqua under-stock. Theywere kept in the green house with plastic"baggy" covers. About 6 weeks laterRudy noticed that one of the grafts wassprouting a flower bud where the leafgrowth would ordinarily appear.

I volunteer as a helper in the green­house each Tuesday morning. Each timeI was at the greenhouse Rudy and I wouldinspect this plant to observe the growth ofthe flower bud. Each week the bud would

The name of the game in the camelliahobby is to get your plants to bloom ear­ly in the camellia season. There is nothingquite as pretty as the first bloom of theFall season. Now, how would you like tohave your C. chrysantha plant bloom inNovember instead of at the usualFebruary or March period? Such was ex­actly what happened to Rudy Moore,Curator of Camellias at the HuntingtonGardens in San Marino, California.

Rudy had grafted several scions fromone of the C. chrysantha seedlings which

Tom Perkins, as regional director ofInternational Camellia Society in America,received a copy of a publication whichseemed to indicate that C. chrysanthahad been placed on an endangeredspecies list. In an attempt to clarify thisregulation, we contacted The Departmentof Interior, Fish and Wildlife Service. Thefollowing explanation is part of the replywe received:

"-- Since this species (C. chrysantha)is now listed in Appendix II of the Conven­tion on International Trade in EndangeredSpecies of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES),import and export of whole specimensand of parts and derivatives other thanseeds, pollen, tissue cultures and flaskedseedling cutlures are regulated.Specimens that are artifically propagatedare regulated as well as specimens ofwild origin, in order to maintain bettercontrol on trade in wild specimens (whichmight otherwise be claimed as artificiallypropagated.)

This species was proposed for place­ment in Appendix II by the People'sRepublic of China. Placement in AppendixII does not always mean that the species

Charleston, SC

100 degree F. mark. We are fortunatethat abundant available water can be ob­tained from underground water bores inmost suburbs, and with heavy mulchingof the surface, we grow plenty of beautifulflowers, including camellias.

(These ten players scored over 1400 onthe SAT and were merit scholars.)

"I don't think we'll win a game thisyear - all of my assistant coaches recentlyresigned." (He just hired Tom Landry,Don Schuler and Mike Ditka asassistants.)

"Po-mouthing" among camelliagrowers goes something along this vein.

"Blooms sure look bad this year. Wehaven't had any rain in three months." (Inreality he has nine automaticallycontrolled Sears pumps on constantlyand doesn't care if it doesn't rain in thenext three years.)

"Boy the freeze sure wiped me out ­Don't think I'll be going to a show thisyear." (Actually he has over four hundreddifferent varieties planted on nine acresand the only plant that he lost was asasanqua that had terminal die-back.)

"The rats are eating the roots of myplants. I put some poison down threeyears ago and it nearly killed all of mycamellias." (This grower has sevenhungry cats patrolling the yard and won"Best in Show" in ten shows that heentered last year.)

"It's been raining for six days and allof my blooms are conpletely ruined."(Look out for this grower - he picked hisblooms seven days in advance and ownsa walk-in cooler.)

"Last year I fertilized my camelliaswith something new and they really lookterrible." (His plants grew 4 V2 feet in oneyear)

sweep in from the west and north-west In­dian Ocean. Our rainfall amounts to anaverage of 34 inches, falling mainly in thewinter months of June, July and AugustWe have by comparison a long dry sum­mer with the hottest days well over the

Rupie Drews

Having coached high school footballfor fifteen years and growing camelliasfor twice that length of time I'm oftenamused at the similarity of the coach andthe camellia grower. The wonderfulcharacteristics of the two groups are toonumerous to mention, but one character­istic they have in common is that they'rethe worst *"po-mouthers" in the world.*(Gullah for understated).

Typical coaching "po-mouthing" runalong these lines:

"I won't have a thing this year. Wegraduated twenty-five seniors." (Actuallyhe has twenty-two 19 year-old freshmenreturning who weigh over 220 Ibs. eachand shave daily.)

"My quarterback broke his right armin a water skiing accident this summerand last year he could throw the ball overfifty-five yards." (In reality that OB isambidextrous and can throw the footballeighty yards with his left arm).

"The best field goal kicker this schoolhas ever had recently moved. Last yearhe was consistant at 40 yards." (ANigerian exchange student recentlyenrolled and can kick the ball over fiftyyards with either foot.)

"I sure hate to open the season withLee High School this year. They have anoutstanding program and their coach hasdone a remarkable job." (Last year theybeat Lee 72-0, the game was called athalf-time, and the coach was fired.)

,'Ten of my most outstanding playersmay fail and become ineligible this year."

22 7

Camellian, November, 1952, page 3.

WHEN WAS THAT?During the regular blooming season last fall and spring, many (camellia) growers

were disappointed at the very limited number of blooms and the loss of many finecamellia plants -- from the severe freeze.

IN AND AROUND THE GREENHOUSE

camellias any longer." (This grower hasso many blooms that he brings theblooms to the show in a Hertz Rentaltruck.)

Have to run - Hertz is on the phone!

Fayetteville, NC

appearance of the roots after only a fewmonths. They seemed healthier than theyhad ever appeared before. I do not knowhow often this material should be used. Ihave been told every 3 months, every 5months, and every 6 months. Afterreading Martin F. Stoner's article on rootrot in volume 46 of the Camellia Review,I have become convinced that it is a po­tent material to use in our efforts to pro­tect our plants from root rot, but shouldnot be overused. So I have decided toapply it every 4 months at a concentra­tion of 1 tablespoon per 30 gallons ofwater. Ridomil is not supposed to cure aplant that has root rot, but to protect itfrom getting the disease or to slow thedevelopment of the disease. But it cer­tainly gives the impression that it curesthe plant!

Want a new method of getting rid ofmoles? I have not tried this, so don'tblame me if you find more moles thanever after trying it. Here goes! Wrigley'sJuicy Fruit gum is deadly to moles accor­ding to the Illinois State Nurseryman'sAssociation Newsletter. Moles are sup­posed to be attracted to the Juicy Fruitscent. They eat the gum and it sticks intheir digestive system This condition pro­ves fatal within one or two days. To useJuicy Fruit against moles successfully, itis necessary to use plastic gloves. Anyhuman scent on the gum will alert themole. Roll up the unwrapped stick of gumlike a carpet. Make a slit in a fresh molerun, drop in the gum and close the hole toeliminate light inside. One who has tried

"Don't think I'll have a flower for thefirst show." (He'll bring twenty-eightcoolers and win the Gold Sweepstakes.)

Between the tea scale and petalblight I don't think I'm going to grow

James H. McCoy

A visitor to my camellia greenhousementioned to me that he had seen aquantity of red substance on top of thesoil in some plant containers at NorthCarolina Botanical Gardens in Chapel Hill.He told me that it was ground red pepper,placed there by one of the gardners tokeep the plants free of scale insects. Thiscalled for an immediate investigation! Anenquiry brought a reply from CharlotteJones-Roe, curator of the garden. Shewould not confirm that the red peppertreatment kept the Botanical Garden freeof scale, or even that it was used for thatpurpose. She says that dormant oilspray is probably still our best bet. She didsay that a horticulturist there made sometests using red pepper several years agoin an attempt to find less toxic controls ofinsects. This horticulturist, Ms. KendalBrown, said that she did not believe thatred pepper will keep down scale insects,but she had good luck using it todiscourage ants from carrying aphids onthe plants.

Let me put in my two cents on thesubject of Ridomil, AKA Subdue. At theannual meeting of Aces at Myrtle Beach,I made a concerted effort to find out howprevalent was the use of Ridomil amongcamellia growers I was surprised to findvery few who had ever used it. Maybethey're like I was the first couple of yearsafter it had been brought to my attention.I think I priced it, and immediately lost in­terest. I finally got around to buying a pintof Ridomil and applying it as a soil drenchto all my containers. I was pleased at the

my greenhouse, so the next year, Ibrought back some more. I thendiscovered Nuccio's in California where Icould order the size and variety I couldbest grow here.

I now have about 30 plants of variouscolors, but my growing them has notbeen perfected. Each year I lose a few,from what I do not know. But this makesme all the more determined to studymore and eventually I hope to besuccessful.

My greatest pleasure in growingcamellias is being able to take a flower,yes I meant one flower, to a friend, a shut­in, a neighbor, or to float one in a bowl inour living room Up here, they are a rarityand people treat them with loving care,putting them in the refrigerator at night sothat they will last longer. This makes allthe trouble of growing them worthwhile.

My membership in the AmericanCamellia Society has been very happyand worthwhile, for I have gained most ofmy information about raising camelliasfrom their publications I also learn aboutgrowing camellias by visiting ACS head­quarters. We go through Fort Valley eachyear and stop at Massee Lane. It hasbeen our pleasure to know Milton Brownand Mrs. Teeter. We have seen theircamellias at their best, at their worst (afterlast year's freeze), after their greenhouseburned down and after the erection oftheir new greenhouse. But with theirfaithful dedication and planning ahead,they always emerge victorious and theACS will always be a guide to manycamellia growers allover the country.

doors in a box under florescent lights, Idecided to try it. At first, it was fine, butthen the heat from the lights would burnthe tender plants I talked with the writerof the above named article, and she saidthat it had been merely an assignmentand that her true love was growingflowers in a greenhouse. Well, this got mestarted thirlking about a greenhouse, andI happened to see an advertisement for aLord & Burnham greenhouse. I sent offfor a brochure. Needless to say, I wasthen too far gone and involved to stop, soI ordered a 10 by 17 foot prefab lean-togreenhouse. I decided that it had to go onthe south side of the house, with an en­trance from the basement. I took out asmall window, broke out brick to makeway for the door into the greenhouse, andthen started the erection of thegreenhouse after having a cement blockfoundation put in. I put in a natural gas in­the-wall heater, thermostats to operatethe heater at 55 degrees and the vents at65 degrees.

After installing a watering system Iwas then ready to start growing flowers.So, what should I start with? I brought insome begonias, geraniums, impatiensand a few others. Then on a trip back toGeorgia I brought back several pottedcamellias. This was quite a job, becauseat night it was below freezing so when westopped for the night, I had to carry eachplant into the motel room so they wouldn'tfreeze. I know that people thought I wascrazy carrying all of them into my room,but knowing how they would develop, Iknew it was worth it. These flourished in

6 23

GROW CAMELLIAS IN IOWA?

this remedy reports that two days afterdropping in the Juicy Fruit, "The moleruns looked as if they had been bombed,probably from machinations of strugglingmoles. No new tunnels have appeared. Ipresume that the moles are dead, thoughI did not dig through my flower beds tosee."

We have all been told that new graftsshould be kept on the dry side becausethe "plant" has no leaves to transpire, orget rid of the moisture. Therefore, we donot water our grafts until they have takenand started growing. But is there dangerin using potted up grafting stock which issaturated with water at the time the graftis made? I think that there is. I think that Ilost 4 very precious, almost irreplacablegrafts for this reason last year. The leavesfell off after a few days. Because theywere so special, I used 4 seedlings thathad been grown in containers and wereoutside with the other camellias. Theywere big, beautiful and the soil in the con­tainers was soaking wet. I believe thatthese scions lost their leaves for thisreason. Though they looked nakedwithout any leaves, I did not immediatelygive up on them. I disposed of them oneby one as the scion turned brown anddied.

For two years now, we in the Easthave not been able to harvest sasanquaseed due to the freezing weather. It usedto be that we could gather sasanqua seedby the buckets full in almost any garden.This year, I decided to order seed from

Southern California. I felt like I was bring­ing coal to Newcastle. I was also con­cerned that the seed might have dried outtoo much to be viable. My concern wasunnecessary. I received 250 seed aroundthe first of December. Cracked them andput them into Captan-soaked, moist peatin a wide mouth gallon jar in the base­ment. After about a month, I took out 112,

24

snipped off the root tips and set them in­to half peat, half perlite in a plastic foottub. They are in a well-lighted window do­ing well. The remainder were returned tothe gallon jar with the little radicles poin­ting down around the edges of the jar. Iam looking at the jar now (10 Jan '86) andit seems that they may all be taken outand potted on. I will probably get close to100% to sprout and grow off. They maygo into the seedling patch when warmweather arrives.

In an article in the September 1985issue of Camellia News, a publication ofThe Australian Camellia ResearchSociety, Mr. Tom Savige called attentionof camellia growers to a problem he washaving with C. chrysantha plants. He hadreached the conclusion that they are"extremely susceptible to some strains ofthe dieback fungus." (See response tothis article by Luther W. Baxter, Jr. andSusan G. Fagan on page 28.)

Have you ever heard of root grafting?Actually, it is a camellia propagationmethod by which a large sturdy plant maybe obtained in a relatively short time. Ihave never tried this propagation methodand don't know whether it has anypractical application either forcommercial or home garden operation. Ihave heard that it works. Take a piece ofcamellia root, at least a couple incheslong and at least as big as the scion orcutting. Any time you move a camellia,you generate a lot of unused root. Splitone end of the root like you would for acleft graft. Insert in the root a long scionor cutting which has a tapering cut onboth sides. Insert the root with the scionattached into rooting medium past thejuncture of root and scion. Treat it fromthis point on as you would any cutting.Roots generally form quickly on the pieceof root or the scion or both.

without its use. In mid-South Carolina,winter weather seldom cooperates to theextent that mid-season camellia plantsbloom satisfactorily. Late bloomers aresatisfactory if petal blight is not present inthe neighborhood. Let's all hope that thepast two winters has broken the petalblight cycle, and that it will not be a pro­blem in future years.

The point I am trying to make is forexperienced camellia growers tocooperate with garden club membersand novice growers, and give them perti­nent information that will insure a greaterdegree of success with camellias. Makeyour presentation include climatic condi­tions in the area, planting instructions,and guidance on plant selection.

And now, a final word about theAtlantic Coast Camellia Society: I havetried every gimmick I know to increasemembership in AceS. If any of ourmembers has an idea he thinks will in­crease membership, please write to meimmediately. I'm willing to try anything. Ifwe could just get each of our members to

Jack Hatfield

Outside it is 5 degrees below zero,the wind is blowing, and the wind chill fac­tor is 53 degrees below zero. But as I lookout the door into the greenhouse, I see allthe green plants and pretty flowers andyes, it is all worth the trouble.

I have been asked how I got startedgrowing camellias in this frigid part of thecountry and sometimes, I too, havewondered why. But when I see thebeautiful flowers unfold, I feel it all hasbeen very worthwhile. I got hooked oncamellias during my first visit to SouthGeorgia when I went to visit my wife tobe. Out by their front door was a very tall'Pink Perfection' camellia bush and close

5

recruit one member, we could doublemembership. Surprisingly, some camelliaclubs in the ACCS region do not have30% of their members as members ofAceS. If someone would just take thetime to explain to these camellia growersthe advantage of belonging to AceS, Ifeel that many or most of them would join.Most of you will agree with me that ourpublication is second to none, and Ibelieve that our convention in MyrtleBeach is also second to none. I'm notasking you to try to recruit a person whois new in camellias, but I am asking you toget your local camellia club members tojoin ACCS. I have discovered in the pastfew months that the membership formmust be in your hand at the time you aska prospective member to join and it's bestto get his name on the dotted line im­mediately, if possible. In this issue ofAtlantic Coast Camellias you will find ablank form to be used to sign up amember for Aces. Please use it. Every lit­tle bit helps us survive and prosper.

Elliott Brogden, President

Sioux City, IA

by were many others. I couldn't get overall the various blossoms in all their manycolors, and thought how nice it would beto grow them myself.

Then I spent the next three years inthe service in places that did not havecamellias, but I still remembered theirbeauty. Upon my release from the ser­vice, we moved back to Iowa where I wasborn and where my father also was born.I had been raised by a flower loving familyand I started growing flowers outside,mostly perennials that would withstandour long cold winters.

In reading a Better Homes andGardens article on growing flowers in-

Grafting Stocks for Camellia ReticulataCol. Tom Durrant Rotorua, New Zealand

Dear Members and Friends of ACCS:I have often wondered if anyone

reads the message from our president.Now I know that some do, because Ireceived quite a few letters frommembers and friends of ACCS concern­ing the message in the last issue of Atlan­tic Coast Camellias. In particular, myremarks about a few exhibitors who bringonly four or five prize winners to a showwhen they could have brought a hundredblooms, caused ripples as far away asCalifornia. Apparently, this is a problem inall areas that have camellia shows.

Another remark that brought forthresponses was the use of various coloredentry cards at some shows that are dif­ferent from colors at most camelliashows on the East Coast. There apparent­ly is a need to standardize entry cards forthe various categorie$ or classes ofblooms. If standardization is necessary,who should take the initiative or respon­sibility? At our next ACeS board meetingthis item will be on the agenda. Even if theBoard of Governors of ACCS shoulddecide to standardize entry cards forvarious classes of blooms, the decisionwould not be binding on a club. ACCSdoes not have authority to mandateanything. All we can do is advise andencourage.

Now, on to more pleasant com­ments. I have been amazed at the quali­ty of outside blooms at our fall shows.

Message~@ta~

Even the quantity of blooms approachesprevious years After two winters of thecoldest weather on record, many outsidegrowers gave up and replaced camelliaswith other plants. Not all the camelliaswere dead, just defoliated. Manyhomeowners who were slow in removing

their plants were pleasantly surprisedwhen new growth appeared. These sameplants set fewer buds than normal, butthe resulting blooms were superior. Ap­parently the root systems were not toobadly damaged and the heavy pruningcoupled with excellent weather in the fallcontributed to outstanding show blooms.

I give a lot of talks on camellias togarden clubs and novice growers in andaround Columbia, SC One thing I alwaystell these folks is that they should attendcamellia shows, choose blooms that ap­peal to them and then talk to an ex­perienced grower who is familiar with theweather, soil, and general growing condi,tions In his locality. By all means, I askthem to discuss with the expert growerswhether the particular variety will performsatisfactorily in an outside environment.Generally, I enourage novice growers toplant camellia plants that bloom eitherearly or late, and avoid mid-seasonbloomers. Plants that respond readily toGibberillic acid in the early fall are accep'table, but the novice must understandthat the plant would not bloom early

4

As one of the pioneer introducers ofe. reticulata from China, I am interestedin what my friend, Len Hobbs, said aboutgrafting stocks for that species, in his re­cent article published in 'Atlantic CoastCamellias.' The twenty-eight or so plantswe obtained from Kunming in 1964 hadall been approach grafted on stocks of e.japonica, and it has been claimed inChinese writing that this was the onlypossible way to propagate these cultivarssuccessfully. When the first shipmentsfrom Yunnan arrived in the USA, theywere cleft grafted in the normal manneron stocks of e. japonica without muchdifficulty, though it was reported that 'Pur­ple Gown', 'Moutancha' and 'Chrysan­themum Petal' were difficult, and gavelow percentages of success. In the mid1950s we already had all the varietieswhich were available from America, andwere fortunate to obtain a plant of e.reticulata (Wild Form) from England. Thiswas extra-ordinarily vigorous, grew veryquickly into a large dense bush whichflowered freely, and set large quantities ofseed. In 1959 our daughter, now Dr. JaneCrisp, carried out a controlled breedingprogramme, using the Wild Form as theseed parent, and pollen from all the thenavailable Yunnan reticulatas.

This programme produced asubstantial number of seedlings, whichwere grown on to flowering and, whenselections had been made, for the firsttime we had surplus reticulata seedlingswhich could be used as grafting stock.They were all growing in the ground andby 1'966, many were large plants, withstems up to 7 or 8 centimetres thick atground level. Large scale commercialpropagators can select a preferred stock,and do all their grafting on that Amateurs,like ourselves, normally use anything

25

available in the garden or from the localnursery, regardless of species. While thedegree of success may have varied, it isfair to say that over many years, we haveno definite evidence of incompatibilitybetween species.

In 1964 we received a large shipmentof plants from China, which included anumber not seen before in the West, andit was when endeavouring to increasethese that we first used seedlingreticulatas as understock. The graftscalloused very' quickly, and grew awaywith great rapidity. One double graft on aneight centimetre thick stock, was alreadya dense shrub 1.3 metres high within 6months, so remarkable that I gave it a fullpage illustration in the March 1967 issueof the New Zealand Camellia Bulletin.Results with the difficult 'Purple Gown'and 'Moutancha' were much more suc­cessful, and all the Yunnan varieties tookreadily and grew away with vigour.

At about this time, we were visiting avery well known camellia nursery inAustralia, and were told that there was avery strong demand for 'Purple Gown',but that they had been unable to obtain acommercially viable percentage of suc­cess when grafting this variety onto theirusual e. sasanqua, so had dropped itfrom their catalogue. (It is possible thatsome of the difficulty arose from the factthat most of the scion material thenavailable was not of very high quality.)The nursery had no reticulata seedlingsavailable, but an enterprising propagatormade a substantial number of 'PurpleGown' grafts, using as stock, plants of e.reticulata, 'Captain Rawes', of whichthey had a substantial number. Thesewere, of course, already grafted on tosasanqua stock. They were cut back to apoint about 12 em above the original

(Street or Box)

(City)

(State and Zip Code)

Name

Couple Membership: $9.00

larity pendulum to swing the otherway.

3. Just wait till the "baby boom" babiesget to be grand parents, the camellianurseries will not be able to keep upwith the demand!

Please Make Payment to:

Address

ATLANTIC COAST CAMELLIA SOCIETY1325 E. Barden RoadCharlotte, NC 28226

(Please Print or Type)

ABOUT THE COVER DRAWING

ATLANTIC COAST CAMELLIA SOCIETY

An !Jnvilafion fo Join

This is a drawing of "The Grove," a beautiful anti-bellum mansion built inTallahassee in 1825 by the first Territorial Governor of Florida. A descendent of his wasMary Coli Collins, wife of Florida Governor, Leroy Collins. They lived in "The Grove"while the present governor's mansion was being built next door. "The Grove" wasrecently sold to the State of Florida and will be preserved as one of Tallahassee'slandmarks.

Membership which runs with the Calendar year, January 1 through December 31,entitles you to three issues of "Atlantic Coast Camellias", issued usually in winter, spring­summer and fall, which has more regular features, authentic feature articles in Grafting,Planting, Feeding, Gardens, Sasanquas, Judging, Pruning, Arrangement, Disbudding,Diseases, Spraying, and Mulching, to mention a few. Also, there are photographs andother types of illustrations.

The Atlantic Coast Camellia Society will welcome you as a member. For yourconvenience an application blank is printed below.

Single Membership: $6.00

anybody has the answer, or I wouldquickly pass it on. But, for whatever"cheering up" this might bring on, let mesay this:1. We are not supposed to get any more

camellia killing winters for 100 years.2. It's about time for the camellia popu-

have a very large range of vigour andgrowth habit; some are strong andvigorous, others slow and almost dwarf,and the same is true of varieties of C.sasanqua. Since, in our experience,somewhere about one third of reticsgrafted on C. japonica, do not showbottleneck effects, it can be presumedthat some very vigorous varieties orplants, can compete with the retic rate ofgrowth; but the majority cannot. Ifreticulatas are to be grown in containers,or kept pruned down to small size for theproduction of show blooms, it may well bethat the type of understock used is notcritical. When, however, plants are to beallowed to achieve their full size andnatural beauty, the strength and vigour ofthe understock is of vital importance. Wehave never seen a case of "bottleneck"on any plant grafted on C. reticulataseedling stock.

And does "bottleneck" really matter,anyway? I think it does, for two reasons.Firstly, its existence does indicate thatyou have a root system unable to keeppace with the plant it is supporting, andthe restricting effects of this will becomemore apparent as the plant ages.Secondly, as size increases, so does theamount of wind pressure during stormyweather, and we have suffered thedistressing experience of a valued plant,which we had carefully nurtured overmany years, snapping off at ground level,during a not very severe storm. Since thebreak occurred just below the graftingpoint, the plant was a total loss. We havea number of reports of similar disastersoccurring in other gardens.

Two more grafting problems areworth mentioning. Camellia plants grownand held for long periods in containers(this can be true of a large proportion ofthose obtained in garden centres,especially when they are in the bargainbin!) frequently have tangled and twistedroot systems. While this article has been

graft, and another cleft graft made. Thenursery reported a 90% success rate,but we never heard how the resultingplants fared, or if any of them reachedmaturity in garden cultivation.

By 1966, our original Yunnan reticsfrom the United States were over tenyears old, and most had become verylarge plants. About two-thirds of themwere then showing various degrees of theinverted bottleneck effect, which occurswhen the diameter of the stock plant doesnot keep pace with the development ofthe variety it is carrying. It is alwaysdangerous to arrive at conclusions onlimited evidence, but in making com­parisons between the relative merits ofvarious species in the role of understock,many things must be taken into account.A root system must be able to provideadequate moisture and nutrients toenable the leaves to carry out their vitalfunction of photo-synthesis; it must pro­vide a firm anchorage in the groundagainst very considerable wind pressure;and its growth must keep pace with thedeveloping size of the plant it supports, ifit is to continue to fulfill both of these func­tions. J.R. Sealy, in "A Revision of theGenus Camellia," London, R.H.S., 1958,describes C. reticulata as sometimesreaching 15.5 metres (50 ft.). So it is clearthat we are talking about a small tree, andthe "reticulata forest" in Yunnan providesample confirmation of that. Not many ofus are likely to have retics of this size, butgrown under New Zealand conditions, wehave some which have reached 6 metresin 15 years, and have trunks of over 40centimetres circumference at just aboveground level. It follows that C. reticulataseedlings, if properly grown in the firstplace, should be able to meet all the re­quirements of the most vigorously grow­ing variety that they are required tosupport.

When considering the suitability ofother species, varieties of C. japonica

26 3

"OlDllIES," "GOODllIES," AND "SllElElPlElRS"

Our disappearing camellia gardens:this could easily be the title of an article ina camellia publication. I have read aboutour disappearing camellia nurseries oftenenough, but as another sign of thecamellia times, or as a result of disap­pearing nurseries, there are fewer andfewer camellia gardens for camellialovers to enjoy. We don't like to look atugly things or to talk about unpleasantthings or to think about sad things. But ifmy hometown, Fayetteville, NC, is an ex­ample of general conditions, then thecamellia scene is dismal indeed.

Several years ago, perhaps 5 or 6,Mrs. Mae Shuler, a member of our cluband the owner of a fine camellia garden,gave the club permission to come to hergarden and to make as many air layers asthe club wanted. This was a fund raisingidea. The club responded and about 300air layers were made. Almost all of themwere successful. These were "oldies butgoodies." I remember making 6 air layersin the top of one plant of 'Kumasaka'.Now this garden, which used to boastclose to 100 varieties of fine camelliaplants, is a shambles. Mrs. Shuler recent­ly invited some members to come aroundand advise her what to do; whether toprune and try to save some of thesecamellias or to get someone with a chainsaw to cut them down.

2

Another Fayetteville camellia gardenwhich has been decimated by the two"killer" winters is the one belonging toMrs. E.G. Boggs, a member of ACS formore than 25 years. This garden alsocontained scores of the great oldcamellias such as 'Herme', 'Drama Girl','Yuki Botan', 'Alba Plena', et al. On onevisit to her garden, she let me cut a boxfull, at least two dozen, blooms of 'SpringSonnett' with long stems, like roses. Sheis also the originator of the camellia 'RosaPanella', a very nice, large, anemoneform camellia. She has other seedlingswhich are good, but which she has neverregistered. This garden is also a thing ofthe past. Though some of the plants arestill there, Mrs. Boggs has given up onthem. She says that she will not replacethe dead ones, but will concentrate onrhododendrons from now on.

I received a letter in recent days froma camellia grower in Texas. He was be­moaning the fact that nurseries no longerstock camellias, that the membership ofthe camellia club to which he belongedhad dropped from over 100 to less than40, that one camellia show which used toshow 13,000 blooms now feels lucky if itcan exhibit 800 blooms. I know what he istalking about' I have seen a NorthCarolina version of this sad drama.

What can be done? I don't think

on my desk, a fine, 3 metre high plant of'Manderlay Queen' in full flower in aneighbour's garden, was found flat on itsface after a windy night. It had snappedoff just below ground level, at a pointwhere two main roots were twistedtogether. Disasters of this kind are not aninfrequent occurrence, but they can beavoided if the root systems of allcontainer grown stocks, are examinedBEFORE grafting on them.

It has been claimed in some nurserypractise, that the root systems of C.sasanqua are much more resistant toPhytopthora Cinnamomi than are those

Gus Dubus

During the 1950s and 60s, when wewere first becoming interested incamellias, Gus Roberts was consideredby many in our area to be the dean ofcamellia nurserymen. We would wanderthrough his greenhouses and outsidenursery yard and hang on to his everyword as he explained to us the particulargood or bad qualities of each camellia.

He was the first one to bring to our at­tention those camellias that he con­sidered to be "sleepers." We thought atthe time that this was just one of his coin­ed phrases, of which he had many. Welater found that every "camelliaite" hashis own list of sleepers.

One of Gus Roberts particularsleepers was 'Mrs. Hooper Connell'. Atfirst we thought of it as just another white,one of the thousands such. But with theadvent of gib and with its early bloomingqualities, it has become one of au rfavorites among the whites. Thus, manyyears later, we realized what Gus Robertshad meant by his "sleepers." Anotherwhite sleeper was 'Stella Sewell', whichcan be interestingly different. Until gib, wehad very little success with 'Gus Menard',

27

of C. reticulata or C. japonica. In thedeep, free draining soils of volcanic origin,which we mostly enjoy in New Zealand,root rot is rarely, if ever, a problem. But incontainer culture, it can definitely be so. Ifthe claim is substantiated by controlledexperiments to ascertain the relativesusceptibility of various species to thisdisease, it will have to be taken intoaccount when selecting grafting stocks.This subject is included in a list of thosewhich we are hopeful can be investigatedin due course, under our recentlypublished Camellia Memorial ScholarshipTrust.

Savannah, GA

but it has since won more awards for usthan any other white we have evershown. Many friends say that they cannotgrow 'Gus Menard' outside, but that isbecause they do not gib it early enoughfor our section of the country. 'GusMenard' is good only when it is made tobloom early. It is not at all successful hereafter real cold weather sets in. Of course,we are speaking as outside growers ex­clusively. This does not hold true forgreenhouse growers.

We have found that one of thebiggest surprises in our yard for showingin early shows is 'Elegans Supreme'. Thisone is a big winner for us, but a realsleeper for outside growers late in theseason.

Oh yes, another mostly local flower,but one with unusual color and formationis 'Dr. Geechee'. This plant sleeps formany years before putting on somespectacular blooms.

The past two drastic winters havemade almost all camellias in our section"sleepers," permanent "sleepers."However, we are continually surprised to

Continued on Back Cover

CONFIRMATION OF SUSCEPTIBILITYOF CAMELLIA CHRYSANTHA TO DIEBACK

CAUSED BY GLOMERELLA CINGULATALuther W. Baxter, Jr. and Susan G. Fagan1

Atlantic C90ast C9amellias

The Atlantic Coast Camellia Society was organized September 13, 1980 at Myrtle Beach, SouthCarolina. The purpose was to extend the appreciation of camellias and to promote the science of camelliaculture. Dues are $6.00/year for a single membership and $9.00 for a couple. Make payment to AtlanticCoast Camellia Society, 1325 E. Barden Rd., Charlotte, NC 28226.

2....... .4

5.. 7

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.............. 8.10

... 14................. 15

OFFICERS

.. Col. Elliott Brogden 3904 DuBose Dr., Columbia, SC 28204. ... Richard Waltz 5405 Pioneer Dr., Baltimore, MD 21214

Leslie P. Cawthon, Jr. 2405 Howell Mill Rd. NW, Atlanta, GA 30318J.L. McClintock, Jr. 1325 E. Barden Rd., Charlotte, NC 28226

. James McCoy 3531 Scottywood Dr., Fayetteville, NC 28303w.T. Shepherd 4724 Park Place E., N. Charleston, SC 29406James McCoy 3531 Scottywood Dr., Fayetteville, NC 28303

Editors Page. . .President's Message - .Grow Camellias in Iowa? - Jack Hatfield .C. chrysantha an Endangered Species .Getting C. chrysantha to Bloom Early - Bill DonnanQuestions and Answers about the Yellow Flowered

Camellia - Bill Donnan.Show Reports.Aloe-Vera, A Complete Dud· James H. McCoyReflections on Fertilizer - Boyd McReeThe Response of Asexual Spores (Con ida) of the

Camellia Dieback Fungus, Glomerella Cinguiata,to Captan . Luther W. Baxter, Jr. and Susan G. Fagan .17

Yes, We Grow Camellias - Charles A. Newman. . 20Po' Mouthers - Rupie Drews . .. . 22In and Around the Greenhouse - James H. McCoy. . 23Grafting Stocks for Camellia Reticulata - Col. Tom Durrant 25"Oldies," "Goodies," and "Sleepers" - Gus Dubus 27Confirmation of Susceptibility of Camellia

Chrysantha to Dieback Caused by GlomerellaCingulata - Luther W. Baxter, Jr. and Susan G. Fagan 28

In Search of Fimbriation - Hulyn Smith .. Inside Back Page

PRESIDENT.1st VICE PRES...2nd VICE PRES.SEC. & TREAS.ASST SEC. &TREAS.HISTORIAN.EDITOR

cankers formed within three months.Wounds were made with a knife onmature stems at the time of inoculation.However, we have not, as yet, inoculatedplants thro~gh leaf scars at the time ofnew growth development.

Mr. Savige writes: "However, thisgrowth began to wither, the leaves of thenew growth falling while still green." I didnot pick up on this in the first reading, butMr. Savige is saying that the young leaveson new twigs that become infected fallbefore twigs and leaves mature. It isafter maturation of stems and leaves thatleaves dry up, turn brown and remain at­tached after being killed by the diebackfungus, G. cingulata.

Mr. Savige's observation, along withthose of Colonel Tom Durrant of NewZealand, are compatible with experimen­tal results that we have gotten whensusceptible C. japonica and C. sasan­qua cultivars were inoculated with thisfungus.

We agree with the use of the captan(2 tablespoonsful per gallon of water) ­benomyl (Benlate - one-half tablespoonfulper gallon of water) mix. However, ourresults using griseofulvin were negative.The captan-benomyl mix should be usedat the time just before and during leaf fallsince infection takes place throughwounds left by fresh leaf scars. Once thefungus is inside the camellia tissue,neither captan nor benomyl will kill thefungus. Captan is not a systemicfungicide, and benomyl is not adequatelysystemic to kill G. cingulata insidediseased camellia tissue.

1Professor and AG Science Asst., Department ofPlant Pathology and Physiology, Clemson Universi­ty, Clemson, SC 29631.

This is written in response to the arti­cle by Tom Savige (Australia) published inthe September 1985 edition of CamelliaNews entitled "Camellia chrysantha': AWarning."

Mr. Savige refers to a visit by ColonelTom Durrant of New Zealand, and he(Col. Durrant) concluded that C. chrysan­tha plants that had leaf drop (young,developing leaves) were affected bydieback, caused by Glomerellacingulata.

In our experience over the past 35years with camellias affected by G.cingulata, young, developing leaves canfall as he described when infection oc­curs through fresh leaf scars. Typically,some old leaves fall at, or about the timeof, the beginning of new growth in theSpring - that is, from the development ofmature vegetative buds, usually in the ax­ils of leaves from last year's growth.

We have used known virulentcultures of G. cingulata to inoculatefresh leaf-scar wounds of C. japonicaand C. sasanqua, usually during earlyMay here'at Clemson, SC. Depending ontemperature and camellia variety, infec­tion results, and young twigs that developfrom these inoculated lateral vegetativebuds wilt within 5 to 15 days. Then youngleaves drop off. When older twigsbecome infected and are killed, theleaves turn brown and remain attached tothe dead stem.

We inoculated wounded stems of C.chrysantha with a known virulent isolateof the camellia strain of G. cingulata(G484). Infection resulted and large

28

In Search of Fimbriation

NOTICE

In My Camellia Garden

In my camellia garden I have seenFair nature both tempestous and serene.I've learned to love her every ploy and planAnd through her learned to love my fellow manAnd the Maker of this intricate machine.

In my camellia garden I have feltThe same warm breeze that made the snow flakes melt.The same cool mist that shrouded Bali-Hai,The suffocating heat of Gobi skyBut over all supreme conte ,tment dwelt.

Valdosta, GA

Just wait till I put some of Joe Austin's'King Lear' into it l

As you look at the flowers thisseason, keep an eye out for fimbriation.Be especially watchful of the petaloids,which usually is the first place you will findany indication of a plant's capability ofthrowing a fimbriated bloom. An exampleof this theory is 'Dixie Knight Supreme'. Itwill occasionally bloom completely fim­briated. Others which show this tendencyto fimbriate are 'Massee Lane', the'Tomorrows' and 'Mrs. OW. DavisSpecial'.

I hope that every who reads this arti­cle will be watchful and notify me ofvarieties I have missed. I understand nextyear that Julius Nuccio will release aseedling of Bill Goertz, a fimbriated redreticulata hybrid. Its parentage is 'WilliamHertrich' x 'Clark Hubbs'. Sergio Braccitells me it is a great flower. I am sure it willbe quite an exciting addition to those wea:ready have since it is the only retichybrid we have with fimbriation.

My ultimate goal in hybridizing is adark red, early blooming reticulata withform similar to 'Dr. Clifford Parks', heavi­ly fimbriated and with the fragrance of atea olive. Dream on, dream on! Anyresults in my program will be a long timematerializing. I have to search forbreeding material, then attempt tohybridize the new material and then growoff any seed I might produce. One defini­tion of the word patience is long suffering.I won't be exactly suffering, but I am sureI am in for a lot of disappointment.However, I do believe patience pays offeventually.

Try growing a few camellias for yourown pleasure. Who knows, maybe youwill catch "camellia fimbritis" and join mein my new venture.

Hulyn Smith

I have had an infatuation with fimbria­tion since I came to know Ivan Mitchell ofLake Santa Fe, Florida. Ivan is one of thevery best sources of camellia history andoverall knowledge of the specie I haveever known. In fact, Marion Edwardsclaims that Ivan has given me a severecase of a disease known as "camelliafimbritis. "

Have you ever seen JohnNewsome's 'Ville' in late January whenthe rabbit ears are standing tall and fim­briation is very heavy? Think back a fewyears, how about those beautiful fim­briated 'Lady Kays' that Buster Bushbrought to the shows. If you have everseen either of these flowers, you willknow what fimbriation is, and what morefimbriation could mean to camellias.

About five years ago, I became in­terested in hybridizing. I have now builtmy second greenhouse (24 x 100) and in­tend to use it completely for hybridizing.

There are several areas I want todelve into; fimbriation, early bloomers andyou guessed it, those big red retics! Ihave been gathering fimbriated varieties,and some are very hard to locate.

I hope to graft the following fimbriatedvarieties this season: 'Fred Sander','Dainty (California)', 'Billy McCaskill','Cinderella', 'Barbara McBride', 'CamilleBradford', (trying to find this one),'Hawaii', 'Flame (fimbriated)', 'Dr.Balthazar de Melo', 'Raspberry Ice', 'Fim­briata', 'Rainy Snow', and 'Dr. Knapp'. Ofcourse, I already have 'Ville', 'Lady Kay','Clark Hubbs' and 'Flowerwood'.

Two years ago, Ivan Mitchell sent mea scion of the Rothfus 'Mathotiana' sportwhich is a 'Mathotiana Supreme' sportthat fimbriated. I bloomed this one for thefirst time this season and it bloomed true.This is going to be quite a flower. Eachand every petal was heavily fimbriated.

Fayetteville, NCJames H. McCoy

In my camellia garden I have heardThe "Hello Spring I" song of a mockingbirdThe wind molested, creaking pine tree boughs.The splat, splat, splat of rain on thirsty flowers.A symphony complete in song and word.

In my camellia garden I have KnownThat no one laughs and no one weeps aloneThat when we cry, some one will dry our tearThat all our pleasures double when we share,But no one reaps unless he first has sown.

The Nomenclature Research Committee of the Southern California CamelliaSociety has set a target date of October 1, 1986 for the release of it's 19th RevisedEdition of Camellia Nomenclature. Therefore, the cut-off date of June 1, 1986 hasbeen established for the inclusion of any new registrations and/or for any changes indescriptions of camellia cultivars. Any registrations or changes in descriptions submit­ted after the date of June 1, 1986 will be held for inclusion in the 20th Revised Editionwhich is presently targeted for release in 1989.

SOUTH CAROLINA CAMELLIA SOCIETY, INC.James H. McCoy

3531 Scottywood Dr.Fayetteville, NC 28303

Editor

BULK RATEU. S. Postage

PAIDFayetteville, NCPermit No. 282 Atlantic C90ast C9amellias

OLDIES (Continued from Page 27)

M/M Geary M. Serpas104 TyVo1a Dr~veC z<)483summerville, s. •

find what beautiful camellias we can growoutside up until about the middle ofDecember. We can say, when asked,that we have our season made andenjoyed up until that time. Whatever elseMother Nature lets us have is just purelagniappe.

We are including here a list ofcamellias which are "oldies" but"goodies." For years, until the advent ofgib, we just looked at these camellias andpassed th€;Jm by. These respond well forus: the rubra family, particularlyvariegated 'Mathotiana' and 'MathotianaSupreme'; 'Hakurakuten', which we usedto grow for grafting stock only but nowhas become a favorite for cutting to usein arrangements; 'Compari', one of thebest and most interesting of the flowers to

have found new life with gib; 'SpringSonnett'; 'Morris Moughon' and roseaf-..lmily; 'Charlotte Bradford'; 'Don Mac';·Allie Habel'; 'Mike Witman'; and'Woodville Red' one of the most cnsistenthead table winners for us.

Right now, the whole camellia yard is"sleeping" from the aforementioned tworecord-setting winters. So many beautifulplants were lost or mutilated, but I guesswe will never give up on our children.We'll just prune them, tend them andhope that they will reward us by survivingand performing even better for havinggone through trying times. At least this iswhat we tell ourselves as we toss anotherdead camellia bush on the throw-awaypile.

Vol. XXXIII

"The Grove" Tallahassee, FL

Winter, 1986 No.1