98 THE FLOKIbT. 



PROPAGATION AND WINTER TREATMENT OF THE 

 EPACRIS. 



At the end of the summer the plants will have completed their 

 growth and formed their flower-buds. Previously to placing them 

 in their winter-quarters, let the pots be washed quite clean, and see 

 that the holes at the bottom are not stopped up. To have the 

 drainage perfect is of more consequence during winter than at any 

 other season ; if it is imperfect, the water will lodge in the soil and 

 turn it sour ; the young roots will then perish, and the plant will soon 

 shew the ill-effects of such conditions ; it will droop, and then the 

 thoughtless operator will pour in more water, expecting it to revive, 

 whilst it will, in fact, increase the evil to such an extent, as in all 

 probabihty to kill the plant entirelj'. This point cannot be too 

 strongly pressed upon the attention of the young cultivator. Should 

 any w^orm-casts appear on the surface of the soil, means must be 

 taken to get rid of them ; if only one or two pots are infested, the 

 most certain remedy is carefully to turn the ball out of the pot, 

 and if the worms are outside, to gently remove them, without dis- 

 turbing the roots ; but if they are embedded in the soil they will be 

 more difficult to come at. If the ball be gently struck with the' 

 hand, they will creep out of their hiding-places, and may then be 

 destroyed. Should these means fail, let the plants become mode- 

 rately dry, and then give a good w^atering with lime-water; this will 

 effectually displace them : but it is not desirable to apply it too 

 often, for though it is said to be harmless, I cannot entirely subscribe 

 to that opinion. 



The green -fly sometimes prevails in the early part of winter on the 

 young shoots ; these are easily got rid of by smoking with tobacco. 



The application of water during winter is necessary, but only in 

 very moderate quantities, merely just sufficient to keep the soil some- 

 what moist, care being taken that the ball is moistened to the centre. 

 All the artificial heat that is needed for the Epacris is just enough 

 to keep out frost. If the plants, or part of them, are kept in cold pits, 

 they should be securely covered up every night when frost prevails ; 

 in very severe long-continued frost, it may be necessary to keep 

 them covered closely up even during the day. They have been kept 

 so covered up for a week together without injury ; but on all favour- 

 able occasions uncover them, and give them fresh air to dry up 

 damps and keep the plants fresh and healthy. Air must also be 

 given plentifully to the greenhouse, both to keep down the tem- 

 perature and sweeten the atmosphere. Once or twice during the 

 winter let the surface of the soil be stirred, and all mosses and 

 lichens removed as well as weeds. Towards the spring, when the 

 flower-buds are beginning to push, a top-dressing of fresh mould will 

 be acceptable and useful. 



In order to perpetuate choice varieties already known, the only 

 way is to strike them from cuttings; they are by no means difficult 

 to propagate in this manner, though certainly not so easy as a 



