162 
Greenhouse and Stove Plants. 
ERICA. 
growth. Nor is this to be wondered at, 
for they are by no means the subjects to 
be taken in hand by inattentive culti- 
vators, or those who attempt to make plants 
collectively conform to some general course 
of treatment. Those who undertake to grow 
Heaths should in all cases realise the fact 
that they will not submit to a give-and- 
take sort of treatment, by paying them 
double attention to-morrow or next week, 
because their wants were neglected yester- 
day or the week before. Unless they con- 
tinually receive the attention they need it 
is of no use attempting to grow them. We 
do not know of any plants better calculated 
to induce ina young gardener the habits 
of observation, with continuous care and 
attention, essential to general success in the 
pursuit. The raising of seedling Heaths is 
an interesting operation, but, except in the 
case of those who are disposed to go into the 
work in earnest, it is better left undone. 
The soil for Heaths should be good peat, 
varying according to the requirements of 
the particular varieties. The freest-grow- 
ing kinds ought to have it somewhat softer, 
containing more fibre than the hardest- 
wooded, slowest-growing sorts ; the latter 
also require more sand mixed with the 
soil than the stronger growers; and if 
crocks, broken to about the size of small 
horse beans, are added, these will contribute 
to keep the soil in a sufficiently open, porous 
condition. It must be borne in mind that 
the whole family cannot exist if their roots 
are placed in material that is at all of a 
retentive nature ; it must be such that the 
water can pass freely through, and as the 
plants would not bear the shaking out and 
the soil-renewing which is practised with 
many things of a strong-rooted character, 
it follows that the material used to grow 
them in should be such as will maintain its 
porosity as long as they live, and as Heaths 
frequently maintain a healthy vigorous 
condition for a score of years or more, 1t 
will be evident that more than ordinary 
attention should be paid to the selection 
and preparation of the soilin which they 
are grown. 
Their propagation is effected by means 
of cuttings made of the points of the young 
shoots, such as are obtainable in the case 
of most kinds in the latter part of the 
summer. These should be closely inserted 
in 5 or 6 inch pots filled with a mixture of 
finely-sifted peat and sand, the surface 
being all sand ; the cuttings must be kept 
moist, closely covered with propagating 
glasses, shaded, and placed in an inter- 
mediate house or pit until well rooted, 
which will be before spring. Dispense 
with the glasses as soon as sufficient roots 
exist to support the young plants. By 
March they should be in a state for potting 
off; put them singly in small pots, well 
drained—a condition of vital importance 
in all stages of the existence of Heaths, 
without which disease, or more frequently 
actual death, is certain to overtake them. 
For this first potting the materialshould con-’ 
sist of finely-sifted peat with a liberal addi- 
tion of sharp, clean sand, and pressed firm in 
the pots, Care should be taken that the 
soil is fairly moist when the plants are put 
in it, so as to avoid the necessity for giving 
water as long as possible until the roots 
have begun to act ; it should not, however, 
be too wet, as if it contains over much 
moisture it becomes a compact mass, in 
which the roots never ramify freely, and 
the result is that an unhealthy condition 
of the plants usually follows. Never give 
water to a Heath immediately after a shift 
by way of settling the new soil about its 
roots, as sometimes recommended in the 
case of newly-potted plants of various 
kinds ; such a proceeding is not unlikely 
to destroy the delicate points which, to 
some extent, undoubtedly get more or less 
bruised in the removal, although the in- 
jury is not apparent to the ordinary 
observer. The young stock should be put 
in a light position, near the side of the 
house or pit which they occupy. Avoid 
standing them on dry bare shelves, as is 
sometimes practised, as these help to dry 
up quickly the small amount of soil which 
the little pots contain. In place of this 
set them on a stage, covered with an inch 
or two of sand or fine ashes, which, being 
kept slightly moist, will render frequent 
watering less necessary, and also prevent 
their getting too dry. 
When well established, Heaths are air- 
loving subjects, requiring more than most 
plants, but until the young stock get fairly 
into growth they must not have too much 
given them ; for this reason they must be 
kept a little close until they begin to move 
freely, and as the sun gets powerful it may 
be necessary to afford them a thin shade. 
As soon as they commence to grow pinch 
out the points of the shoots, so as to ensure 
their branching-out low enough, without 
which it is impossible to have them well 
furnished at bottom. The size attained 
during the first summer will depend on the 
varieties ; softwooded quick-growing kinds, 
like the winter-flowering E. hyemalis, and 
others of that class, make much more pro- 
gress than the hardwooded kinds, and 
amongst these even there is a wide differ- 
ence in the rate of growth. As the season 
advances give more air, and allow some to 
remain on in the night in summer ; during 
