164 
Greenhouse and Stove Plants. 
ERICA. 
no side air ; and, if the weather is bright 
and dry, sprinkle’ the surface on which 
they stand so as to counteract the loss of 
moisture from the leaves given off by 
evaporation. It may be well to state here 
that although they are essentially air- 
loving plants, and are able to bear a freer 
admission in direct contact with them 
than the generality of the subjects grown 
in greenhouses, side air during the time 
the cutting March winds are blowing 
should be admitted to the house with 
caution—even to such as do not receive a 
shift at this time. [If care is not taken the 
leaves will most likely be injured so as to 
become of an unhealthy bronzy colour, 
from which they rarely recover, dying and 
falling off before their allotted time, and 
this, as a matter of course, is alike detri- 
mental to the health and appearance of 
the plant. As soon as they are potted all 
the stronger branches should again be bent 
well down in a horizontal position ; if this 
is not attended to while the plants are 
young the omission can never afterwards 
be remedied, as the shoots of many sorts 
get too strong to bend, and the requisite 
outline cannot be preserved, as the strong 
growths, even if repeatedly stopped, have 
such a tendency to take the lead in an 
upright direction that the weaker branches 
are starved and ultimately die off, leaving 
the plants naked and unsightly at the 
base ; for this there is no remedy, as few 
Heaths will bear cutting back far into the 
old wood. Whatever stopping is required 
in the shoots should be done at this stage, 
as the object with this young stock is the 
laying of a foundation of future shapely 
specimens rather than any bloom they 
make this season. In a few weeks the 
roots will have begun to enter the new 
soil, when more air may be given. Each 
plant must now be daily looked over so as 
to ascertain if it requires water, and this 
should be continued all through the 
summer ; many fail to grow these plants 
satisfactorily through erroneous impres- 
sions entertained as to the water they 
need. It is generally understood that 
ifa Heath flags through want of water 
death is likely to follow, and from this 
impression those in charge are often in- 
duced to give water before it is absolutely 
needed. This is equally certain to bring 
about an unhealthy state, fatal in its con- 
sequences. Taking the family collectively 
they require the soil to get drier before 
water is applied than other plants, and the 
harder-wooded and _ slower-growing the 
variety the more necessary is it to treat 
in this way. But in all cases when water 
is given enough should be applied to 
moisten the whole of the soil, but not to 
saturate it, as the roots, from their ex- 
tremely fine delicate nature, cannot bear 
any excess. As a matter of course the 
more vigorous the condition the more 
necessary is it to see they do not get too 
dry before watering. The same holds 
good in the case of the softest free-grow- 
ing kinds, and with all, the soil during the 
summer season should never be allowed 
to get so dry as in the winter when com- 
paratively little growth is in progress. 
Through the summer the stage on which 
they stand should be freely sprinkled with 
the syringe daily ; the plants themselves 
should not be syringed, for although this 
promotes growth, it makes them so soft 
as to render them more liable to the 
attacks of mildew. Nor should they now 
be shaded in sunny weather, as the effect 
would be similar. They should be kept 
under glass until the beginning of August, 
at which time they ought to be stood out in 
the open air on a bed of ashes sufficiently 
thick to exclude worms ; let them stand 
close enough so that each plant may screen 
the pot of the one behind it from the sun 
during the middle of the day. The direct 
action of the sun on the pots has the effect 
of injuring the roots that, in a healthy 
plant, lay in quantities against the inner 
surface. Should there be an appearance of 
drenching rains, lay them down on their 
sides. Take them in about the middle of 
September, for if left out until the nights 
are frosty the young growth will suffer. 
Winter as before in a light airy situation, 
attending to their wants as previously. If 
all has gone well they will need more root- 
room the following spring ; give a 3 or 4 
inch shift in the case of those with plenty 
of roots, and less to such as are not so 
strong. Most of the plants will flower 
during the spring, summer, or autumn, 
according to their season of blooming, and 
will make nice decorative objects ; but if 
used in this way they must not be put in 
dark houses or crowded among other 
plants, or they will suffer thereby. Where 
it is deemed more desirable to grow them 
quickly to a larger size, it will be well to 
pinch out the points of the shoots about 
the beginning of February; this will cause 
them to break out bushy, to further assist 
which tie out the strongest shoots as 
advised in the spring previous. Treat 
through the summer and the following 
winter as previously. They will by this 
have formed nice compact plants, and 
should be let to bloom, after which the 
freest-growing kinds ought to have their 
last summer’s shoots shortened back to 
about two thirds of their length ; but all 
