16i 



Greenhouse and Stove Plants. 



growth. Nor is tliis to be wondered at, 

 tor 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 tliem 

 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 in a 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 suthciently 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 througli, and as the 

 plants would not bear the shaking out and 

 the soil-renewdng which is practised with 

 many things of a strong-rooted charactei', 

 it follows that the mateiial 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, it 

 Avill be evident that more than ordinary 

 attention should be paid to the selection 

 and preparation of the soil in 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 mil be before spring. Dispense 

 with the glasses as soon as sufficient roots 



exist to support the young plants. By 

 ]\Iarch 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 thisfirstpotting the materialshould con- 

 sist of finely-sifted peat witli 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 tlie 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 

 jdants, but until the young stock get fairly 

 into gr(^wth 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 



