12S ON THB CULTURE OF ERICAS. 



the cultivator to dispense with fire heat, which I find is very ini- 

 mical to the plants of this order. 



From November till March the latter covering is occasionally 

 required, and the former for shading occasionly, from June till 

 September, after which periods both may be removed. The 

 foliage of the heath tribe would sustain without injury the great- 

 est degree of sun heat we ever have in this country ; but it is the 

 roots that require protection by partial shading, for when the sun 

 acts fully on the pots they become heated to a great degree, and 

 as the roots of all healthy heaths and similar plants are in close 

 contact with the pots, they are rapidly dried up, or heated beyond 

 the degree that they are capable of bearing ; for as in their nat- 

 ural habitations they grow amongst thick herbage, and are 

 partially shaded about their roots, they consequently are kept 

 much cooler than if they were growing without any covering 

 whatever. There are, however, some exceptions to this rule ; 

 but by far the greater number are so circumstanced. 



No doubt heaths have been successfully cultivated in houses of 

 the most ordinary description, but the success attending their 

 growth has depended principally upon free ventilation, modera- 

 tion in watering, an almost total absence of fire heat, a full 

 exposure to the sun, and closeness to the glass. 



Ericeae, like most similar shrubs, are readily increased by seeds 

 and cuttings, and rarely by any other means. Seeds are often 

 imported from the Cape of Good Hope, and are also frequently 

 ripened in this country; from both of these, hybrid varieties are 

 very likely to be obtained, for I believe that many heaths culti- 

 vated in this country, and considered as species, are no other 

 than hybrids originated from seeds procured by one or other of 

 those means. When we consider the operations that are con- 

 stantly going on in nature, in regard to this subject, both in a 

 wild and in a cultivated state, we are only astonished that more 

 numerous varieties have not been recognised. 



The best time for sowing seeds of this order is early in spring, 

 say February and March; and for this important reason, plants 

 originated from seeds sown in spring, will attain such a size and 

 strength before autumn, as to enable them to outlive the winter 

 following, which is a trying time for young plants. In preparing 

 pots for this purpose, they should not be too large, 32's is the 

 best. We need hardly remind the most inexperienced in culti- 

 vation, that they should be well drained, by being filled at least 



