178 OKI THE CULTURE OF ERICAS. 



that he has had no accident in this respect when the thermometer 

 out of doors indicated sixteen degrees of frost. The following 

 quotation on this subject of temperature is so excellent that we are 

 induced to give it at length. 



" I have had all the heaths in the house frozen for days together, 

 so hard that the pots could not be removed from their places 

 without breaking them, and fresh air constantly admitted at the 

 time, and I have never seen one of them suffer in the smallest 

 degree from it ; but, on the contrary, found them thrive better than 

 under any other treatment. 



" I have several times had the heath house in winter withoutfire 

 heat, when the thermometer out of doors stood at sixteen degrees 

 below freezing. But in these cases the house was always shut 

 close, and I have never seen the heaths suffer from this cold. I 

 would not, however, advise any person to risk his heaths in such 

 a temperature until he had himself tried some experiments on the 

 degree of cold which they will bear, and from that he will learn 

 more than he could from volumes written on the subject ; a very 

 little observation will soon convince him that his heaths require 

 but little fire heat during winter. I have already said that heaths 

 suffer from too much artificial heat ; and all that I have read on 

 their cultivation seems to concur in this particular ; but I am not 

 aware that any one has pointed out what degree of heat or cold is 

 injurious; and, indeed, I have only been able to ascertain this 

 myself, to a very limited extent. The time, however, when these 

 plants suffer most from heat is, when a sharp frost sets in, and no 

 heat is applied till after the frost has taken effect in the inside of 

 the house ; then a fire is put on, and the frost is driven out. It is 

 better, no doubt, in such a case, to keep out the thief if you can, 

 but if once let in, keep him in, and never attempt to force him 

 out. I know that heaths in the open air will not suffer when the 

 thermometer stands four or five degrees below freezing ; and we 

 know also, that heaths, in the house in winter will bear the same 

 degree of cold with impunity. Now suppose the thermometer 

 out of doors to fall to twelve or fourteen degrees below freezing, 

 and no heat in the heath house ; the thermometer in the inside 

 may then be four or five degrees below freezing. 



(To be continued.) 



