ON THE CULTURE OF ERICAS. 227 



chopped fine, or even put through a coarse sieve, of not less than 

 one inch in the mesh, unless, indeed, the plants he young; for 

 very large plants, the mould may even be much coarser than that 

 which will pass through a sieve of the above dimensions. Whether 

 for large or small plants, it is absolutely necessary that the mould 

 be dry at the time of potting, as should also be the pots into which 

 the plants are to be put. It is not always necessary that new pots 

 should be used, but care should be taken that they are clean, and 

 selected of sizes, to suit the plants to be operated on. 



In potting, draining is of the first importance ; for this purpose 

 from one to three inches, according to the size of the pot, should 

 be filled with broken pots, cinders, small stones, chippings of 

 freestone, or small pebbles, over a piece of potsherd or oyster 

 shell, placed over the hole in the bottom of the pot : over this 

 drainage a thin layer of dry moss should be placed, to prevent the 

 finer earthy particles from being washed down, and to stop the 

 cavities through which the superfluous water is intended to pass ; 

 and as the various species of moss, hypna, &c, have the property 

 of absorbing humidity, and also of retaining it for a considerable 

 time, the roots will by this means be kept cool and moist, much to 

 their advantage. 



In placing the plant in a new pot, it has been recommended to 

 keep the top of the ball considerably above the level of the top of 

 the pot ; in so far as the plant is concerned, this is admitted to 

 have rather an unsightly appearance. The rationale of this mode 

 of potting appears to be, that it prevents the plant suffering from 

 excess of water, as the ball at the stem of the plant is so much 

 above the level of the part next to the pot, that the water, instead 

 of finding its way into the centre ofthe ball, passes down between 

 it and the pot, where are all the roots that are capable of absorb- 

 ing it for the use of the plant ; the superabundant water passing 

 off through the drainage 



The balls of heaths, if in good health, do not require to be 

 broken, as is necessary with some other plants; it is in general 

 sufficient if the sides of the balls be gently patted with the hand to 

 loosen the outside fibres, which, in healthy plants, will be found 

 in abundance round the outside of the ball, nor should any plant 

 be shifted until such is the case. 



It appears to me that the free or luxuriant growing sorts thrive 

 best in rather large pots, and in a peat soil not over sandy, while 

 the slow growing and slender sorts require much smaller pots, and 



