AND GENERAL CULTIVATION. 199 



with the same kind of mould to the thickness of one-eighth-of an 

 inch, more or less, according to the size of the seeds, as some are 

 larger than others. The pots so sown should be then placed upon the 

 platform in the seed-house, or upon a floor (if in frames) of finely- 

 sifted coal-ashes, and after being gently watered with a very fine rose 

 watering-pot, be shaded from the sun. This shading must be con- 

 tinued constantly on during sun-shine, until the plants be from half- 

 an-inch to an inch high ; afterwards it must be gradually removed to 

 harden them by degrees, to fit them for potting off into separate pots. 

 Some cultivators place bell or hand-glasses over the seed-pots when 

 sown, and when such can be spared, they may be with some propriety 

 used. For five or six weeks, the surface of the mould must never be 

 allowed to become dry, but be daily examined, at the end of which 

 time, the seeds may be expected to have vegetated. When such is the 

 case, the bell or hand-glasses should be gradually removed, first by 

 being lifted up about a quarter-of-an-inch, and in increasing this air, 

 until entirely removed. Some seeds of course do not vegetate so soon 

 as others, therefore the pots should be still carefully attended to ; but 

 if after three months, or little more, all hope of their vegetating may 

 be given up. Plants, so originated, will be about the middle or end 

 of September in a fit state to plant out into thumb or thimble pots, as 

 they are called, and which are the smallest sizes that are made. 



Heaths which ripen their seeds in this country, should be sown as 

 soon as they are ripe, provided this does not occur after the first of 

 September; such as ripen afterwards (and several do so) had better 

 be kept packed up in paper till the following April, when they may 

 be sown as above directed. Plants originated at this time will be 

 sufficiently strong by autumn to pot off ; and it is even better then to 

 pot off such as are very small, than allow them to stand in the seed- 

 pots all winter. It is perhaps not easily accounted for, but plants 

 stand the winter better when potted off in autumn in single pots, than 

 if they were to remain in the seed or cutting-pots all winter ; and the 

 same rule holds good in regard to potting off cuttings propagated at 

 any period of the year when quite young, that is, immediately after 

 they have commenced making roots. This is not perhaps generally 

 known, at least it is not always acted upon, as many persons, from an 

 idea that the plants will become strong and better rooted, defer too 

 long the process of potting off, and, in consequence, lose both time 



