170 OTI THE CULTURE OF HEATHS. 



completely dried up, you may water them and go away, fan- 

 cying that all is right, when, perhaps, if you were to turn out the 

 plant the water has not penetrated one inch, the next day comes 

 a hot and burning sun, your plant stands exposed as usual, and by 

 the action of the sun the pot has succeeded in completely drying 

 up the ball by mid-day, the plant stand/ so until night, and for 

 six hours it is actually dying for moisture. 



To remedy this defect I would recommend your correspondent 

 to observe the following rule — if he is in the habit of placing his 

 Heaths in the open air, never to do so without plunging the 

 pots to the brims in cinder ashes or sand, the former being the 

 best not being liable to be infested Avith worms, keeping the ashes 

 in a moist state by watering, as also giving each plant a regular 

 SU pply every night, according to its state of dryness. Heatbs 

 are much benefited by being partially shaded, when set hi the 

 open air, by canvas or any light substance, as the sun acts so 

 powerfully on the foliage, when first taken out of the house, but if 

 your correspondent has a house principally for Heaths, I would 

 say, do not take them out at all, except a few, so as the rest may 

 not be over crowded, leaving air at all times, except in very se- 

 vere weather, or when cutting winds may occur, if the stage 

 of the house stands high or much exposed to drying winds. 

 "When air is admitted to the house, I should recommend the pots 

 to be protected by placing a "quantity of (Hypnum) among the 

 pots, keeping it moist by watering. 



In potthig his Heaths, he cannot follow a more successful plan 

 than that practised by Mr. Macnab of the Edinburgh Royal Bo- 

 tanic Garden, which I should say has fully answered the object 

 of that most scientific floriculturist, which is this, keep the ball 

 or centre of the plant when shifting higher than the margins of 

 each pot, and introducing small pieces of free stone round 

 the ball, these pieces are very useful, as they retain the moisture 

 in hot weather, as also absorb it if the plants be over watered, 

 keeping a regular moisture in the ball ; each pot should be filled 

 with broken pieces of pot to the thickness of two or three inches, 

 according to the size of the pots, to carry off the excess of mois- 

 ture, which is injurious in very hot weather ; placing some sift- 

 tings of peat soil next to the drainage, before placing the plant 

 into the pot or tub. If your Correspondent is not so fortunate 

 as to have a supply of free stone, it may not be amiss to say, 



