HINTS ON THE MANAGEMENT OF CAPE HEATHS. 19 



seryman (a celebrated grower), I procured a load of peat, -which had 

 been obtained from three sundry places in the neighbourhood of 

 London, and which, in equal parts, had been incorporated together iu 

 its rough turfy state. 



The soil I wanted for use then I chopped up, leaving it quite as 

 rough as I could use for potting ; by this process the turfy portion is 

 mixed up with the other more naturally, and it keeps the soil open 

 for the passing of water, air, &c. To the soil I added about one- 

 sixth part of what is usually termed silver, or Calais sand, and a 

 sprinkling of bits of charcoal, each about the size of a horse-bean. 

 These, being well mixed up by the hand, composed my compost, and 

 which proved _to be all I could desire. I put in the pot a good 

 drainage of broken crocks, and over them some pieces of turfy peat. 

 In potting, I placed the plant as high in the centre as the rim of the 

 pot, and when the compost was properly pressed around the ball the 

 sides were about half an inch below the top of the rim. This, whilst 

 it allows a sufficiency of water for the plant, does not retain it unduly 

 around the main stem, which has often proved fatal when not 

 guarded against. After potting, I gave them a good watering, and 

 placed them in the frame prepared as before stated, and shaded them 

 from midday sun for about a week. I regularly shaded the plants 

 during the entire of summer for two or three hours during midday, 

 when the sun was hot. The glass was wholly removed after the end 

 of May, and only replaced the beginning of August. 



During summer I had a heath-house erected, double roofed ; the 

 door at the centre in the south end, as it was placed due north and 

 south. I had a pathway up the middle of the house, and a raised 

 bed on each side, three feet high and four feet broad. The surface 

 of the bed was formed with nice pebble gravel. The sides and ends 

 of the house were brick, as high as the raised bed, and the cashes 

 upon this wall were two and a half feet high, and made to slide 

 down; so that, when required, they can be pushed behind the wall 

 out of sight. This mode of admitting air provides to have a cur- 

 rent through the house, more or less, at pleasure ; and I deem it 

 essential, in order to a successful mode of management with this 

 lovely tribe of plants. I have the house heated by the hot-water 

 system ; a pipe being carried round the house close to the walls, and 

 the warmth coming to the upper part of the house by an opening, 

 which is formed between the side beds and the outer walls. The 

 warmth rising at the sides benefits every part of the house. 



At the end of September I had the plants removed from the frames 

 into my heathery, placing the taller plants at the farthest distance 

 from the centre walk, giving me a pretty view of the whole surface. 

 As directed, I gave all air I could, so as just to exclude frost, and at 

 no time, by aid of the hot water, to have the temperature of the 

 house above 52°. During winter no watering over head is given, 

 and although it is necess-ary just to keep the soil in the pots moist, 

 not wet, yet in severe frosty weather it is better to have them rather 

 dry than too moist. 



At the following March, near the end, I re-potted all the late 



