160 VILLA CrAKDENING part ii 



there is a viuery or Peach-house, such plants as Epacrises, that are 

 not much subject to insects, may be placed in its genial warmth. 

 It is a great help to increase the temperature a few degi-ees, and 

 to use the syringe freely Avhen young shoots are pushing up. It 

 gives them a better start, and leads on to the production of more 

 and better-blooming wood. But they must not remain in the 

 vinery or Peach-house too long, or the shoots may become weakly 

 and draAvu. Repotting, if it is necessary, may be done when the 

 young shoots have fairly started, but the Epacris, like the Erica, 

 does not require shifting into a larger pot till the pot it already 

 occupies is fidl of roots. Firm potting is essential, and sandy peat 

 is the best soil ; but I have seen it grow well in loam and leaf- 

 moidd with a liberal admixture of sand. 



Propagating Heaths. — There are two ways of increasing our 

 stock of Heaths. First, there is the natural plan of saving seeds, 

 and secondly there is the propagator's method of raising them from 

 cuttings, which is the best, indeed the only, plan of perpetuating 

 established kinds. 



From Seeds. — As regards raising them from seeds, it is not 

 much practised except by enthusiastic growers who are not content 

 to follow always in the track of other men. The seed pods should 

 be gathered as they show signs of ripening, placed in a saucer or 

 saucere if we are saving more than one variety at the same time, 

 and kept in a cool airy room. As soon as the pods are ripe and 

 dry, rub them out and jjut up the seeds in packets till JMarch, that 

 being the best mouth to sow in, because the seeds are a long time in 

 vegetating, sometimes remaining in the groimd six months ; and by 

 sowing early there may be a chance of getting them all up and 

 established before the dark days are upon us. Sow in 6-inch pots, 

 tilling them half full of drainage ; fill in the remaining space to 

 within half an inch of the top of the pot with peat and sand 

 in about equal portions. Make all firm, sow the seeds, and cover 

 with a light sprinkle of sand. Heath seeds are very fine, and if 

 covered beyond the merest sprinkle they may perish rather than 

 grow. As soon as the seeds are all sown, water them with a fine- 

 rosed pot, and place them in a close frame without any artificial heat. 

 Keep the seeds moist, and cover the frame with mats in frosty 

 weather during spring. Shade from bright sunshine, and give air 

 as soon as the seeds vegetate — only a little at first, to be increased 

 afterwards. Pot off the young plants when large enough to 

 handle, placing several of them in a pot — roimd the edges chiefly — 

 the compost to be the same as for the seed pots, using small pots. 

 Many of the hard-wooded kinds are difiicult to root from cuttings, 

 and the work of raising seedlings has an interest of its own, especi- 



