152 THE FORCING GARDEN. 



This is very scarce in some parts, but no one can success- 

 fully propagate Heaths with the peat of Dartmoor, nor 

 with that which has been dug out of boggy places ; the 

 peat I mean is to be had from Wimbledon Common, but 

 the best I ever saw or used, is found in Epping Forest 

 near High Beech, A few sacks of this can be had for 

 a few shillings. Having the pots one-third filled with 

 fine broken crocks, and the other part filled up with 

 peat, and made firm (the peat should not be perfectly 

 dust-dry but half dry, as this is the proper state in 

 which to keep it), insert the little delicate cuttings with 

 a very small pointed, smooth stick all over the pots at 

 one inch apart and three-eighths of an inch from the 

 side, so as to admit of a bell-glass being placed over 

 them which should fit close inside each. A three-inch 

 pot will hold about a dozen cuttings. Insert them one 

 half of their length into the soil ; do it very carefully, 

 and gently press the soil to the base of them, but great 

 care is needed in handling the tender cuttings or they 

 may be bruised, which would cause a failure. 



Having filled a pot with these cuttings, give it a 

 gentle watering with a very fine rose water-pot, and, 

 after allowing the cuttings to dry off, place the glass 

 over them, and then plunge the pots nearly up to the 

 rims in a tan bed that is half spent, or over a very 

 mild tank, avoiding a greater bottom heat than 50, as 

 they will not bear much heat ; the glasses must be 

 taken off and wiped dry every morning and then be 

 replaced ; strong sunlight must be avoided. If all 

 things are as they should be, these cuttings will have 

 struck root in the course of three weeks, when the bell- 

 glasses may be taken off, and in the course of a week 

 more they may be potted off into thumbs ; but care is 



