On the Cultivation of Cape Heaths. 217 



I use plenty of drainage in all cases, especially for large 

 plants, this being a siiie qua non in heath culture. For the 

 largest second and third sized pots, I use from three to four 

 inches of clean drainage. In shifting, place the "collar" of 

 the plant a little above the fresh soil, in order that no water 

 may lodge round that part. 1 never touch the old ball, except 

 to rub off a little of the surface soil, and to remove such of 

 the crocks as do not interfere with the roots. After putting 

 the crocks in the fresh pot, I place a layer of coarse siftings 

 over them, and then I fill up to the required height with the 

 above-mentioned compost, pressing it firmly with the hand as 

 I proceed. The ball being placed as near the centre of the 

 pot as possible, I then fill up with the compost, pressing it in 

 firmly all round with my hands, for it is a bad practice to use 

 a stick for this purpose ; the latter injures the young fibres. 

 I fill up to within an inch of the rim of the pot, for small 

 plants, and two or three inches, for larger plants, smoothing 

 down the surface, so as to cause it to slope gently to the side 

 of the pot ; this being done, I give the plant a good soaking 

 with soft water, in order to wet the ball through, and then I 

 place it in some shady situation (if shifted in summer) for 

 a few days, being careful not to over-water it. Indeed, heaths 

 require little water after shifting until they push fresh roots^ 

 when they may be more fully exposed. 



All the free growing kinds of Cape heaths succeed best out 

 of doors, in a not over-shaded place during summer ; the 

 slow growing sorts, as Massoni, Templese, pulcherrima, ferru- 

 ginea, mutabilis, metulseflora, the tricolor varieties, &.C., are 

 best kept in the house, or in pits, always, however, bearing in 

 mind, that the heath tribe requires plenty of air and little 

 shade, except when fresh shifted. Should the ball prove dry- 

 when taken out of the pot in shifting, the best plan is, to 

 place it in a vessel of water until it is soaked through, being 

 careful to let the water drain thoroughly off, before placing it 

 in its fresh quarters. I always give a liberal shift, if the 

 plants are well rooted, say, from an eight-inch pot to a twelve 

 or thirteen-inch pot, according to the nature of the variety. I 

 prefer the " West Kent Pot" for heath culture, for its bottom 

 being movable, there is no occasion to break the pot in shift- 

 ing, which is unavoidable when the common pot is employed. 



VOL. XV. NO. V. 28 



