Ericas or Heaths. 167 



stood, the subject will be given under separate beads, commencing 

 with the propagation of the plants. 



Propagation. — Ericas are propagated from cuttings of the 

 young growths that have advanced from an inch and a half to two 

 inches in length, being mindful to take off the cuttings from the 

 plant, at the part from whence they started to grow. The next 

 process is to cut off the leaves with a sharp knife, about an inch 

 from that part of the cutting which is to be placed in the sand; 

 the cutting off of the leaves is rather a tedious process; neverthe- 

 less it must be done with both care and patience, for if the stem 

 is wounded with the knife in the operation, it should be remem- 

 bered that the cutting will not grow. Pure sand (without any 

 mixture of peat soil) is the best for the cuttings to strike root in; 

 the pot, before the sand is put into it, must have a good drainage 

 of potsherds placed at the bottom; then fill up with the sand to 

 within half an inch of the top of the pot, and place the bell-glass 

 on the sand, in order to ascertain how near the side of the pot 

 you may insert the cuttings; this done, \Aace them at regular dis- 

 tances, of about a quarter or half an inch apart, beginning in the 

 centre of the pot and so continue on, till you come near to the 

 mark made by the glass; and by giving the whole a gentle wa- 

 tering with a watering-pot, through a very fine rose, the work is 

 finished. The glass should be put over the cuttings as soon as 

 they become dry after watering, and taken to the place where 

 they are to remain until rooted. The east end of the green-house 

 is probably the best situation; shading the cuttings from the hot 

 rays of the sun until rooted must never be neglected. I would here 

 observe, that a hot-bed, or any kind of artificial bottom heat, 

 should never be used, in the propagation of this tribe of plants. 



The cuttings, as soon as rooted, which may be known by their 

 starting to grow, should be potted off singly into the smallest 

 sized pots (thumbs,) — making use of the soil recommended, and 

 shaded from the sun a week or a fortnight until they recover; a suf- 

 ficient quantity of small potsherds must be placed even in the 

 small pots for drainage, or the plants will not thrive. From April 

 to June is probably the best period to take off cuttings. 



The best system that I am acquainted with in the propagation 

 of ericas, is, in the first place to select a No. 3 or 4 pot or larger; 

 then place a pot inside of it two sizes smaller (say No. 2,) and so 

 go on sizing or arranging until you come to the centre of the large 

 pot with the smallest sized thumb pot: or, in other words, as I wish 

 the reader to understand my meaning, place one pot inside of the 

 other, so as to leave a cavity about an inch apart between each, 

 for the reception of the sand: little drainage of potsherds at the 

 bottom of each must not be overlooked. Supposing the pots to 

 be all rightly adjusted, the inside ones as near on a level as pos- 

 sible, and an inch and a half below the top or rim of the outside 



