HEA 



[ 



roots expose them occasionally to gentle 

 showers, but hy no means to heavy rain. 

 Give them due supplies of water in dry 

 weather, and keep them clear of weeds. 

 In these pots they must remain till the 

 spring following. During the winter 

 place them on a shelf, near the glass, 

 in a light airy greenhouse. About 

 March, pot them singly into the same- 

 sized pots, shading them again till fresh 

 roots are formed. They are then ready 

 for the usual routine of culture. Heaths, 

 with soft wood and free growth, are more 

 easy to propagate, and do not require 

 so much preparation, but in other re- 

 spects the management is the same. 

 . By Seed. Several kinds of heaths 

 produce plenty of good seed ; even some 

 that are extremely difficult to propagate 

 any other way, such, for instance, as E. 

 elegans, E. odora rosea, E. halicacaba, 

 E. triumphans, and some others of 

 similar habit. Fill the pots in the same 

 way as for cuttings, only mix the top 

 layer of sand with as much heath- 

 mould ; make the surface smooth, and 

 sow the seed in spring on the surface, 

 covering it as slightly as possible ; water 

 with the finest syringe, so that it may 

 fall upon the seed like the finest dew ; 

 place the pots near the glass, shade 

 from bright sun, and keep the surface 

 just moist. The seedlings will soon 

 come up, and require great care, or they 

 will fog off. To prevent this give air 

 daily. As soon as they can be handled 

 transplant them into 5-incb pots rather 

 thickly, but standing clear of each other. 

 In this state they may remain for six or 

 eight months, and then pot them off 

 into 3-inch pots, four in a pot, and 

 manage them afterwards in the same 

 way as the cuttings. 



Soil. This has been already de- 

 scribed above, in writing of the soil 

 proper for the cuttings to root into, but 

 for larger plants it must not be sifted 

 so fine. For very large plants do not 

 sift it at all ; for such, if a few pieces 

 of sand-stone are mixed amongst the 

 mould, they will be useful to allow the 

 water to penetrate to the centre of the 

 ball. 



Potting. Heaths thrive best if the 

 mould is left below the rim of the pot 

 from half-an-inch for small plants in 



tf ] HEB 



6-inch pots, to two inches in large ones. 

 This space holds a supply of water 

 which gradually sinks through and 

 effectually moistens the ball to the 

 centre. Drain thoroughly with broken 

 potsherds, half an inch for small plants, 

 to three inches for very large ones. 



Culture. Cold pits or frames, in 

 spring and autumn, are the best protec- 

 tion to place heaths in during their 

 youth, and a good airy, light, span- 

 roofed greenhouse for them through 

 winter and spring, when they are too 

 large for the frames. In summer they 

 should be set out of doors upon a thick 

 bed of coal-ashes, behind a low wall or 

 hedge. Whilst in this position they 

 must have an abundant and constant 

 supply of water. If the ball ever be- 

 comes thoroughly dry, the plants will 

 certainly die ; therefore, attend to this 

 point of watering most rigidly and per- 

 severingly. In winter they do not 

 require so much ; but even in that 

 season they must be kept mode- 

 rately, but constantly and thoroughly 

 moistened. 



Diseases. Heaths are subject to go 

 off at the point where the stem ends 

 and the roots begin. This is caused 

 often by an irregular supply of water, 

 and cannot be cured when it once takes 

 place. The plant may appear green 

 and flourishing, and the roots fresh, 

 and the ends are lively even when 

 the stem is dead. Another fell dis- 

 ease is the mildew. This may be 

 sometimes cured by first damping the 

 plants infected, and then dusting them 

 over with flowers of sulphur. This dis- 

 ease is often brought on by a long 

 continued damp atmosphere ; and if 

 that is not dried by a little heat, with 

 abundance of air, the disease will 

 spread rapidly, and soon destroy the 

 plants. If only one or two are infected, 

 they had better be sulphured, and 

 placed by themselves till the mildew 

 fungus is killed. 



Insects. See Aphis, for cure, when 

 the Green Fly attacks them. 



HEATH-MOULD. See Bog-earth. 



HEATHER. Callu'na vidga'ris. 



HEBENSTBEI'TIA. ( Named after Pro- 

 fessor Hebenstreit, of Leipsic. Nat. ord., 

 Selayids [Selaginacese]. Linn., 14- 



