Culture of Heaths. 303 



of the lower end of the ball of earth ; Avell draining the pots, 

 and potting them to any desired height ; filling in round, first 

 One third with the crumbs of the potting-bench, with some 

 stones, and a little sand if necessary, and ramming it down tight 

 with a stick for the purpose ; then filling up with coarse pieces, 

 stones, pebbles, flints, &c., with occasionally a handful of sand 

 shook in amongst it. As I have before stated, I never make it 

 a rule to mix my compost before using it, for ericas or any 

 choice plants ; but use the j)reparation to the best of my 

 judgment, according to their constitution. 



My own season for potting or fresh-shifting ericas is Avhen 

 they are in want of it, no matter what season of the year it is. 

 If they require shifting two or three times in the course of the 

 year they get it ; some get shifted in January, others in June, 

 and every other month. They do not all make their growth at 

 the same season ; therefore I do not consider they require all 

 potting at the same time, although I have heard my grandfather 

 used to fresh-pot all his in the month of March. 



I must tell you how perplexed I was about the E. Massonw; 

 its appearance was so bad 1 considered it a hopeless case. I 

 left it standing aside, considering in what way I could deal 

 with it. I was grieved to see it in such a deplorable state. 

 One evening after the men had all left I made ujd my mind to 

 do something with it, and, on turning it out of the pot, every 

 particle of earth fell from it ; not a single root to it. I was in 

 two minds about casting it on the rubbish heap. You may judge 

 my grief; I certainly never can forget it. However, I cut it 

 l)ack ; potted it, in soil I fancied, into a rather small pot ; placed 

 it in the corner of a cold-pit ; and very soon had the pleasure of 

 seeing it breaking abundance of young shoots. It grew vigo- 

 rously, soon wanted a larger pot, and is at this time in a No. 2. 

 pot. Its next shift will be into a large tub. This is the very 

 plant you admired; and it was described in page 621,, in the 

 December Number of your Magazine. 



I find that by potting them in coarse sweet soil, with plenty 

 of pebbles, or some rough, luieven, knobby flints ; part of the 

 drainage coarse charcoal, and a few pieces of charcoal put in 

 here and there in the progress of potting, to keep all healthy 

 and pure together ; there is no fear of their getting soddened 

 with Avater, or punished with drought. Give them plenty of 

 water in the growing season, and never let them get punished 

 for want of it. In my humble opinion, 99 heaths that die, out 

 of every 100, do so through being punished for want of water. 

 If they are properly drained, potted, and Avatered ; taking care to 

 give them abundance of air at all times, night and day, if possible ; 

 and giving them a good washing with the engine or syringe often, 

 when in a healthy vigorous state, of a fine morning ; I will 



X 2 



