Culture of Heaths. 305 



nor do they often think of putting their shoulders to the wheel 

 to try to improve the bad situation, or of opening their eyes 

 a little earlier of a morning to try to assist nature at the 

 supposed unkind time of the season. A man may make the 

 most perfect preparation imaginable in his own mind, and then 

 by misapplication be completely deceived ; particularly if he 

 does no more to it himself than making the preparation, trusting 

 to other people much ; who if they are ever so good and careful, 

 if they do not happen to see the nature of what they are doing, 

 often commit sad errors. Some men appear to follow a business 

 for years without giving their joroceedings a candid consider- 

 ation ; but sow when it is spring, and gather when it is autumn, 

 because they observe others do the same, or that their grand- 

 father did the same. However, the time will come when this 

 mode of doing business will not do. 



It is pretended by many growers that ericas are a most diffi- 

 cult tribe of plants to manage, in respect to watering ; but, if 

 they are potted in coarse soil with plenty of stones, and Avell 

 drained, using some charcoal over the crocks and a few knobs 

 of charcoal amongst the soil, taking care to have all sweet and 

 Avholesome, there is no fear of the plants doing well. 



I am fond of a good span-roofed house for heaths, opening on 

 both sides at the ends, and the top lights movable, so that the 

 house can have abundance of air, Avhich may be regulated ac- 

 cording to the kind of weather, &c. A house of tliis description 

 can be aired suitably at all seasons. 



Cutting down old naked plants I practise at any time in the 

 season, as I observe any variety requires it. The different 

 varieties making their growth at different seasons is my reason 

 for so doing. The best time is when they are about com- 

 mencing to make their young wood ; and I take care to leave 

 one living Ijranch on the plant, as I find, by cutting down into 

 the old naked wood, and not leaving any living wood, sometimes 

 they will not break. If a plant is properly managed from the 

 first and kept topped, it never requires cutting down. 



In commencing tying and training the tall naked ericas, I 

 got some neat stakes made out of double laths and painted them 

 green ; and, with some small twine painted and green thread, I 

 bi'ought the heads of the plants down, and trained them round 

 five or six of these small stakes, which was the means of their 

 making generally plenty of young shoots. The next time of 

 training I got them still lower down. I have of late entirely 

 dispensed with stakes, training them in the following manner. I 

 put from five to ten short green-painted stumps, leaving them 

 about 1 in. above the rim of the pot, and run a fine wire round 

 the whole, by which means the plant can be tied neatly down to 

 any required shape: if neatly done, it is scarcely perceptible, and 



X 3 



