68 



THE HEATHERY. 



I have several times had the heath house in ^\inter without fire heat, 

 when the thermometer out of doors stood at sixteen degrees helow 

 freezing. But in these eases the house was always shut close, and I have 

 never seen the heaths suffer from this cold. I would not, however, advise 

 any person to risk his heaths in such a temperature until he had himself 

 tried some experiments on the degree of cold which they will bear, and 

 from that he will leam more than he could from volumes written on 

 the subject ; a verj- little observation will soon con%ince him that his heaths 

 require but little fire heat during winter. I have abeady said that heaths 

 suffer fi'om too much artificial heat ; and all that I have read an their 

 cultivation seems to concur in this particular : but I am not aware that 

 any one has pointed out what degree of heat or cold is injurious ; and, 

 indeed, I have only been able to ascertain this myself, to a very limited 

 extent. The time, however, when these plants suffer most from heat 

 is, when a sharp frost sets in, and no heat is apphed tUl after the frost 

 has taken effect in the inside of the house. Then a fire is put on, and the 

 frost is driven out. It is better, no doubt, in such a case, to keep out the 

 thief if you can, but if once let in, keep him in, and never attempt to 

 force him out. AVe know that heaths in the open air will not suffer when 

 the thermometer stands four or five degrees below freezing ; and we know 

 also, that heaths in the house in winter will bear the same degi'ee of cold 

 ^^'ith. impunity. Now, we shall suppose the thermometer out of doors to 

 fall to twelve or fourteen degrees below freezing, and no heat in the heath 

 house ; the thermometer in the inside may then be fom' or five degrees 

 below fi'eezing. If there be no appearance of a change, then it is neces- 

 sary to apply heat to the house ; but all that is wanted in tliis case, 

 just enough to prevent the temperature fi'om getting lower than it was 

 when '^the heat was introduced. Suppose the thermometer to sink to 

 eighteen or twenty' degrees below freezing during the night ; the instru- 

 ment inside should range as near as possible to what it was when the 

 heat was apphed. This however requires very particular attention. 

 From what I know, heaths will suffer, if, after the thermometer has fallen 

 four or five degrees below freezing inside of the house, heat be added so 

 as to raise the temperature, and drive out the frost, during the time 

 the thermometer is still sinking out of doors. It would be much better 

 if the house were left without fii'e heat, even with the thermometer fifteen 

 or sixteen degrees below fi'eezing point out of doors ; such treatment 

 is bad for all plants, but more particulaiiy for heaths. If we were certain 

 that the thermometer dming the night would not sink more than ten or 



