HEATH-HOUSE. 



707 



neglect of shifting, the roots have become mat- 

 ted, and the ball hard and almost impervious to 

 water, it should be loosened by gently tapping 

 its sides with the fingers; and in the case of 

 pot-bound ones, the soil may be washed from 

 amongst the roots by water, giving them free- 

 dom also at their bottoms, so that the roots 

 may be induced to penetrate the fresh soil. 

 Plants in this state should have a large shift, 

 taking care, however, that for some time after- 

 wards water be so applied that it may find its 

 way into the old ball, and not wholly escape by 

 passing down through the new soil. A general 

 re-potting must not be entirely depended upon, 

 for some may not require it at the spring ex- 

 amination, but may do so a month or two after- 

 wards. Want of shifting is shown by the plants 

 drying up sooner than those around them, by 

 flagging during bright sunshine, by not drying 

 at all, and by the pot feeling heavier than it 

 ought to do. It is absolutely necessary that the 

 soil be quite dry at the time of re-potting, and 

 for this purpose it should be kept under cover 

 of a dry airy shed for some time previous. It is 

 also necessary that the pots be either new or 

 well washed and dried before using. Plants 

 having their roots much disturbed at the time 

 of shifting, should be placed in a close cool 

 pit for a few days after the operation ; and 

 even those which have not even been disturbed 

 at all will be benefited by being slightly shaded 

 for a few days after the operation. 



We have already adverted to the bad effects 

 of close shifting — that is, transferring the plants 

 from a pot of one size to the one next in rotation 

 of size to it. Another practice prevailed, and to 

 some extent does so still, of potting too high — 

 that is, elevating the collar or neck of the plant 

 above the level of the rim of the pot. Both 

 should be guarded against. Some pot hard, and 

 ram in the new compost as firm as possible be- 

 tween the ball and pot, even using a blunt 

 wedge-shaped piece of wood to render the soil 

 more firm : others, who advocate the theory of 

 porosity, mechanical action, &c, object to this ; 

 and so would we in the case of a young vine or 

 geranium whose growth is expected to be rapid. 

 The heaths are different ; and although the soft- 

 potting system will make the plants grow more 

 rapidly, yet in the hard-potted cases, in this 

 tribe, it is found that the plants will be more 

 healthy and vigorous, and attain a greater age. 



Winter treatment. — Avoid fire-heat, even 

 should the inside of the glass roof be slightly 

 covered with frost. Most of the family will 

 withstand several degrees of frost; none of 

 them will bear fire-heat with impunity. It is 

 better, therefore, to exclude frost by covering 

 the roof with canvass mounted upon rollers; 

 and even in very severe weather it is better 

 to allow the covering to remain on even for 

 several days together. If frost penetrate, as 

 it sometimes will do, in pits, where the young 

 stock is kept, it is well to allow the covering to 

 remain on until the soil becomes thawed; for 

 heaths, like all other plants, will endure a greater 

 degree of cold if kept dark, than if once frozen, 

 and the light let in immediately upon them. 

 They resist frost better, also, when they are 



kept rather dry than otherwise. On the subject 

 of low temperature, the late Mr M'Nab informs 

 us, in his " Treatise on the Heath," that he has 

 had " all the heaths in the house frozen for days 

 together so hard that the pots could not be 

 removed from their places without breaking 

 them, and fresh air constantly admitted at the 

 time ; and I have," he says, " never seen one of 

 them suffer in the smallest degree from it, but 

 on the contrary found them thrive better than 

 under any other treatment. I have," he con- 

 tinues, " several times had the heath-house in 

 winter without fire-heat, when the thermometer 

 out of doors stood at 16° below freezing. But in 

 these cases the house was always shut close, and 

 I have never seen the heaths suffer from the cold. 



" The time," Mr M'Nab concludes, " when 

 these plants suffer most from heat is, when a 

 sharp frost sets in, and no heat is applied until 

 the frost has taken effect in the inside of the 

 house ; then a fire is put on, and the frost is 

 driven out. We know that heaths in the open 

 air will not suffer when the thermometer stands 

 4° or 5° below freezing ; and we know, also, that 

 heaths in the house, in winter, will bear the 

 same degree of cold with impunity. Now, we 

 shall suppose the thermometer out of doors to 

 fall to 12° or 14° below freezing, and no heat in 

 the heath-house; the thermometer in the inside 

 may then be 4° or 5° below freezing. 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 this case is just enough to prevent 

 the temperature from getting lower than it was 

 when the heat was introduced. Suppose the 

 thermometer to sink to 18° or 20° below freez- 

 ing during the night, the instrument inside 

 should range as near as possible to what it was 

 when the heat was applied. This, however, 

 requires very particular attention. From what 

 I know, heaths will suffer, if, after the thermo- 

 meter has fallen 4° or 5° below freezing inside 

 the house, heat be applied so as to raise the tem- 

 perature and drive out the frost during the 

 time the thermometer is still sinking out of 

 doors. It would be much better if the house 

 was left without fire-heat, even with the ther- 

 mometer at 15° or 16° below the freezing-point 

 out of doors ; such treatment is bad for all 

 plants, but more particularly for heaths." The 

 conclusion drawn by that excellent cultivator 

 was, that were we certain the external tempe- 

 rature would not fall below 10° or 12° below 

 freezing, no artificial heat should be applied. 

 Maintaining the temperature of all plant-houses 

 at the lowest point consistent with their perfect 

 safety during winter, is one of the principal con- 

 ditions in good plant-management. It is their 

 season of rest, and all plants must have such ; 

 they have it naturally, and demand it artificially. 



The majority of this charming tribe are 

 wintered by the London growers in shallow 

 pits, the pots being plunged in sand or other 

 dry material. By this means ample ventilation 

 is afforded them, upon which so much of their 

 healthy existence depends. Under these cir- 

 cumstances no fire-heat is applied, the frost 

 being excluded by means of covering the glass, 

 which is variously effected, that being the best 



