Apr.] GREEN-IIOUSE AND CONSERVATORY. 1053 



the pots should be still carefully attended to ; but if after three 

 months, or little more, all hope of their vegetating may be 

 given up. Plants, so originated, will be about the middle or 

 end of September in a fit state to plant out into thumb or 

 thimble pots, as they, are called, and which are the smallest 

 sizes that are made. — (See September.) 



Heaths which ripen their seeds in this country, should be 

 sown as soon as they are ripe, provided this do not occur 

 after the first of September ; such as ripen afterwards (and 

 several do so) had better be kept packed up in paper till the fol- 

 lowing April, when they may be sown as above directed. Plants 

 originated at this time will be sufiiciently strong by autumn to pot 

 off; and it is even better then to pot off such as are very small, 

 than allow them to stand in the seed-pots all winter. It is 

 perhaps not easily accounted for, but plants stand the winter 

 better when potted off in autumn in single pots, than if they 

 were to remain in the seed or cutting-pots all winter ; and the 

 same rule holds good in regard to potting off' cuttings propa- 

 gated at any period of the year when quite young, that is, 

 immediately after they have commenced making roots. This 

 is not perhaps generally known, at least it is not always 

 acted upon, as many persons, from an idea that the plants 

 will become strong and better rooted, defer too long the pro- 

 cess of potting off', and, in consequence, lose both time and 

 many of their plants. It may, perhaps, not be quite out of 

 place here to observe, that such seedlings or cuttings as have 

 originated in the fine white sand of cultivators, should have 

 their roots completely cleared of it before they are potted in 

 their natural mould ; for although most plants emit roots in 

 that sand, it becomes injurious to many of them after they 

 quit their cutting or seed state. Directions for propagating 

 by cuttings have been already amply detailed, to render a re- 

 currence to that process here unnecessary. 



We may here however remark, that this family are less 

 annoyed by insects than most other exotic plants, still they 

 are not entirely exempt ; for that destroying insect, the green 

 fly of gardeners, sometimes attacks the heath, and as it is 

 found impatient of the usual remedy, tobacco smoke, the best 

 cultivators dip the plant, or parts infected, in a decoction of 



