THE FLORIST. 
Ill 
A FEW WORDS ON THE 
MOST FITTING COMPOST FOR THE ERICA AND EPACRIS, 
WITH ITS MODE OF APPLICATION. 
In compliance with a promise made in the last number of The Florist, 
I will now attempt to describe my mode of proceeding in the annual 
shift of Ericas and Epacrises. To begin at the beginning, I must 
first say a word or two upon the materials requisite to form the com¬ 
post. They are but two, peat and sand; but it is indispensably 
necessary for the future well-doing of the plant that they should be 
of the right sort, and mixed in due proportions. Peat should be of a 
light fibrous character, free from sand; and if of a reddish-brown 
colour, with fern roots working freely amongst it, you may use it 
with confidence. When living at Isleworth, I got the best I ever 
saw, brought me by Thos. Miller, Factory, Croydon. I believe he 
obtained it from Shirley Common. I mention this, as some of the 
readers of The Florist may like to know where and they may get 
peat to depend upon. Should any correspondent live within a dis¬ 
tance of twenty miles of Exeter, I shall be happy to inform them how 
they may get supplied with as good in this county. As a caution, I 
recommend, when an order is given, that it may be directed to be cut 
thin, or it is ten to one but as much subsoil will be brought as peat. 
The best place for storing it is a shed, open on all sides. Long keeping 
does not improve the properties; that I have determined by experience. 
I must not omit to mention an essential point, viz. that the peat 
selected for use should be merely damp ; on no account wet or sod- 
dened, neither quite dry : it is unfit for potting in either condition. 
This, then, is the fibrous peat before spoken of, which must be care¬ 
fully picked over, throwing aside all the surface litter, dead grass, 
fern roots, &c., though a portion of the latter I retain to be used in 
potting larger plants. As pure silver sand is not found in this coun¬ 
ty, nor in many others, I use a coarse, sharp sand, intermixed with 
small pebbles; this I cleanse from all impurities by many washings. 
When dry, it is sifted through a fine wire sieve. For large plants I 
throw back some of the smaller pebbles, considering they materially 
assist the free percolation of the water through the ball. This coarse 
sand never bakes, and keeps the soil more open than the fine silver 
sort frequently used. For these reasons I prefer it. 
Being now supposed to have before me a heap of rough peat, and 
by its side a supply of sand,—near at hand, clean or new pots of all 
sizes, crocks, and fresh moss, 1 begin with plants in thumbs, requir¬ 
ing to be shifted into small sixties. I take a portion of the rough peat 
and break it up tolerably fine with my hands, removing in this in¬ 
stance all remaining fern and other coarse roots. To this I put 
rather more than an equal quantity of the sifted sand, and mix well 
together. I use rather a larger proportion of sand to small than to 
large plants, for reasons by and by to be stated. I take a clean 
pot and throw in as many small crocks as will lie an inch thick; on 
