THE COTTAGE GARDENER AND COUNTRY GENTLEMAN’S COMPANION, December 9, 1850. 
105 
the plants where they were taken from. When I have 
had two plants of a kind, and one only affected, I always 
thought it best and safest to cast away the diseased 
plant. Prevention, however, is better than cure. The 
mildew may be prevented by drying the atmosphere 
with a little fire heat, and giving abundance of air. If 
the plants stand too thick on the stage, and a long-con¬ 
tinued rain occurs, the mildew is almost sure to appear. 
Watch that first appearance, and check it by using 
sulphur, drying the air, and setting the plants thinner. 
In pits these applications are somewhat difficult. To 
dry tbe air in a pit, I have, some fine day, had all the 
plants out on the walks, and a quantity of very dry coal- 
ashes laid on the floor of the pit. I also white-washed 
the walls, mixing sulphur amongst the lime. By using 
these precautions I generally kept my Heaths healthy 
and clear of mildew. 
Heaths, as every grower finds to his sorrow, die off 
suddenly without any apparent cause. I know of no 
cure l'or this fatal disease. The only thing to attend to 
is to take care that they are duly supplied with water. I 
believe this disease comes through an irregular or in¬ 
sufficient supply of that necessary element. I have 
frequently turned out the hall of earth, broken it up, and 
found the centre quite dry, the roots in the moist part 
alive, but close to the stem quite dead. Let the grower, 
then, pay particular attention to this point of giving a 
proper supply of water, and then he may expect that his 
Heaths will continue healthy for many years. 
Propagation by Seed. —There are several varieties 
and species of Heaths that are extremely difficult to 
propagate by cuttings. Many of them, however, happily 
produce good seeds; therefore the grower should gather 
the seeds of such. Their ripeness may be known by the 
capsules turning brown, and opening at the top. Gather 
them carefully, and lay them on a large sheet of paper 
exposed to the sun, but not where the wind will reach 
them. A very few days of sunlight and dryness will 
cause all the capsules to open, and the seeds to fall out. 
VVbeu that has taken place, then put them into a fine 
sieve (the seeds are very small), and sift them carefully 
on to a sheet of white paper. If this harvest happens 
to be near winter, it is preferable to save the seeds till 
the spring ; but if in the beginning of summer the seeds 
may be sown immediately. Prepare the pots for the 
seeds by filling them half full of broken pots, covering 
them with a thin layer of moss. Upon that place sifted 
heath-mould, mixed with one-half the bulk of silver 
sand; fill the pots up to the rim, and press the soil 
down rather firmly ; make it very smooth with a round 
piece of wood; then sow the seeds, and cover them as 
lightly as possible (the thickness of a sixpence is almost 
too thick for such small seeds); then damp the soil with 
the finest syringe, letting it fall almost as gently as 
dew. Let the first watering settle, and then repeat it; 
it will gradually and gently sink into the earth without 
uncovering the seeds. The best position to place the 
seed-pots is on the greenhouse shelf close to the glass. 
There they must he watched almost hourly, and kept 
shaded from the sun. Whenever the surface appears 
dry the gentle dewing should be repeated. The seeds 
will come up in three weeks or a month. The plants 
may then have the morning and evening sun, which 
will, with plenty of air, prevent them damping off. As 
soon as they have made three or four leaves prepare a 
lot of pots exactly in the same way as for the seed- 
pots. Into these transplant the seedlings in rows pretty 
close together. In these pots they may remain till the 
spring following; then take them carefully up, and pot 
them into small pots, four in a pot, in which they may 
remain twelve months, when they may be potted off 
into small pots singly, and afterwards troated as plants 
from cuttings. 
By Cuttings. —To propagate Heaths by cuttings is 
generally considered as the triumph of the propagator’s 
art. The following materials are necessary :—Proper 
heath-mould, such as I described under the head Soil; 
a few rather wide and shallow pots, a quantity of pure 
silver sand, and a number of clean hell-glasses of different 
sizes; also prepare a quantity of broken pots in three 
sizes; see that all these are perfectly sweet and clean ; 
have also a propagating-knife and scissors. Whilst 
all these are getting ready, choose a plant of each kind 
of Heath you intend to he increased; place them in a 
gentle heat, say 55°, to cause them to push forth young 
shoots. As soon as these shoots are an inch long they are 
fit to take off; then place a very small pot over the hole 
of the pot intended for the cuttings; fill round it with 
the largest crocks (broken pots); over these some of the 
middle size, and upon them at least an inch of the 
smallest; upon them place a thin layer of siftings, and 
then fill the pot within an inch of the top with fine, very 
sandy heath-mould, and the remaining inch with pure 
silver sand; then water it freely to settle the sand firmly, 
and moisten the under soil. It is then ready for the 
cuttings. Take them off with the scissors, and dress 
them with the knife, cutting off the leaves half the length 
of the cutting, close to, but not injuring, the hark. The 
cuttings need not he more than an inch long. Place 
them upon the sand as they are made, covering them 
with a hell-glass. When a sufficient number are made 
to fill one pot, plant them immediately with a small 
ivory, sharp stick; place them neatly in rows across 
rather thickly, hut not so as to touch each other; let 
the leaves just stand clear out of the sand. A pot five 
inches across will hold about sixty cuttings. When the 
first pot is full give it a moderate watering, sufficient to 
cause the sand to fill up the holes made with the dibber 
or planting-stick. Let that pot remain without the 
glass just long enough for tbe leaves to dry. When all 
are filled, place them in a house where the heat is kept 
up to 55°. If the cutting pots can be plunged in a 
gentle heat of tan or coal-ashes the pots will he kept 
moist, and the warmth will greatly assist the cuttings in 
forming roots. In this position they must be carefully 
attended, and securely shaded from the sun. To prevent 
them from damping off', the glasses should he wiped dry 
every morning. The cuttings will soon show symptoms 
of growth, and, as soon as roots are formed, remove the 
pots into a cooler house, shading them as usual from the 
sun. To prevent them from drawing up weakly give a 
little air by propping up the bell-glasses. Occasionally 
they will require water; but they should never be soaked 
or soddened. In about six weeks after removal into the 
cooler house they should be potted off. If left longer 
the roots are almost sure to perish in the barren sand. 
Treat them as described for the seedlings in the second 
stage, that is, pot them off four in a pot in three-inch 
pots ; place them in a cold frame, shading closely from 
the sun. As fresh roots are made they will gradually 
acquire strength to bear more light and air. In this 
stage it will he desirable to nip off'the tops, to cause the 
plants to become neat bushes. As soon as the plants 
will bear it, expose them to the full light. Should gentle 
showers fall they will greatly benefit the plants; but 
always shelter them whilst young from heavy rains. 
As the winter approaches remove them into the green¬ 
house, placing them on shelves close to the glass. In the 
spring, pot them off singly into the same-sized pots, and 
shade them for a time till new roots are formed. After¬ 
wards treat them in the usual way for older plants. I 
have now, briefly as possible to he understood, given 
a full report of the points to be attended to in the 
management of this lovely tribe of plants. 
My next communication will contain a list of select 
Heaths, arranged according to their season of blooming. 
T. Appleby. 
