ERICA ; ITS MANAGEMENT AND CULTURE. 
239 
of the pot, and place the cuttings around the rim ; they are 
found to root with greater certainty by this means; and as soon 
as they are struck, take the pot out, and fill up the place with 
peat; the young plants will then gain strength, and can be 
potted off with more safety. 
Perfect drainage is a necessary requisite for all cuttings, but 
especially for the heath. I would therefore recommend another 
small 60 or thumb-pot to be inverted in that in which the cut¬ 
tings are placed, on all occasions; then with broken potsherds 
fill the pot more than half full, over which a thin layer of rough 
siftings from peat, then with soil composed of three quarters of 
silver sand, and one quarter of peat, well mixed together; fill 
almost to the rim, and over all put a thin coat of well sweetened^ 
silver sand; after a gentle watering, the cuttings may be in¬ 
serted. The neatest manner to put them is in rows, taking es¬ 
pecial care they do not touch each other: this is done to prevent 
any cutting which may damp off from communicating it to an¬ 
other. All this tribe should be “ glassed ” until struck. The 
best kind of bell-glass to use is the domed or conical sort, as 
the moisture given off from the soil in the state of vapour, being 
condensed on coming in contact with the surface of the glass, 
returns down the sides back to the soil, while in the flat-topped 
glasses, it is apt to deposit itself on the top, and drop from thence 
on to the cuttings, thereby causing damp; thus obviating the 
necessity of wiping the glass, which should never be done but in 
extreme cases, as practice has proved that such a proceeding is 
quite unnecessary. Nothing can be more injurious to cuttings 
of this tribe than wetting the foliage; the custom, therefore, of 
taking off the glass to water is in the highest degree reprehen¬ 
sible, because, as sand is a conductor of moisture as well as heat, 
the thin layer of it on the top is put there for the purpose of 
becoming a subservient agent for disseminating the water 
equally over the surface; it should be given when required with 
a fine-rosed watering-pot, but without removing the glass. 
As soon as the cuttings are struck, the glass should be tilted 
up a small way, so as to harden them off by degrees, until they 
can be removed to a colder house, where, after standing a few 
days, they may be freely exposed : if struck early in the season, 
they may be potted off any time during the summer, and will 
consequently be well established plants by the following spring; 
a a 4 
