THE ERICA. 
151 
also particularly recommend, in addition to crocks for drainage, 
some pieces of charcoal, the size of the pieces must be regulated 
according to the size of the pots; for instance, pieces the size of 
beans for small pots, say forty-eights, and of the size of hens’ eggs 
for very large pots. I also recommend for the drainage of very 
large pots, that small thumb-pots be inverted at the bottom, and 
the crevices filled up with broken pots and charcoal, and ovei 
that a thin layer of coarse siftings. I would recommend, also, 
that large pieces of broken crocks, and flint or free-stone, be in¬ 
troduced every five or six inches, as the large pot is being filled 
no with soil. In the process of potting, be careful to use the 
soil in a moist state, so that the water will penetrate through. 
As soon as the process of potting is completed, water should be 
freely applied, for if the soil is once allowed to get diy it is 
difficult for the water to penetrate to the bottom. If you can 
make it convenient, it will be well to keep the plants rather close 
for a few days, so as to allow them to get re-established after the 
check they have received in shifting. As the genus Erica is in 
flower, more or less, all the year round, I shall make a few obser¬ 
vations on large specimen plants. For illustration, those splendid 
varieties that are in bloom now will shortly be declining, and 
most of the flowers stripped from them, then August will be a 
good time for repotting, as it will enable them to establish them¬ 
selves by the winter, and produce strong trusses of bloom next 
year. Those that bloom in July or August may be potted in 
March, it will greatly facilitate their blooming; but, as a general 
rule, never pot them either just before they bloom, or when they 
are in bloom, or just after they have done blooming; but at any 
other time than in the dreary months of winter ; I have frequently 
observed fine specimens go off by being potted at these critical 
times, for they are then quite enough exhausted, without the 
check of repotting. I would here intimate the great encourage¬ 
ment offered to gardeners in the hybridization of the Erica. In 
this pursuit every endeavour should be used to combine the most 
opposite characters ; as, for instance, a fine bright yellow Yestita, 
as pure as Cavendishii, would be highly desirable, and similar 
novelties would undoubtedly be highly prized. Gardeners are 
beginning to look to this important process with the Erica, but 
it is only lately that it has received the attention it deserves, and 
