FEBRUARY. 33 



ERICAS. 



Heaths belong to a Natural Order which contains some of 

 the most beautiful plants of which we have any knowledge. 

 In addition to the interesting forms of their blossoms, Ericas 

 themselves may be said to comprise almost every shade of 

 colour which we could expect or desire to find in flowers. 

 We have snowy whiteness in the little hail-like blossoms of 

 the common Grandinosa ; pink and white, in charming contrast, 

 in the beautiful Metulaeflora bicolor; yellow in Cavendishii ; 

 green in Viridis ; scarlet in Splendens ; and red in species 

 without number ; and then, again, these are blended and soft- 

 ened down to every tint and shade of which such mixtures 

 are susceptible. But we have as yet no blues or violets ; and 

 it is said these should be present in every harmonious arrange- 

 ment of colours: a skilful disposition of the plants in the 

 Heathery, however, will easily compensate for the loss of 

 these ; and, of course, where Heaths are intermixed with green- 

 house plants, these colours can be supplied by other genera. 



But it is not variety of colour alone that constitutes the 

 great value of Heaths for decorative purposes. Their long sea- 

 son of flowering is another feature in this fine tribe of plants 

 not to be lost sight of; for under careful management, and 

 with a moderatel}' good collection, either one or other of its 

 many sorts may be had in bloom nearly all the year round. 

 In spring, the beautiful little purple-flowered Gracilis and 

 the sweet-scented Regerminans put forth their tiny blossoms 

 in abundance, and usher in the floral year to the Heathery, 

 while their period of beauty continues on till some of the 

 larger and finer-flowered kinds make their appearance and 

 take their places ; these, again, are succeeded by other sorts ; 

 and thus from almost the earliest dawn of spring and vernal 

 sunshine, until aged Autumn, " still and sublime," casts her long 

 shadows around us, we have some favourite greeting us with 

 a " handful of blossoms." Indeed, were it possible to take our 

 Heaths from us, and place them again in their native homes 

 at the Cape, we should be bereft of our finest ornamental 

 plants, and should mourn little less over their departure than 

 the early Highland emigrants did over their heather, when 

 they found that it would not grow with them in Canada. 



But the object we have more immediately in view on this 

 occasion is, to introduce the subjects represented by our plate ; 

 and having done that, we do not know that we can do better, 

 as the homely phrase goes, than let them speak for themselves. 



VOL. III. NO. XXVI. D 



