i87y.j 



AND HORTICULTURIST. 



263 



Palm is to the Arabs. B. flabclliformis, the j 

 Tala, Palmyra or Contar Palm forms extensive \ 

 forests on both coasts of the Persian Bay, also 

 along the coast of Malabar and on the banks of 

 the Indus ; on the coast of Coromandel as far as 

 Madras ; the North of Ceylon ; the Sunda Is- 

 lands ; the Moluccas and so forth, thus occupy- 

 ing about a quarter of the circumference of the 

 Earth between 10° S. and 30" N., and between 

 54° and 140° E. L. On the peninsula of Jatfna, 

 Ceylon, it is estimated that upon about thirty- 

 three square miles upwards of six millions and 

 a half of this Palm grow, furnishing the main 

 sustenance to beiween six and seven millions 

 of people. The adaptability of this precious 

 tree to various purposes is almost unlimited. 

 A poem in the Tamil language mentions 801 of 

 them. 



The Date Palm with about twelve species, 

 growing in Asia and Africa, and of which the 

 Phoenix dactilifera is the best known is cultiva- 

 ted since time immemorial. It is supposed to 

 be derived from the East Indian species, the 

 Ph. sylvestris. Though not cultivated in India, 

 yet there are nowhere such vast forests of it found 

 as on the Delta of the Euphrates, which probably 

 is the home of this providential tree. The 

 manifold uses of this palm are too well known 

 to need repeated enumeration ; suffice it to men- 

 tion that the sap of Ph. sylvestris is so rich in 

 sugar that one tree yields from seven to eight 

 pounds of it annuallj'^ and that the yearly produc- 

 tion in Bengal alone amounts to about one 

 hundred million of pounds. 



To describe all the palms which so largely 

 constitute the wealth of the tropics and supply 

 so bountifully the means of life and commerce 

 to the inhabitants of the warmer countries 

 would require volumes, and this enumeration of 

 a few of the most useful and interesting ones is 

 expected to induce some of your readers to seek 

 for more information elsewhere. 



CULTIVATION OF CAPE HEATHS. 



BY JOHN FYFE, MOUNT AUBURN, BOSTON, MASS. 



The Cape Heath genus, Erica, is esteemed 

 by all lovers of Flora as one of the finest of 

 greenhouse plants, and should be found in every 

 collection of any extent. I however, find it a 

 prevailing idea in this country that the Heath | of them before placin 



is not so great a variation. The atmosphere 

 here is quite as pure as that of the Cape, and the 

 Solar Heat does not differ so much as to ma- 

 terially effect that beautiful tribe of plants if they 

 are tended with care and unremitting attention. 

 I have been with the late Mr. MacNab, of the 

 Royal Botanic Gardens, E(Unburg,for a number 

 of years. He was, I may say, the first and 

 greatest of Heath growers, for I have never 

 seen his fine specimens eclipsed either in Scot- 

 land or England. I have thought a few hints of 

 his superior modes of treatment might be useful 

 for your excellent magazine, and stimulate 

 growers of plants is this country to patronize 

 this unique and beautiful tribe of plants. 



The first and most important part of growing 

 the Cape Heath, is the nature of the soil \ it must 

 contain a considerable quantity of pure white 

 sand, say one-fourth part of a whole mixture will 

 not be too much. The soil itself must be of a fri- 

 able nature, not that spongy bog peat, but that 

 found on high lying groiind, which in Scotland is 

 generally to be found mixed with fine white 

 sand; but where this important ingredient is 

 wanting, it can be replaced by pounding good 

 free stone, and mixing it with the soil to 

 the extent recommended above. The plants 

 are also greatly benefited by a quantity of free 

 stone broken into small pieces and mixed in the 

 soil, and also in the process of repotting pieces 

 of the size of two or three inches of the same 

 materials placed around the ball as the soil is 

 filled into the pot. The value of these stones 

 is very great in the process of growing, the Cape 

 Heaths, as in many instances they suffer from 

 over moisture, when these stones help to absorb 

 and again give out the moisture to the roots. 

 If the cultivator resides in a very dry atmos- 

 phere, keeping the plant the whole year in 

 a greenhouse is important. Shelves ought to 

 consist either of stone or slate slabs, as wood is 

 very injurious to the plants in absorbing the 

 moisture from the roots of the hard wooded 

 varieties,— in particular, such kinds as Jasa- 

 miniflora, etc. The drainage of the pots or tubs 

 is also an essential part of the treatment of the 

 Cape Heath. Whatever size of pot or tub is used 

 for a plant, a fourth part of it should consist of 

 clean drainage ; that is either broken free stone 

 or pots, and a nice layer of turfy peat on the top 

 the plant in position. 



cannot be cultivated owing to the nature of the I which should be rather elevated then over deep, 

 climate. This I think is not the case, as by com- I The treatment daring the summer months must 

 parincr this climate with that of the Cape, there | also differ from that of the general run of green- 



