THE HEATHER IN THE BRITISH COLONIES. 



to suit the constitution of the Ericas very poorly. We 

 have no Ericas in cultivation here, and Scotch Heather 

 (Calluna vulgaris) is only seen as herbarium speci- 

 mens. 



"A wet, almost frostless winter and spring, and a 

 dry summer, with a deep, sandy soil white sand 

 and thorough drainage, evidently suit Cape heaths bet- 

 ter than anything else." 



In India 



Mr. H. St. John Jackson, editor and proprietor of 

 "Indian Gardening and Planting," in Calcutta, re- 

 plies as follows : "The Scotch Heather is unknown 

 in this country. Occasional attempts have been made 

 to introduce it here, but these all proved failures. On 

 the hills (Himalayas and Nilgiris) the plant is grown 

 as an interesting exotic. So far back as 1854 the 

 Erica speciosa was raised from seed and produced 

 flowers ; but at the present time the heaths are prac- 

 ticallv unknown out here." 



57 



