520 



THE DICTIONARY OF GARDENING, 



Erica continued. 



alternate or verticillate, rigid, small. Cape Ericas are 

 among the most beautiful of decorative cool-house plants. 

 A great diversity in colour and form of flower, marks 

 the genus as now represented in gardens. The type of 

 form of corolla in a large number of species is shown 

 at Fig. 718. Probably no class of plants require more 



PIG. 718. URCEOLATE COROLLA OF ERICA. 



careful attention for their successful cultivation, than 

 do the majority of the species of the hardest-wooded 

 Heaths. Many of these are not now in cultivation, 

 their places being filled by numerous kinds of hybrid 

 origin. Some of the softer-wooded kinds, such as caffra, 

 colorans, gracilis (with its variety autumnalis), hybrida, 

 hyemalis, melanthera, persoluta (var. alba), ventricosa 

 coccinea minor and Wilmoreana, are grown in immense 

 quantities to supply the ever-increasing demand for useful 

 decorative plants such as these Heaths invariably make. 

 They flower principally in autumn and winter, although 

 the majority of the species blossom during spring and 

 early summer. Ericas, especially the harder-wooded sorts, 

 are liable to die suddenly from some often unknown cause, 

 though careless potting or watering very frequently proves 

 fatal to them. 



Many of the hardy species are very attractive and 

 useful for culture in peaty soil, as an edging to other 

 shrubs, particularly the dwarf E. cornea, or even E. vagans. 

 The other taller-growing species are showy when planted 

 in beds by themselves, or with a dwarf one as an edging. 

 They may be increased by division or layers, or by cuttings, 

 placed in sandy peat, under handlights, in autumn. 



PROPAGATION. Heaths may be readily grown from seed, 

 a method which is, however, now seldom resorted to except 

 for the raising of new varieties, the most commonly prac- 

 tised means for their propagation being that of cuttings. 

 These are obtained from the points of the twiggy ripened 

 shoots about the lower parts of the plants. The soft- 

 wooded varieties, which commence to make new growth 

 early in the year, will be found to yield good cuttings 

 before the others, that are later in flowering, and con- 

 sequently do not start growing again quite so early as 

 the softer kinds. The cuttings should be about lin. long, 

 and, after the lower leaves have been carefully removed, 

 be inserted rather closely in pots, which should be filled 

 with two-thirds of crocks, the remainder being fine sandy 

 peat with a layer of clean silver sand on the surface, and 

 covered with a bell glass, or placed in a close-fitting hand- 

 light. After being once well watered, they should be placed 

 in a temperature of about 60deg. The glasses will require 

 to be rather frequently wiped dry inside, and any appear- 

 ance of mould or damp on the cuttings must be sought 

 for, and immediately removed. When growth commences, 

 air should be very gradually admitted, and the young 

 plants exposed to more light. They may be stopped, and 

 remain in these pots until early the following spring, when 

 they should be potted singly, and grown on. The same 

 remarks apply to all greenhouse Heaths; the hardest- 

 wooded ones are inserted ' later in the season, and are 

 the most difficult to increase. 



CULTIVATION. The soil used for potting Ericas, at any 

 stage, must be good fibrous peat, broken in small lumps, 

 with nearly one-third of clean silver sand added. Thorough 

 drainage is at all times essential ; and, to keep the compost 

 open, the admixture of a few pieces of crock, broken 

 fine, is advisable. The plants should never be allowed 

 to become pot-bound, especially when young. The roots 



Erica continued. 



are seldom altogether inactive; and the best season for 

 repotting any that require it is as soon as new growth 

 commences in spring, or, with established late-flowering 

 sorts, early autumn. The balls should not be disturbed, 

 excepting what becomes absolutely necessary in removing 

 the crocks ; and the new soil should be rammed as firmly 

 as the old, to prevent water passing more freely through 

 one part than another. It is also very important that 

 the ball should not be placed low enough to allow the 

 stem of the plant to be buried. This condition alone, 

 when neglected, is liable to cause the death of any number 

 of Ericas. Anything approaching a close atmosphere 

 must, at all times, be avoided, as this encourages the 

 development of mildew on the leaves. When the plants 

 are established in the summer months, a cold frame is 

 the best place, and too much light and air cannot be 

 given. Indeed, in dry open weather, the sashes are better 

 removed. With the hard-wooded sorts, care must be 

 taken to prevent water lodging amongst the leaves, or 

 damping will result. The pots should be plunged in 

 summer, to prevent injury to the tender roots. Exposure 

 of established plants to sun and air, from the latter part 

 of July till the end of September, tends greatly to ripen 

 and solidify the growths, thus causing the greater pro- 

 duction of flowers. For wintering Ericas, a span-roofed 

 house, with plenty of light and available means of ven- 

 tilation, is most suitable. They dislike fire heat, and it 

 should never be applied, except to keep out frost, or 

 occasionally to expel damp. A temperature of 40deg. 

 in severe weather will be more suitable than one higher ; 

 and when it is mild, plenty of air should be admitted. 



Watering is a matter of great importance at all seasons, 

 perhaps more so than with any other class. of plants. If 

 possible, soft rain water should always be used, or some 

 that has been exposed to sun and air in an open cistern. 

 The plants must never be allowed to become dry ; and, 

 on the other hand, too much water, especially with indi- 

 viduals in bad health, is equally injurious. They should 

 be examined each time, and watered according as experi- 

 ence alone can teach. The use of hard water, which 

 invariably contains lime, often proves destructive, and 

 should be avoided if possible. Where none but hard 

 water is available, it may be made more suitable for 

 Heaths by placing a bag of soot in the tank or tub, 

 where it is kept. 



The best time for pruning is as soon as the flowering 

 season is over. The softer-wooded and freer-growing 

 kinds should have all their strongest shoots shortened 

 back to within an inch or two of their bases, and all 

 the weaker ones should have their tips removed. In 

 some cases, it will only be necessary to shorten a few 

 of the strongest ones to induce a symmetrical habit. 

 Some of the slow-growing sorts rarely require pruning 

 at all. Heaths are seldom subject to attacks from insect 

 pests mildew being the disease to which they are most 

 liable. This may be destroyed by dusting the affected 

 part with flowers of sulphur, previously moistening the 

 plant. It may be allowed to remain on the plant for 

 several days, and be then washed off with clean water, 

 taking care not to allow any sulphur to get in the soil. 



In addition to the following enumeration, it may be 

 stated that the number of hybrids and varieties now in 

 cultivation is very considerable, and limited space deters 

 us from describing more of them. Indoor treatment is 

 required except where otherwise stated. 



E. Aitonia (Alton's).* ft. pale red, or nearly white, terminal, 

 three to four together ; corolla viscid, with a cylindrical tube lin. 

 long, which is ventricose at top, with large ovate segments. June 

 to September. I. three in a whorl, linear, serrulated, erect. 

 h. 2ft. 1790. A slender branching species. SYN. E. Aitoniana. 

 See Fig. 719. (B. M. 429.) 



E. A. superba (superb). An improved form of the type, with 

 larger tubes, anil a more compact habit of growth. 



E. A. turgida (turgid), rf. in terminal umbek ; tubes swollen at 



