540 



the plants before 



ERIAXTHUS 



of 



iithii 



Tlio penf 



appe 



like character of it. li . a . :■ r I,,,- i. 



Eav6nnaB, Benin-. . x ;. . ;..,, "„i /; 

 WoolGkass. I'l.riti: (ii: \~s. Ka\i:\n\ ih,\--. 

 hardy grass, 4-7 ft. high, very ornamental, either ; 

 alone or in company with other grasses: Its. vei 

 linear, pointed, band-like, sometimes violet, with a strong 



vhite rib in the center. The foliapre forms graceful 

 clumps, from \vlii.-h rise !"Ti!r iivl li-ui'Noiiie plumes, 



.s,,utli.in l:iu-M|"^ l;,n/l-' . ' : r-t. p. 490.- 



simiiy siluatinn is pi-f.-raM.-. .\l:i: 1- ir-jKigated by 

 division or by seed. It is exquisite fnr lawns, and flowers 

 the first season if sown very early. The plumes are fine 

 fur winter use when dried. 



P. B. Kennedy and W. M. 



EBtCA (practically meaningless; probably not from 

 ereikn, to break, as commonly stated). UricAcece. 

 Heath. This is the genus that the gardener usually 

 means by "Heath." The Heath or heather of English 

 literature and history belongs to the closely allied genus 

 Calluna. The next most important group of cultivated 

 "Heaths" is Epacris, which, however, belongs to a dif- 

 ferent order. Ericas are low-growing, evergreen, much 

 br.inrh.d shrubs, with needle-like Ivs. in whorls of 3-6, 

 and !,-riat iiiniil..rs of small rosy, white, or rarely yellow 

 tls., .if \\l)icli till' most important types are the bell- 

 shap'ii. till' tuliulur, and the ventricose, the last being 

 swL-lkd at the base, and then tapering to a narrow neck 

 just below the 4 spreading lobes. Erica is an enormous 

 genus, and the hybrids are past reckoning. 



Only a few of the European Heaths are hardy in 

 America, and we have no native Heaths at all in this 

 hemisphere. Of about 14 kinds of Erica grown outdoors 

 in Europe to produce large showy masses, only 3 are 

 hardy here, and it is safest to cover these with ever- 

 green boughs in winter. Tsvo others (H. Meditermnea 

 and E. Lnsil'niii-.i) iv.- grow under glass somewhat. 

 The tree H. atli ..f -i.utli.rn Europe (£. arbnrea) will 

 probnblv iHv. r b.- a feat hit of our southern landscapes. 



The lialiM.n .lavs ..f tli.' Ileathswere from about 1806 

 (wlieu tlie Eugli.sh to..k the Cape of Good Hope) until 

 the middle of the century. Andrews' colored engrav- 

 ings of Heaths (1809) marks the first flu.sh of their popu- 

 larity. Practically, if not absolutely, all the Heaths that 

 are grown on a large scale have been developed from 

 tlie South African species. The old English gardeners 

 still lament the glorious days when the hard-wooded 

 plants of Australia and the Cape formed the chief fea- 

 ture of European indoor horticulture. They complain 

 that the present generation is not willing to give them 

 the care they deserve. This is especially true of 

 America. Nevertheless, according to William AVatson, 

 of Kew (in Garden and Forest, 1892, p. 1.10), Heaths are 

 still grown in surprising quantities. Speaking of E. 

 hiiemii/is, he says: "It may be said with truth that no 

 oilier plant is grown in such enormous quantities for the 

 London market. At least a dozen nurserymen might be 

 named whose annual output of this one Heath amounts 

 to from 20,000 to 30,000 plants each." He pictures a 

 plant in a 5-inch pot, with about 1.5 shoots a foot high, 

 and loaded with perhaps 1,000 flowers. Such plants 

 sell at Christmas for about 30 cents. "The flowers re- 

 main fresh for at least a month. The popularity of this 

 Heath is thus easily accounted for: it is cheap, very 

 pretty when in flower, and lasts just long enough to 

 satisfy the masses who like window-plants and change. 

 The plants perish almost as soon as the flowers— that is, 

 all those which find their way into the window of a 

 house, or into a small greenhouse. And this accounts 

 for the enormous number disposed of every year. In 

 England A'. In/emalis is certainly one of the most valu- 

 able plants ever introduced." (In America Heaths are 

 of minor iiiiiiortance, even at Easter, and the kind grown 

 ni.ist extiiisivily for Christmas seems to be E. me- 

 Iniilhi-rn.) Watson ad.ls:"It is strange that a plant 

 which has enjoyeil an -m i |.i Iniil |.i.|mlarity in England 

 for something lik. I' ■ iiM never have been 



figured in any Eiii-'i I ' ' n- work until now. I 



have not been able in iiu . iii,_ unyiu of the plant, nor 



ERICA 



find any picture of it in any book to which I have access 

 here. Nor can any of those who have paid attention to 

 garden Heaths assist me." 



The great trouble with Heaths is the immense amount 

 of care they need. Few, if any, classes of plants require 

 more attention. Hence the growing of Heaths for the 

 market is , xtr. ni. ly sjieeialized, and there is not a re- 

 tail cataliiL-ii. in ili. country that offers more than one 

 speci.s. X. V. rill. I. ss. all the kinds described below are 

 grown .iiiiDii. 1. jall^. aii.l are of the first importance 

 inthuL-! - Til :.,:,,. lar^Tly iin|.ort.-.l fn.ra Eng- 

 lan.l. .1 ■■ II ill -It iif \aHiti<-s, and 



Fraliii i: ,.', : : I !.■ ar.i f.w i-a-.s among 



cultivaliil iiiaiLl- -liiiiiiiL' Ml L-l-rat a .lirtVr.iii.ie in the 

 three countries. The risks of nnjiortation are consider- 

 able, and the tendencies tuward American independence 

 in this line seem to be gaining. 



Another difficulty in Heath culture is the poor quality 

 of peat obtainable in America. In England the peat ia 





771, Erica hyemalis. 



400,000 plants of this Heath are sold in Lou- 



more fibrous, and has been formed in past ages largely by 

 the decay of the native heather. 



The soft-wooded kinds are the ones most grown. The 

 hard-wooded s..it- riiiuir. a I.. nger period of growth and 

 more thorougli ii].. ninu' oi ili.- wood. 



Apparently mil) mir v llow-Hd. Heath is cult, in 

 America, A', (.'./.i ..i/.s/n ...i. I'liless otherwise stated, 

 the species describe. 1 Ii.Ihh rninr fi-.nii the Cape. 



In general the Ericas .1 i -mw w. II in this climate 



on account of the extr.in.' Ii.at ..i iIh' summer months, 

 but some varieties pn.w an. I ll..w. r even better here 

 than in Europe. Thech..i.a of the .soil is very important. 

 A light peat, mixed with sharp, coarse sand is about the 

 best we can get here. After flowering, the plants should 

 always be cut down to keep them bushy at the base and 

 well shaped. They will then receive a good repotting, 

 using always very clean pots and plenty of drainage. 

 Cuttings are made from December to April, preferably 

 from young plants, the tender shoots, about 1 inch in 

 length, being best. These are planted firmly in a pan 

 filled with clean, fine sand, and covered with a bell-glass, 

 or in a box covered tightlv with a pane of glass. Bottom 

 heat is not necessary. When rooted, the cuttings should 

 be potted in small pots, and when well started should be 



