284 GENERAL REVIEW. 



Cuttings of the young growth an inch or two in length root 

 freely in heat, and seeds germinate readily if sown as soon as 

 ripe in a genial bottom-heat of 75. 



THE HEATH AND RHODODENDRON FAMILY (Ericacece). 



A very beautiful family of flowering shrubs, represented in 

 our gardens by numerous species (and in many cases varieties) 

 of Arbutus, Andromeda, Azalea, Erica, Rhododendron, and 

 Kalmia. The plants throughout this family are remark- 

 able for their beauty when in flower ; and the strawberry-like 

 fruit of the Arbutus is also very ornate in autumn when seen 

 among the waxy bell-like flowers and glossy foliage. Although 

 much has been done in this order, there yet remains a large 

 field for the hybridiser who intelligently goes to work among 

 the Ericads. Ericas have been hybridised repeatedly, some of 

 the best of all the exhibition kinds having been either sem- 

 inal varieties or hybrids ; and the same may be said of Epac- 

 rids, Rhododendrons, and Azaleas; although in the case 

 of Azaleas numerous forms have been secured in Italian, 

 Belgian, and French gardens by perpetuating sports by grafting. 

 Indeed, Azaleas seem to " break " nearly as freely as Tulips or 

 Carnations. 



Arbutus. We have three species common in our gardens 

 A. andrachne, a native of the Levant ; A. procera, a North 

 American species of strong growth, which, like the last, casts 

 its outer bark every year; A. unedo, the common Arbutus, is 

 abundant near Killarney, and in South Europe along the shores 

 of the Mediterranean. All the species are propagated by lay- 

 ering or seeds ; cuttings also root tolerably well on a sheltered 

 north border. Although there is an Arbutus hybrida, and a 

 variety named A. Millerii, supposed to be of hybrid origin, I 

 cannot find any records of their parentage. There are double- 

 flowered, narrow-leaved (solid/olio), entire-leaved (integrifolia), 

 and curled or crisp-leaved (crispa) forms of A. unedo, all inter- 

 esting as variations. A. Croomei is a handsome large-flowered 

 form, with delicate wax-like rosy flowers ; and A. coccinea is 

 another highly-coloured form of the type, and these also may 

 possibly be hybrid or seminal varieties. The rare species or 

 varieties may either be inarched or budded on seedling stocks 

 of the common types or of A. pyrenaica. Two-year-old stocks 

 are best, and grafting should be performed in a close case, 

 taking care to harden off the plants gradually after the opera- 

 tion is complete. The union takes place rather slowly, and 



