HANDLING HEATHER 



FOR POT PLANTS 



// you have already started cuttings of erica, here are instru^^tions 

 regarding their care, written hy an expert at them. If you haven't some 

 now, save this page, for sooner or later you will want to grow some of this 

 splendid plant for holiday sale. 



ffl 



EATHER, or erica, to give 

 it the botanical name, has 

 risen rapidly in popular 

 favor and florists all over 

 the country this year have 

 reported increasing sales 

 for this plant. The cul- 

 ture is not so difficult as 

 that of some other flower- 

 ing plants, and florists 

 may find in it a profitable substitute for 

 the azalea and other plants, the pro- 

 duction of which has been restricted 

 by quarantine. 



We place our cuttings in flats in De- 

 cember or as late as January, potting 

 them in 1%-inch pots about April and 

 May, some as late as June. 



We plunge them out in beds by the 

 end of June or July, shading them 

 somewhat. The beds should be a little 

 higher than the surrounding ground, to 

 avoid flooding them for any length of 

 time in storms, as that would 

 mean death to the young 

 growing plants, with their 

 roots finer than hair. We 

 commence repotting these 

 plants about August or Sep- 

 tember, into 2yi>-ineh or 2%- 

 inch pots. This process of re- 

 potting must be kept up con 

 tinually to insure fair-sized 

 plants by next fall. 



Potting and Repotting. 



The final potting should be 

 in aj^out 4% to 5-inch pots. 

 Tlie 2-year-old plants arc 

 sharply cut back after bloom- 

 ing and left standing in a 

 cool house until they show- 

 signs of new growth. It is 

 then advisable to repot and 

 give, on an average, pots 

 larger by one inch. Vigor- 

 ous varieties may require an 

 increase of from one and one- 

 half to two inches in shift- 

 ing, keeping them under glass 

 until fairly rooted through, 

 and plunging them outdoors 

 during July, August, Septem- 

 ber and even October. Be- 

 fore frost, remove them to a 

 cold house, where the flower- 

 ing buds will gradually de 

 velop. All ericas after bud,^ 

 have developed can be forced 

 into bloom in a temperature 

 not to exceed 80 degrees. 

 Some varieties do not require 

 €0 degrees. 



Now, for varieties. Earli- 

 est of all is Erica ovata, a 

 light lavender, sweet-scented, 

 tall and graceful-growing, 

 which comes into bloom about 



- By ANTON SCHULTHEIS- 



the end of October or beginning of 

 November and can be kept until Christ- 

 mas in good shape. It needs no heat 

 whatever. A temperature of 40 degrees 

 would be the maximum. 



Next are the Christmas varieties, 

 which are given in their order of bloom- 

 ing. Erica President Felix Faure, a 

 highly colored cerise suffused with red 

 orange tints, is tall-growing, with fine, 

 long sprays, and has flower trumpets 

 from one and one-half to two inches 

 long. Next is President Carnot, having 

 a trumpet one to two inches long, a 

 pleasing shade of pink, going into sal- 

 mon. This is a perfect and shapely plant. 



Leading Varieties. 



Next is the new variety. Erica Hiel- 

 ana. The flowers are one to one and one- 

 half inches long, of a pleasing orange 



The Erica Is a Most Attractive Holiday Offering. 



color, going into yellow, tinted and 

 shaded pink. Erica regerminans is a 

 beautiful shade of lavender, tinting to 

 pure white, and makes an excellent, com- 

 pact plant for basket-filling work. The 

 2-year-old plants are magnificent, globu 

 lar-shaped and highly desirable as 

 single plants in baskets. Now to the 

 last and most important variety. Erica 

 melanthera, or Erica fragrans. The 

 flower is cup-shaped and perfectly white, 

 with a brownish center. It is used in 

 large quantities at Christmas and New 

 Year's for all purposes. Specimen 

 plants sold up to $25 at wholesale last 

 year. 



Without forcing, in a temperature of 

 from 50 to 55 degrees, a most delightful 

 pink variety with the name of King 

 Edward VII can be kept for Easter. 

 Of this variety, 2-year-old plants make 

 most beautiful specimens. 



Next comes the climber of South 

 Africa, with its flowers of 

 deep maroon, shaped some- 

 thing between sweet peas 

 and Genista racemosa. In 

 size of bloom, it is more like 

 the latter. Ghorizema blooms 

 about the end of January and 

 through February. It is a 

 strong grower of climbing 

 habit and can be tied in all 

 shapes. 



For Easter Blooming. 



Next come the varieties 

 whicli can be easily held for 

 Easter. Some have to be 

 kept warmer to get them in 

 I'or an early Easter, such as 

 this year's. At any rate, the 

 f;rower 's judgment must be 

 his {juide in getting things 

 rif,^lit for the holiday. Erica 

 jiorsoluta alba is a pure 

 white, covered with thou- 

 sands of small, round flowers. 

 Tlie plants have a graceful 

 growth, with long branches. 

 Erica persoluta rosea is a 

 beautiful, shell-pink bell, a 

 perfect plant as to shape. 

 Erica perfecta is a pink bell, 

 new and of an improved va- 

 riety. The shape and grow- 

 ing habit are something be- 

 tween the two foregoing va- 

 rieties. 



Erica cylindrica is upright, 

 compact and a highly desir- 

 able variety. The flowers are 

 from one to one and one-half 

 inches in length and of a 

 pleasing shade of orange 

 pink. 



Next comes Erica cupres- 

 sina, one of the most graceful 



