February 3, 1892.] 



Garden and Forest. 



55 



stant demand wherever good gardening was wanted, 

 whether in America, Australia, New Zealand, India, and 

 even some Continental countries. I had entertained a sus- 

 picion that the several million pounds' worth of fruit annu- 

 ally imported into England was very largely sent here by 

 enterprising Britishers who had settled in other countries 

 where good fruit could be grown at less cost than in Eng- 

 land. It appears from what is now written and preached 

 that all this is ridiculously wrong, and that we need to su- 

 persede the old-time gardeners with a new and superior 

 stock developed by means of lectures and magic-lanterns. 



London. W. Watson. 



[Of course, the way to learn an art is to practice it rather 

 than to read about it. But if in addition to this practice the 



In addition to tlie numerous species and natural varieties, 

 a number of hybrids have been raised in European gardens, 

 such as tlie attractive and extensively cultivated E. hyemalis. 

 These hybrids are generally easier grown, more robust in 

 hahh than the species, and equally Horiterous. 



In Europe, and especially in England, enormous quantities 

 are grown every year for the market for house and parlor deco- 

 ration. The general size of the plants brought to the Lon- 

 don market varies from eight to eighteen inches in lieight. 

 All are perfect in shape, healthy, and covered with flowers. 

 The kinds generally grown for this purpose and kept on tlie 

 market from autumn until spring are E. caffra, E. hyemalis, 

 E. gracilis, E. colorans, E. hybrida, E. ventricosa, E. Caven- 

 dishiana and E. persoluta alba, but many other varieties are 

 grovvm for commercial purposes. 



While the moist, equable climate of England is favorable for 



Fig. II. — A Bi-anch of the Black Oak (Quercus tinctoria). — See page ,^o. 



pupil is judiciously instructed in some of the principles of 

 the sciences related to the art, he ought to be a more in- 

 telligent practitioner and a broader man. — Ed.] 



Cultural Department. 



Ericas. 



'IPHE ornamental Ericas of the Cape of Good Hope number 

 ^ between four hundred and five hundred species. They are 

 neat plants, with closely set foliage and an abundance gen- 

 erally of small cup or urn-shaped flowers, but sometimes with 

 larger, tubular ventricose corollas with well-developed seg- 

 ments. Some are very fragrant, as the favorite white-flowering 

 E. caffra. 



the growth of Ericas, there is no reason why they should not 

 be grown to equal perfection in this country. The bright sum- 

 mers will tend to ripen the shoots well and produce flowers 

 in profusion. They do not like artificial heat, but will do well 

 in a winter temperature of from thirty-five to fifty degrees. 

 This can be had during a considerable part of the winter with- 

 out resorting to fire-heat. If kept in a cool and somewhat 

 shady position during the hottest part of the summer, they are 

 not likely to be injured by the extremities of the climate. Sys- 

 tematic cultivation is, however, essential ; and it would hardly 

 pay to go through all the details with a small number of plants 

 in order to grow them for the market to perfection. Cultiva- 

 tion for commercial purposes is likely to be profitable only 

 when carried on on a large scale. 



Without giving a list of the most desirable kinds, it may be 

 said that, in addition to those already named, there are many 



