22 E. S. Rand, Jr., on Heather in the United States. 
Art. Il.—The Heather (Calluna vulgaris) a Native of the United 
States; Katracted from an unpublished Report to the Massachusetts 
Horticultural Society ; by EpDwarp 8. Ranp, 
QUITE a sensation has been created among botanists during 
the past summer (1861) by the discovery of plants of the Scotch 
Heather (Calluna vulgaris) growing wild in the vicinity of 
Boston.* 
It has been supposed that no true Hricacee were indigenous 
to America, though the large and highly ornamental family of 
ricacew is abundantly represented by our beautiful native An- 
dromedas, Cassandra, Epigea, Cassiope, Clethra, and many other 
allied plants. 
On Saturday, July 13th, the attention of the writer was first 
called to a plant exhibited at the weekly show of the Massachu- 
setts Horticultural Society by Jackson Dawson, a young gar- 
dener of Cambridge. The plant was growing in a pot, was ap- 
meets from about six to ten years old, was half a foot in 
iameter and a little more in height; it was in full bloom, 
though the flowers were white rather than pink, owing, as was 
erwards ascertained, to its being kept from the light to pre- 
vent its Smaps ne from being transplanted at such an unfavora- 
ble season. The plant was labelled “ Native Heath, found grow- 
ing wild within twenty miles of Boston.” 
e writer, as chairman of the Flower Committee, at once 
called the attention of the committee to this plant, and notified 
a special meeting to examine the matter. The identity of the 
plant with the Scotch Heather was obvious enough, but the asser- 
tion of its being found wild within twenty miles of Boston nat- 
urally met with no believers. 
is was so incredible that many were not slow to pronounce 
it impossible, and looked upon the exhibition as an attempt to 
deceive the committee. Ata meeting of the flower committee, 
the chairman was instructed to address a note to Mr. Dawson, 
bury ). 
_ Itis well known to botanists that the region about Tewkesbury 
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