EKICA. 2G1 



E. variabilis. — A species witli short tubular rich pink 

 flowers, produced in March and April. Native of Tasmania. 



E. Vesta. — A very fine white variety, of neat, compact 

 habit. 



K. Vesuvius, — A fine variety, with bright reddish crimson 

 flowers. 



i?. Viscountess Hill. — A superb variety, producing abun- 

 dantly its brilliant orange-scarlet flowers. 



Ekica. 



Perhaps no genus of greenhouse plants is so generally 

 attractive, or so universally admired, as that of the Heaths. 

 But extensive as is the order Ericacea, the true Heaths 

 (Erica) are only to be found in Africa, at the Cape of Good 

 Hope, and in Europe, though other members of the order 

 are found in almost every quarter of the globe. This genus 

 is generally considered a very difficult one to manage, and 

 to a certain extent this may be true, but those persons who 

 carefully and regularly attend to their plants, not allowing 

 them to suffer in any way, but rather by strict attention 

 anticipating their wants, will find little or no difficulty in 

 cultivating them. The soil must be good fibrous peat, 

 chopped into small pieces, with a liberal quantity of silver 

 sand added. The plants should be potted very firmly, and 

 as water should be given pretty freely during summer, the 

 drainage must be perfect. The usual notion that Heaths do 

 not require much water is a mistake, and there is no doubt 

 that more plants are kiUed through the want of water than 

 through having too much, that is, if the drainage is in a 

 good sound state. We have often remarked that those 

 plants whose death has been attributed to over-watering are 

 those which have at some time suffered severely through 



