KALMIA 



HEATH OBDEB 



KALMIA 583 



is also one called bicolor which bears both 

 white and purple flowers, both colours 

 occasionally in the same flower. 



Culture and Propagation. — Grown in 

 masses St. Dabeoc's Heath is a charming 

 ornamental shrub, and may be used with 

 other peat-loving shrubs, many of which 

 belong to the same order. It may be 

 grown in moist, peaty soil with a little 

 loam, and may be increased by layering 

 the branches in autumn ; by cuttings of 

 the young shoots in spring under a 

 hand-glass ; or by seeds sown under glass 

 in spring or autumn, although plants thus 

 raised vary somewhat in character. 



KALMIA (American Laurel). — A 

 genus containing 6-7 species of beautiful 

 evergreen shrubs with opposite, alternate 

 or verticillate entire leaves, and flowers 

 in axillary or terminal corymbs or ra- 

 cemes. Calyx 5-parted. Corolla broadly 

 bell-shaped, or rather hypocrateriform, 

 5-lobed, with a funnel-shaped tube having 

 10 pits or hollows into which the anthers 

 of the stamens fit. Stamens 10, with 

 filaments at first bent backwards. 

 Ovary roundish, 5 -celled. Capsule erect. 



Culture and Propagation. — Kalmias 

 are among the most beautiful of orna- 

 mental shrubs. They like partially 

 shaded spots and moist, sandy, peat soil, 

 and may be associated with Ehodo- 

 dendrons. The plants also flourish in good 

 and deeply dug loamy soil to which large 

 quantities of leaf-mould have been added. 

 Lime is more or less injurious to these 

 plants as to Ehododendrons and many 

 other plants of the Heath order. Its 

 presence may be detected by taking a fair 

 sample and pouring a little vinegar or 

 sulphuric acid (or vitriol) on it. A fizzing 

 noise will signify the presence of lime in 

 the soil, otherwise there will be no appa- 

 rent action. By mixing samples of the 

 soil in rain or distilled water, or water 

 which has been well boiled, and then 

 blowing into it with the breath by means 

 of a pipe or a straw, the water will assmue 

 a milky colour should liine be present, but 

 it will remain more or less clear if lime is 

 absent. A good mulching of well-decayed 

 raanure, or a mixture of fresh peat and 

 leaf mould placed on the surface of the beds 

 around the plants will be of great benefit 

 and may be applied every winter. They 

 may be increased by sowing the minute 

 seeds in shallow pans of sandy peat in a 

 cold frame as soon as ripe or in«spring 



(the seeds require no covering of soil, but 

 a sheet of glass over the pots or pans will 

 greatly retard evaporation from the soil 

 and keep a moist atmosphere) ; by cuttings 

 of the young shoots under a bell-glass in 

 sandy soil in spring; or by layering the 

 lower branches in autumn. 



K. angustifolia {Sheep Laurel). — A 

 pretty Canadian shrub 2-3 ft. high, with 

 bluntly oblong leaves 1-2 in. long, mostly 

 in twos or threes. Flowers in early 

 summer, purple or crimson, in lateral 

 corymbs. The variety pv/mila is a dwarf 

 and more compact plant ; ovata has larger 

 oblong or ovate glossy green leathery 

 leaves ; nana is a dwarf compact-growing 

 form usually not more than a foot high ; 

 and rubra has very deep coloured flowers. 



Culture Ac. as above. 



K. cuneata. — This is a recently de- 

 scribed species not yet known in British 

 gardens. It is a native of N. Carolina, 

 and grows into a deciduous shrub 2-3 ft. 

 high with slender straggling stems and 

 ovate wedge-shaped leaves. The flowers 

 are about f in. across, creamy-white with 

 a broad light red band at the base of the 

 limb. 



CultvA'e do. as above. 



K. glauca. — A native of Canada 1-2 

 ft. high, with narrow-oblong, nearly sessile 

 leaves, opposite or in threes, about 1 in. 

 long, glaucous-white beneath. Flowers 

 in April, lilac-purple, over ^ in. across, 

 borne in clusters at the ends of the shoots. 



Culture Ac. as above. 



K. hirsuta. — A vigoroiis hairy shrub 

 about 1 ft. high, native of Virginia, 

 Florida &c. Leaves nearly sessile, 

 flattish oblong or lance-shaped, j-J in. 

 long. Flowers in summer, rosy-purple, 

 about 5 in. across, scattered and axillary. 



Culture Sc. as above. This species 

 seems to have dropped out of cultivation 

 in the British Islands. 



K. latifolia {Calico Bush). — An ele- 

 gant N. American shrub 8-10 ft. high, 

 with bright green, stalked, oblong or elliptic- 

 lance-shaped leaves, alternate or some- 

 times in twos or threes. Flowers fi:om 

 May to July, rosy to white, crowded in 

 corymbs at the ends of the branches. 



Culture amd Propagation. — This 

 species is sometimes forced iu green- 

 houses in early spring. Well-budded 

 plants are potted up in winter, and 

 brought in to gentle heat as required. 



