112 GARDENS OF ENGLAND 



are usually increased in two ways, by cuttings and 

 by layers ; the former is the more satisfactory and 

 gives the finest plants. Cuttings of tiny shoots are 

 made during late summer and early autumn, in- 

 serted in pots of sandy peat, and placed in a close 

 propagating case until they are rooted. As soon 

 as the roots are formed they are hardened off and 

 transferred to a cold frame for the winter. About 

 May they are planted in beds by themselves, called 

 " nursery beds." By frequent attention to stopping 

 • of the shoots bushy plants may be obtained in two 

 years from the time the cuttings were inserted. 

 Layering is possible at any time, and consists in 

 weighting down branches with pieces of stone into 

 loose soil. The branches should be left undisturbed 

 for twelve months, then planted in borders for a 

 year until they are placed in their permanent 

 positions. 



There are two groups of heaths, the taller or 

 tree-like forms and the dwarfer group, both possess- 

 ing characteristic beauty, and both making large 

 luxuriant groups in the garden and woodland. 

 The heath called Erica arborea is, as the name 

 suggests, a small tree, and in the Isle of Wight 

 there are examples of it thirty feet high, with a 

 trunk circumference of thirty-nine inches. Very 



