274 



HEATH.— ERICA. 



Natural order , Bicornes. Ericce, Juss. A genus 

 of the Octandria Monogynia class. 



" Heath, and rugged thorn, 



ft 



Delille. 



Shew the sad image of a soil forlorn. 



Dr. Anderson affirms, that wherever heath 

 abounds, there is generated, by the rotting of 

 the plant, a peculiar black earth, that is not 

 only of itself sterile, but has a powerful ten- 

 dency to make any other soil unfertile. But 

 however our native plants may be affected by 

 this earth, it is clearly known that we cannot 

 cultivate with success many of the exotic beau- 

 ties that now grace the shrubbery without 

 giving them this soil, so congenial to their 

 nature, nor can we succeed in raising our 

 native heaths without giving them their native 

 mould. 



Theophrastus calls this plant, E^Utj (ereike) ; 

 from IptKo, or l$tUoo,frango, to break ; from its 



