1852.] THE PHILADELPHIA FLORIST. 103 



l^ed by sea breezes they luxuriate there and enjoy salubrit}' of climate Wj 

 r,° more physically adapted to their character than is indicated by the ca 

 scale of degrees on the thermometer. Attend to the peculiarities 

 which make up the character of the climate of the Cape, and you 

 must fall into the method of cultivating these beautiful and desira- 

 ble plants. All gardeners who ever cultivated Heaths in Europe 

 know that they are impatient of artificial heat, and yet will shrink, 

 shrivel and perish at the slightest touch of frost. They will not suf- 

 fer an over supply of water for their roots cannot absorb it, and the 

 overcharged vessels rot and decay. Their roots are minutely fibrous 

 and will not suffer to become dry, for although their foliage is small, 

 it is densely crowded on their hard woody branches, and evaporation 

 exhausts the supply of moisture quickly and effectually. The Erica 

 Australis, a striking and beautiful shrub adorns the lawns of Ireland 

 in a moist situation and not too much exposed to the sun's rays, but 

 when the thermometer falls to 10 Q or 8°, the tops of the shoots are 

 nipped and damage materially the appearance of the plant. E. Med- 

 iterranean is not so tender; it remains seldom affected by the severest 

 frost common to the climate of that temp2rate island. In the lati- 

 tude of London, I have seen the stems of heaths rent up by the se- 

 verity of the frost. This result of intense cold is not understood by 

 many, it arises from the expansion of the sap in the vessels, which 

 when it attains a certain degree of expansion ruptures the cells no 

 longer able to contain it. These species hardy and indigenous in 

 Great Britain and Ireland are not so here, and the distribution of the 

 genus Erica is quite limited and local. Erica Mackaii is found in the 

 west of Ireland, and no where else in that country — nor has its iden- 

 tity with any species found in any other country been clearly shewn. 

 In cultivating Heaths then, care must be taken to prevent their being 

 frozen or saturated with moisture, or heated beyond a certain tempera- 

 ture by artificial heat, not to allow them to flag with drought, or at 

 all events to become perfectly dried in the pot, if such occurs they 

 are "gone coons." The soil generally recommended is Jersey peat, 

 or as we used to call it "peat" before we knew much about Jersey. 

 However, some old gardeners not to "the manner born" amuse them- 

 selves by letting us see how they can grow them without black dirt 

 as they term it. No art admits of so much latitude being given to 

 stubborn practitioners as Horticulture. We may grow plants in brick 

 dust if we apply the proper special manures, (according to the Trans- 

 action of the British Agricultural Society.) — But to do it well, we 

 must do it as those do, who have proved their familiarity with the 

 subject of cultivation. Peat then, and sand is the compost most gen- 



£ 



Q^ erally recommended, and this must be compressed closely about the 

 ' 2 root3, resting of course on efficient drainage by potsherds, with a lit-Gj 



