HORTICULTURAL JOURNAL. 75 



For the Florist and Horticultural Journal. 



ON THE CULTURE OF THE ERICA. 



There are upwards of seven hundred species and varieties of the 

 Erica, and if any tribe of plants requires the special care of the gar- 

 dener, if any more beautiful than another, it is the Erica. The Eri- 

 cas (except a few species) are found on the Table Mountain, at the 

 Cape of Good Hope, 3G00 feet above the sea, in latitude 34° 28" 

 south, which is a hot and airy situation, and proves that the Erica 

 can without injury, bear intense sun on the foliage, but not the de- 

 structive effects of the sun's rays beating on the pot. To propagate 

 the Erica by seed, I prepare a cold frame, in size according to the 

 quantity of seed ; the soil I use is turfy sandy loam from an old pas- 

 ture, I fill the frame to about a foot from the glass, and press firm 

 and evenly down to sow the seed on, which should be in rows, with 

 each sort labelled; cover lightly with fine soil, then syringe the bed 

 over, to settle the soil, and keep the sash in until they vegetate ; if 

 sown in March they will be fit to pot in the end of summer or be- 

 ginning of autumn singly into thumb pots. After potting, place 

 them in a close frame for a few days and gradually harden them off; 

 at the approach of frost shift them into the greenhouse or heathry, 

 near the glass, in a situation where they are exposed to the genial 

 influence of the sun and capable of free ventilation at all times. To 

 propagate by cuttings is nearly as sure as raising from seed, and 

 they mostly make stronger plants. In preparing for the cuttings, 

 I take a square box 4 or 5 inches deep, I put sufficient drainage in 

 the bottom and fill up with sand and loam well mixed, and cover 

 with about i inch of white sand, and press gently down so as to al- 

 low for the top of the cutting to be I an inch below the edge of the 

 box; then lay a square of glass over the box, which may be turned 

 once or twice a day, and is much quicker than wiping out bell glass- 

 es. Cuttings may be put in at all seasons of the year, the most pre- 

 ferable months are January, February and March. Having all ready 

 for the cuttings, I select shoots which, on cutting at a right angle 

 under a joint or set of leaves, will not be bruised, but cut clean 

 through, which is a good criterion to judge from; dress the leaves 



