58 



THE HEATHERY. 



evergreen and elegant habits, and from their great variety presenting t 

 the eye a succession of bloom throughout the whole year. 



Of the interesting family of erica, one of our most popular botanical 

 authors, says, " of what other genus can it be said that every species, 

 without exception, is beautiful throughout the year, and at every period 

 of its growth — in flower or out of flower — and of every size and age ? 

 Suppose an individual had the penance imposed on him of being forbidden 

 to cultivate more than one genus of ornamental plants — is there a genus 

 he could make choice of at all to be compared to erica ? Perpetually 

 green, perpetually in flower — of all colours, of all sizes, and of many 

 shapes.*' 



The cultivation of this splendid tribe was the prevaihng fashion about 

 thirty years ago, and they would, in all probabihty, still have continued 

 more generally cultivated than they are at present, had it not been for the 

 supposed difficulty in the management of them. Mr. Page, of Southamp- 

 ton, very justly obser\-es, that " a prejudice having spread that the culture 

 of these plants is difficidt, one of the greatest ornaments of the green- 

 house, has hence, of late, been neglected, although the method of culture 

 is as easy and nearly as certain as that of the geranium, but requiring a 

 little more dehcacy in the execution." Nothing can be more erroneous 

 than to assert that they are more difficult to manage than other exotics, 

 and we hope, if the following brief directions be followed, that the truth 

 of this assertion will be fully established. 



In order that our observations may be clearly understood, we will 

 divide them into the following heads : — 



Stmctnres calculated for their ^o-vytti. I General treatment when out of doors. 

 Propag-ation & treatment when young-. Soil. 

 Genei'al treatment when in the house, i Shifting. 



The general routine of culture here recommended for the genus erica, 

 is, for the most part, applicable to the genera enumerated above; but 

 as there ai'e some particulars in which they differ, such will be noticed in 

 its proper place. Having adopted the term Heathery, however, and that 

 genus constituting fully more than all the others together, added to the 

 drcujnstance that they of themselves deserve an entire house, we will 

 give them the precedence in the following remarks, and then take up the 

 management of the remaining genera as a supplement to this article. 



STRUCTURES FOR THE GROW^TH OF ERICA. 



The Cape Ericas are chiefly found indigenous, at considerable altitudes 

 above the sea, and hence, even in those latitudes, the thermometer often 



