THE FLORIST. 
ERICAS. 
We have reason to congratulate ourselves and our readers on 
having secured, from the commencement of our work, the 
valuable assistance of W. H. Story, Esq., whose seedling 
Ericas form the beautiful illustration of this month. The 
flowers reached us in very fine condition, and were immedi¬ 
ately drawn and coloured by Miss Drake, so that the accu¬ 
racy of our plate may be relied upon. Grandis is brighter 
in colour than the representation; for the hues of nature, in 
many instances, cannot be matched with the pencil, although 
they are frequently exaggerated. Mr. Story has obligingly 
sent us a very excellent article on raising seedling Heaths, in 
which he details, with all the openness of his character, the 
plans he has adopted in succeeding seasons, and their results. 
This paper reached us too late for insertion this month, but 
it will appear in the next Number ; and well would it be for 
the pleasing pursuit of floriculture, if the same generous desire 
to impart information existed more generally among florists 
as a body. Our pages would then be rich with the practical 
results of seedling raisers from all parts of the country. 
The Cape species of this charming tribe of plants, now so 
extensively cultivated in our gardens, were introduced into 
this country about the year 1772. In that year it is stated 
that seeds of two sorts were sent to England, and that both 
vegetated. The first proved to be E. tubiflora, the other E. 
concinna. These, therefore, are the earliest of the beautiful 
Cape species of this fine genus, whose brilliancy has contri¬ 
buted so much to the beauty of our greenhouses. In 1774 it 
is mentioned that twenty varieties were sent from the Cape to 
Kew; and that from that period the accession was so rapid, 
that Miller, in 1795, enumerated 84 names; and Willdenow, 
in his Species Plantarurrif 137. But how shortcoming is this 
of the number at present cultivated in Britain; and where 
shall we set a limit to the genus! Every year adds some 
novelty to our already rich collections, which, however, even 
now exhibit too much sameness, and open up a wide field 
for the labour of the hybridist. In this field, we need hardly 
state, Mr. Story has laboured successfully, and has raised 
many striking varieties, for which, as well as for those now 
represented, every cultivator of Heaths must ever feel grateful. 
To say more now would be superfluous; next month, as we 
have already stated, we will let Mr. Story speak for himself. 
NO. XI. X 
