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A SHORT DISSERTATION, &c. 
Antecedent to the year 177 2 , the few species of this, now so numerous Genus, known in our British gardens, were, 
the E. vulgaris, E. Tetralix, E. cineria and E. vagans natives; the E. Daboecii, from Ireland; the E. arborea introduced in 
1748, from Madeira; the E. herbacea or carnea in 1763, from Switzerland; the E. mediterranea in 1765, from Minorca, 
and the E. scoparia, E. viridi-purpurea, E. australis, E. ciliaris and E. umbellata, from Portugal, between the years 1768 and 
1707. The two other European species we possess, the E. stricta and E. multiflora, natives of Spain, have been but twelve 
years in cultivation with us. Of the African species, found within the district of the Cape of Good Hope and the adjacent 
territory, which have swelled the Genus to so great an extent; and which, but as an echo to the general voice, may be said 
to contribute, by the extreme brilliancy of the flowers of these species, more than any other, to the present splendor of our 
green-houses, were unknown, till the above sera, to our English botanists, but by name. I 11 the year 177 1 seeds of two 
species were received, at the Hammersmith nursery, from the Cape, both of them vegetated; the first which flowered, 
proving the E. tubiflora, of the Sp. Plant, of Linnaeus; the other, from the resemblance it bears to the Spruce Fir, was 
then named E. abietina; but since, altered in the Kew catalogue, to E. concinna. Two years subsequent, l 774, Mr. 
Francis Masson, botanical collector to His Majesty at the Cape, laid the foundation for the celebrity of that superb collection 
at Kew, which for many years, with unrivalled lustre, far outshone all others, particularly by the number and variety of 
this most beautiful tribe of plants: for which we refer to the second Vol. of the catalogue of that garden; where the E. 
curviflora, E. lutea, E. cruenta, E. persoluta, E. baccans, E. marifolia, E. abietina, E. corifolia, E. paniculata, E. empe- 
trifolia, E. spumosa, E. capitata, E. conspicua, E. cerinthoides, E. viscaria, E. Plukenetii, E. Petiveri, arid E. petiolata, 
are all stated to have been of that year’s introduction. From this period, till within these few years, the accession was so 
rapid, that it would be difficult, nay nearly impracticable, to ascertain the precise date when most of the remaining species 
were introduced; as many different collectors were about this time, or shortly after, producing in, their collections new 
species to which they each claimed the honour of priority of introduction; the enumeration of these, therefore, in succession 
would be but a list of names, and in no way illustrate the present subject. It will be nothing relevant to our purpose, to 
knoW how many Ericas were enumerated by Petiver, Plukenet, Hermann, Oldenland, Ray, ike. &c.; as, before Linnaeus 
had, by his mode of classification, determined the precise limits of the Genus, the confusion that then pervaded all the elder 
Botanists is such, that any comment from them, would rather perplex, than elucidate. Wherefore, beginning with the 
Systema Naturae of Linnaeus, Vol. II. of 1767, including the European species, he there enumerates but 42; and Dahlgren, 
in 1770 , edited a dissertation, under his eye, on the genus, containing a catalogue ot 58 names from Bergius, the Mantissa, 
&c. Thunberg returning from Africa in 1772 , added 13 to the number; all of which were inserted in the Supplementum 
Plantarum of 1781. From this last work, and some other sources, Murray has, in his Svst. Veg. of 1784, made up a 
Catalogue of 74 names. The last to be noticed, till the appearance of the Hort. Kew. is, the Dissertatio de Erica; published 
under the inspection of Thunberg, in 1785, with a list and descriptions of 91 species. In the year 1789, a Catalogue of 
the plants cultivated in the Royal Gardens at Kew, was published by Mr. Aiton; where, 41 Heaths are to be found in the 
2d Vol.; and four in the addenda at the end of the 3d, making in all 45. Martyn in his Edition of Miller’s Dictionary, 
fasciculus of 1795, article Erica, enumerates but 84. Willdenow, collating from all the foregoing, and assisted by his 
friend Wendland, of the Royal Gardens at Herenhausen, Hanover; has mounted the list to 137,°in his Species Plantarum, 
now publishing in continuation at Berlin. This, however, as will appear by the catalogue, falls far short of the number, 
we have now, in actual cultivation in Britain. From the great number of beautiful specimens lately received by G. Hibbert, 
Esq. many of which were accompanied by seeds, now living plants, contributing to the present richness of the extensive 
and superb Collection of that Gentleman at Clapham, and brought from the Cape of Good Hope by Mr. Niven, who was 
employed for the only purpose, of amassing the vegetable treasures of that country, to enrich the Clapham gardens, and 
herbarium; as well as, from the numberless importations, by different hands, of seeds, since we have been in possession of 
that territory; a fair conjecture may be made, that the Genus is not bounded, by double the number of species with which 
we are at present acquainted. Few, if any, of the species but have been increased by cuttings; which has occasioned the 
total disuse of propagation by layers; wherefore, the only methods we shall treat of, is this, and from the seed. The 
process for the making, and planting of the cuttings, is as follows. Let a middle sized pot be prepared by filling 
it, within three inches of the margin, with small broken potsherds, or some such matter; to the end that, a constant 
and ready drain may be gained for the water, which it will be necessary to give the cuttings, at any time the earth, 
&c. shall appear dry on the surface. Then consulting the list given with Volume 1st, take a sufficient quantity of sandy 
loam, sandy peat, or common sand, or a mixture of any of them finely sifted, to fill the pot up to the margin, and 
press it lightly with the hand; thus prepared it is fit to receive the cuttings. These must be taken about an inch long, 
or shorter, according to the nature and season of the plants making their fresh branches, from the smallest and tenderest 
shoots; cutting off the leaves from two-thirds of their length close to the shoot; for which a pair of small scissars 
is the most convenient. When a few are thus made ready, for not many should be cut at a time, lest they wither before 
they can be planted, with a small piece of wood, tapered to a point, dibble them into the pot; fixing the lower end of'the 
cutting as firm as possible. When the pot has been thus filled with them, at about half an inch distance each way, 
leaving a clear half inch from the inner edge; cover them with a small bell-glass, procured as near as possible to fit within its 
inner rim, then place it under a large hand-glass, or frame, where it must be kept from the stronger rays of the sun, until 
the cuttings are rooted. Some time after this has taken place, which will be known by their growth, the small bell-glass 
must be first removed; about a week after, the pot may be taken from under the large hand-glass, and the plants exposed 
to the open air, in the shade of a north wall, or in winter put in the shady part of the green-house, to protect them from the 
sun and wind, till they are removed into separate pots. The seeds of some species, which ripen in this country, as well as 
those which may be procured from the Cape, may be sown about the middle of March, in pots, prepared in the same way 
as directed for cuttings; with this exception, that the earth be invariably sandy peat finely sifted; the seeds should be covered 
30 slightly, that they may be but just concealed; when covered, they must be watered with a watering-pot whose rose, or 
head should admit of a passage for the water, only as a light dew; lest the seeds be all thrown together, or washed over the 
side of the pot. Both plants from cuttings, and seedlings, may be removed with greater safety whilst quite younsr, than 
after they have acquired a considerable size. The smallest pots that can be procured, arc the best for the first transplanting; 
in which they should remain, till the pots are quite filled with roots. The earth in which all Heaths thrive most is a soft, 
loose, sandy peat. That nothing may be wanting, which we can contribute, to the illustration of the Genus; a list is 
subjoined, communicated by Messrs. Lee and Kennedy, of all those species cultivated by them at their nursery, Ham¬ 
mersmith; unquestionably, "the most extensive collection, of living plants, of every denomination, now in Europe. 
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