THE GARDENING WORLD, 
March 12, 1904, 
218 
Hardy Heaths. 
Surely too mucih cannot be said in praise of the Heaths, 
which are, I think, among the most charming of small flower¬ 
ing shrubs. The fact that some of the prettiest species are 
numbered amongst our British plants should not in any way 
detract one iota from their value as garden plants. 
It is said of Linnaeus', the great Swedish botanist, that when 
he first beheld our native Gorse in its mantle of gold he bowed 
the knee and thanked God for such a, sight, and to see a track 
of the bright purple Heathen' E. oinerea., or the pleasing pink 
of the common Ling, in, late summer, which occurs more or 
less abundantly from the Highlands of Scotland to the moor¬ 
lands of Devon and Cornwall, cannot but bring a thrill of 
pleasure even to one who may be annually familiar with the 
sight. 
The uses of the Heaths in our gardens are many, the dwarfer; 
kinds being suitable tenants in the rook garden:, growing and, 
filling many a rough space where more delicate subjects would 
not thrive. Again, they may be used as an approach or a 
belting to higher growing shrubs, while they are of distinct 
value when used as a carpeting for the higher growing plants of 
the .same natural order, such as Rhododendrons, a, t-hree'-fold 
effect being produced when half-standard Rhododendrons, car-, 
peited with Erica earnea, have also some of the Liliums planted 
among them, E. earnea coming in bloom in January, and con¬ 
tinuing until the Rhododendrons unfold to' the light, followed 
in summer by a display from the Liliums (a, pretty serial, in 
truth). In my opinion the best: mode of all is, if possible, to 
form a social colony of all .the hardy Heaths in a situation 
where the soil is naturally of a moist nature, but exposed-, to, 
all the sun possible, and if the whole group mentioned below 
are given a place, flowers may he reasonably looked for nearly 
all tbe year round. At the present time may be seen flowering 
profusely E. earnea and E. mediterranea hybrida, the latter 
commencing to bloom even, before Christmas; and how wel¬ 
come are the little sprays of bloom given 'by these two early- 
flowering Heaths, whose colour, though bright, would possess 
much brighter hues under stronger sunlight. 
From March till May we can have in flower E. lusitanica,, E. 
arhoreai, E. australis, and E. meditenianea,, with it® varieties, ; 
followed from June to August by E. cinerea., E. ciliaris, E. 
Tet-ralix, E. Maekaii, and E. stricta.; and, lastly, from August, 
to October we have the two most lovely species, E. vagans and 
E. multiflora,, which give a worthy ending to the whole cycle 
of Heaths. Doubtless, the 1 Heaths delight best -of all in a peaty 
soil, but it is a mistake to think they will not thrive without, 
the presence of peat, for leaf-mould added to loam suits them 
admirably. 
The stock can always be increased—viz., by cuttings, seed, 
or layering. The seedlings, no doubt, make tbe 'best plants- 
eventually, but tbe latter method is much quicker, and with 
the smaller Heaths much easier. After the plants have finished 
flowering, I think a, good plan is to relieve them of some or 
all of the withered flower-spikes, as this will induce stronger 
flowering shoots for the succeeding year. Now, we know this 
does not occur in. nature with the Heaths, but it is our privi¬ 
lege to aid, if we cannot improve, Nature, for the art, itself is 
Nature. jj jj 
Jneav Shasta Daisies.— According to “The Florists’ 
Exchange,” Luther Burbank, Santa Rosa, California, has sent 
out three new varieties of Shasta Daisy characterised by in¬ 
creased vigour and perpetual blooming qualities. One of 'these 
is named Alaska, and is said to be of a glistening whiteness. 
They average 41, in. to 5 in. across, on stems 2 ft„°to 3 ft. in 
height. The variety California in the bud and half opened 
state-has pale lemon flowers, but they gradually change to pure 
white in a day or two. The third variety is named Westralia. 
The buds and newly-opened flowers are creamy white, 3 in. to 
4 in. across, semi-double, and are produced in a bewildering 
profusion on long stems. The raiser states that plenty of room 
should be accorded these new Shasta Daisies by nl an tin ^ them 
4 ft. by 1 ft. or 2 ft. by 3 ft. apart, 9 " 
The 5 ; Fire Tree or Flame Tree of Australia, 
This tree is remarkable in many way®, but chiefly because 
it belongs to that interesting order of plants which includes in 
its ranks all of the Mistleto family, which are, as is well 
known, parasitical on other members 1 of tbe vegetable kingdom. 
Therefore we might reasonably expect that the Flame 
Tree (Nuytsia, floribunda) would also exhibit evidence of para¬ 
sitism, but as in all rules there is an exception., so in this, 
unless indeed the plant is parasitical by its roots feeding on 
the sap 1 of the roots of other plants, which has not been proved 
by any mean®', and indeed merely suspected, because of .the 
great difficulty experienced in rearing the plant in this country. 
In Mi®s North’s gallery at Kew there are two magnificent 
pictures of the tree ini flower, and 1 the description given in the 
guide added to that of the pictures is sufficient to place this 
plant at once 1 in the highest ranks of decorative greenhouse 
plants; and the difficulty which surrounds it in its early seed¬ 
ling stages ought only to be an incentive to further and more 
strenuous efforts towards success. The guide of Miss North’s 
gallery says: “ The flowers are more brilliant than fire, be¬ 
cause they are undimmed by smoke.” 
Of course, I quite realise that everyone has not the oppor¬ 
tunity of raising this plant from, seed. I am specially fortunate 
in this respect, and have three healthy seedlings just coming 
through the soil, and I consider that when we have a. chance of 
raising such an acquisition, as this plant from seed, no pains 
should be spared or any stone left unturned to get any informa¬ 
tion which is likely to enhance the chances of success. 
Can you, Mr. Editor, or any of your readers give me any 
information)regarding it? I will be delighted to receive any 
information and also to report at intervals on -the progress of 
the plants'. J. W. M. 
[The genus consists of a 'single species very closely allied to 
Loranthus, and only differing in it,si fruit. Notwithstanding 
this, two, species were said to have been introduced in 1837—- 
namely, N. floribunda, and N. ligustrina. The tree requires 
a winter temperature of 40 deg. to 48 deg. It grows to a 
height of 15 ft. to 30 ft. Fibrous loam, peat and sand are 
said to suit as ai compost. Beside® by seeds it can also be 
propagated by cuttings of firm side-shoots 1 inserted in May 
and placed in, a, c-old frame.— Ed.] 
Broccoli Veitch’s Spring White. 
To keep, up a continued supply of Broccoli and Cauliflower 
all through the year is not an easy task, and especially in 
exposed or low-lying gardens; but where tbe climate isi genial 
there is not much difficulty. I know several garden® on the 
■south-west coast where they are seldom without it. 
Much also depends on being able to obtain a good, reliable 
winter heading kind. I can well remember, thirty-five 
years ago, it was, possible to obtain good stocks of Snow’s 
Winter White, Backhouse’s and Osborn’s Winter Whites, 
which had merit. But one has not seen them worth growing 
of kite years. I gave up growing them, but finding I wanted 
this vegetable, if only small heads, for tbe table, to, make a 
change, I resolved to, tiy Veitch’s, Spring White two years ago. 
These were given an open situation. Last- year I did not think 
to look at them till the early part of February, when I was 
surprised to find over a dozen had opened and had been caught 
by frost one night through not being protected. This year I 
cut several good heads the last week, in January, and shall be 
able to continue through February and March, the same as 
last year, if the weather is mild. One of its greatest merits 
is being well protected by foliage. The leaves fall over the 
flower and protect, it. Added to this, the stock is very tine. 
Some think these winter kinds' not worth growing. But 
I fail toi see the advantage of having such a, glut of mid-season 
kinds; frequently the weather is mild in the early year, and 
if severe most kind's -are destroyed.' 
J, C., F.. Chard, 
