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THE GARDENING WORLD , 
February 4. 1905. 
Botanical Collecting. 
Dr. Augustine Henry, F.L.S., gave a discourse on “ Botanical 
Collecting ” at the meeting of the Linnean Society on the 19th 
ult. The actual methods were briefly alluded to, stress being 
laid on truthful labelling - of the specimens at the moment of 
collection, instead of months afterwards, when identical 
numbers were often given to plants of different provenance. 
With the aid of nearly fifty lantern-slides, he showed his 
travels in China, demonstrating that the popular idea of that 
country as one vast rice-field was fallacious, as it mainly con¬ 
sisted of vast mountain ranges cut up by deep valleys.. 
In some of the slides the home of the 1 wild forms of the 
Chrysanthemum, Primula sinensis, etc., were shown; and the 
lecturer alluded to the early history of horticulture in China, 
stating that the first botanical garden there was made 111 b.c. 
in Shensi, plants from sub-tropical regions, as the Banana, 
Areca Palm, and Orange, being introduced. Other slides 
showed typical forms of sub-tropical deciduous and evergreen 
trees; and the occurrence of epiphytes and lianes in vast 
numbers was mentioned. 
Dr. Henry said that the text-book statement that epiphytes 
of higher types than Ferns do not occur in Europe is too sweep¬ 
ing ; as in the moist warm climate of Ireland, Cotyledon Um¬ 
bilicus in Wicklow covers the trunk and branches of the Alder, 
while Rhododendrons in two cases were seen by him growing 
on the bark of Pinus sylvestris; and Pyrus Aucuparia seems 
to be a true epiphyte in various parts of Scotland and Wales. 
Dr. Henry alluded to “ mimicry ” in plants, in the case of two 
species of Lysimachia (a protomorphic genus in China), one of 
which mimicked Paris quadrifolia with four leaves, while the 
other recalled another species of Paris with ten-twelve leaves. 
He referred also to- the extraordinary richness of species on 
calcareous soils as compared with other soils, a fact constantly 
seen in China, and well marked also in France; and asked for 
some explanation. , 
In China, as elsewhere, pure woods were rare, being only 
formed by a few Conifers, like Abies Fargesii at high altitudes 
in Hupeh, Cupressus funebris in the same province at lower 
levels (the home of the Reeve’s Pheasant), Pinus massoniana 
(almost everywhere in the Central and Southern provinces), 
other species of Pinus more local; also certain species of Oak 
widely distributed; and Alnus nepalensis in Yunnan. The 
explanation of the occurrence of pure forests was also a subject 
not completely understood : e.g., in this country Ash seeded 
freely, and in some places for a time looked as if it would grow 
into a pure wood ; but apparently pure forests of Ash only 
occurred on extremely rich soil in some districts in Russia. 
With regard to botanical collecting, three stages had 
occurred. At an early period plants were collected to be 
merely named and classified ; in fact-, they were- treated like 
postage stamps. The second period began with Sir Joseph 
Hooker, who inaugurated the study of the geographical distri¬ 
bution of plants. The third period, that of the present day, 
wa-s a step forward, in that attention should be- paid to the 
plants themselves as social organisms, living in harmony and 
yet in competition together; and Dr. Henry urged that the 
time had come when the hunt for new species should cease to 
be the sole aim of the collector, and the study of the known 
species be taken in hand in their living conditions. 
He advocated map-making of small areas, census-taking, 
measurements, records of natural seedlings, soil, shade, etc., 
etc. ; and to illustrate this plan, showed a series of slides taken 
in France, the idea of which was to explain how the commoner 
species of trees behaved at different altitudes and on different 
soils. These slides included Beech, Spruce, Pinus Cembra, 
Pinus montana (which, according to Dr. Henry, often attains 
80 ft. in height and thrives on peat-mosses and on rocky soil 
so thick with boulders that practically no vegetation existed 
except- this hardy Pine), Larch, Quercus sessiliflora, and pedun- 
culata. He pointed out that these two species differed as to 
soil and situation, and complained that their areas had never 
been mapped out in England. The causes favouring the exist¬ 
ence of the two very different forms of the common Birch were 
unknown, yet in Scotland this problem could easily be 
attacked. 
The systematic botanists had only asked from collectors 
specimens with leaves, flowers, and fruit; material to be named 
and classified. Yet in trees and shrubs the winter stages were 
of extreme interest, also the seedling stage. Elm seedlings 
and seedlings showing the difference between the two common 
Oaks were not to be found in the national Herbaria, and are 
not described in books. 
Dr. Henry also referred to the small amount of work that 
had been done in regard to peat-mosses, and the great import¬ 
ance of studying the ancient forests, of which these mosses 
were—to put it broadly—the ruins. He mentioned extra¬ 
ordinary growth of trees in deep peat-mosses of the present 
day, as Alder averaging 95 ft. ; even the Oak also occurred. 
Owing to the small amount of attention that had been paid 
to -scientific forestry in this country, trees had met with scanty 
recognition from the authors of local floras ; and in some cases 
species (as the Arbutus) were put down as shrubs, though there 
was plain evidence that they attained the size and filled the 
functions of forest trees. 
Professor S. H. Vines, Mr. II. J. Elves, and Dr. Tempest An¬ 
derson (a visitor) contributed some remarks. 
Spring-flowering Ericas. 
Among shrubs which blossom very early in the year, several 
species of Erica hold an important place, for they are among 
the first to open their flowers, and they cany them in good 
condition for a longer period than most other shrubs, and in 
addition to this the blooms are not so susceptible to injury 
fro-m cold winds and frost as are- the flowers of some other 
shrubs. Another point in favour of these plants is that they 
form, when out of blossom, neat evergreen bushes, making 
excellent subjects for beds in prominent positions, groups on 
the outskirts of a shrubbery or patches on the rockery. 
Against them the argument may be raised that they are fas¬ 
tidious as to soil, refusing to thrive in ground which contains 
lime in any appreciable quantity, and also that several species 
are somewhat tender, and in the event of 20 deg. cf frost being 
experienced, they are liable to injury. This latter disadvantage 
can, however, be got over by sprinkling dry leaves and a little 
hay lightly among the plants on the approach of a severe frost. 
Other species will stand severe frost without injury to the 
flowers even. 
The best soil to use for these Heaths is that of a sandy, peaty 
nature, and in this they will grow very quickly. The species 
and varieties belonging to this section are : E. arborea, a 
native of the Mediterranean region and the- Caucasus. This 
has been grown in gardens for very many years, and is a lovely 
shrub when smothered with its pretty white campanulate 
flowers. It grows 15 ft, or 20 ft, high, but blossoms freely 
when in quite a dwarf state. The flowering period commences 
in January, and lasts until the end of April. There is a variety 
called alpina, which is much dwarfer than the- type. 
E. australis.—This is a. loose-growing shrub from Portugal. 
When mature, it is 5 ft. or 6 ft, high, the branches being few 
in number. The leaves are very deep green, and the flowers, 
which are borne freely in March, April and May, are red. It 
is somewhat tender, and should have- some protection in severe 
weather. 
E. carnea is a particularly hardy and free-flowering plant: 
it is found in Germany, Switzerland, and other places, and 
rarely exceeds 9 in. in height. The flowers are red, and borne 
from January t-o April. The variety alba has white flowers. 
It is easily grown and quickly forms a wide cushion-like mass. 
E. lusitanica in many respects closely resembles E. arborea, 
the two being very much alike when in flower. The habit, 
however, is somewhat different, the branches of E. lusitanica. 
being more plumose than those of E. arborea, while the- foliage 
is a brighter shade of green. It commences to flower in 
November, December or January, according to the weather, 
and continues in good condition for fully three months. As is 
