THE GARDENING WORLD. 10 5 
February 15, 1908. 
The JVIang-plowered Heath 
The above is a hardy Heath, a native 
kf South Europe, and comes into bloom 
ate in the season. Practically it is an 
lutumn flowering Heath, commencing in 
August or September and continuing well 
nto the autumn. In general appearance 
t resembles the Cornish Heath (E. 
-agans), but appears to be somewhat 
lwarfer in growth, rather more compact, 
tnd equally free flowering, if not more so. 
The flowers are also produced in much 
horter racemes terminating the young 
loots. A good idea of the appearance 
if this Heath may be gleaned from the 
ccompanying illustration, prepared from 
l photograph taken in the Royal Gardens, 
Cew, on the 18th September last, after it 
tad been in bloom for several weeks. 
The plant varies considerably in the col- 
ur of the flowers, being sometimes pale 
ed. Those of the plant photographed 
tere white and the anthers red. In a 
uoper Erica the stamens are hidden in- 
ide the flowers, but the Cornish and this 
pecies, as well as E. carnea, agree in 
aving the anthers pushed beyond the 
orolla, and for this reason they are some- 
imes placed in a different section or even 
; enus. 
Those who have a bed of peat will find 
nis Heath a beautiful subject and of the 
(Erica multiflora.) 
easiest cultivation, while the blossom i3 
extended over a considerable period. 
Very little labour is entailed in keeping 
a bed of such a Heath in order. The 
dead flower spikes might be shortened 
after the plant passes out of bloom, pro¬ 
vided the stems are getting in any way 
straggling, but as the plant grows slowly, 
the cutting required is very small indeed. 
During the summer season the bed would 
simply require to be kept clean. No 
doubt a good watering now and again in 
dry weather would help it, but if the 
compost consists chiefly of peat, watering 
is not particularly necessary. 
Nitrifying - - 
Cultures. ALettert » 
■-the Editor. 
Sir,—With reference to the so-called 
" purely nitrifying cultures” now being 
" boomed” by a section of the press, it 
would appear that some writers on the sub¬ 
ject have given considerable rein to their 
imagination, as for instance, where the 
Clover-stuffed bedding of shipwrecked 
sailors, having washed ashore, was stated 
to have been the means of turning an 
Australian desert into a rich grazing dis¬ 
trict. I trust you will allow me a small 
space in your valued paper to point out 
to such of your readers as may be in¬ 
terested in the subject that, while these 
nitro-cultures are by no means new to 
science, their application to practical hus¬ 
bandry is still a matter for experiment. 
And that in some cases, where tried on 
a large scale, they have not proved a suc¬ 
cess ; probably owing to the fact that 
bacteria from artificial cultures are less 
potent for good than are the bacteria al¬ 
ready abundant in all cultivated soils. I 
beg to suggest that the well-being and 
activity of these last-named micro-organ¬ 
isms — which cost nothing, being provided 
free by nature—is of first importance to 
the gardener and farmer, and that every 
care should be taken to provide them with 
sufficient light and air by means of culti¬ 
vation, as well as encouragement in the 
way of suitable manures, at the same time 
avoiding the application to the soil of all 
poisonous substances calculated to de¬ 
stroy' these minute helpmates and so ren¬ 
der the soil less fertile. 
Yours truly, 
R. Barnes. 
-- 
I learned it in the meadow path, 
•I learned it on the mountain stairs, 
The best things any mortal hath 
Are those which every mortal shares. 
Lucy Larcom. 
Erica multiflora. 
Maclaren and Sons. 
