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NEW HYBRID HEATHS. 
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tinning' to blossom until E. hicmcilis comes into flower. Tbo colour is a lovely purplish rose, tipped 
with white. 
The specimens from which the plate has been prepared were communicated by Mr. Turnbull in 
October last.—M. 
Among the originators of new Heaths, Mr. Turnbull, must be considered one of the most 
fortunate; for, unlike most raisers, Mr. Turnbull gets strength of constitution as well as beauty of 
flower, and hence at the same time attains two very important advantages. Mr. Turnbull’s may be 
consideied wild ciosses, his object being to get fine flowers upon strong and robust growing plants. 
Most of the raisers in this country breed from the rare and choice kinds, and hence the plants are very 
delicate, and rarely grow with freedom; Mr. Turnbull, on the contrary, would wish to transfer the 
lovely flowers of E. splendens to the constitution of E. liiemalis , and the flowers of E. aristata, Aitoniana 
and obbata to the rude growth of E. vetitricosa, and the like; in fact, he wishes to get the splendid 
flowers of the hard-wooded species and varieties upon the strong constitution of the soft-wooded kinds, 
by which means he would secure plants of easy propagation, strong growth, and great freedom of 
flowering. 
As one of the principal objects of the conductors of this work is to record, pictorially when 
necessary, the results emanating from the labours of the hybridizer and cross-breeder, whether his 
object is to improve those kinds already considered Florists’ Flowers, or by assiduous crossing to elevate 
many of our commoner plants to the rank of Florists’ Flowers, we shall always be glad to receive 
specimens from our friends, and, when worthy, give them such notice as may render them of permanent 
interest to cultivators. From the wild Pansy of our corn-fields, the splendid varieties which decorate 
our gardens and exhibition tables in early spring, have been originated. From the almost petal-less 
wild Pelargoniums of the Cape, the gorgeous broad-petaled brilliant-coloured flowers which make our 
gardens and greenhouses a blaze of bloom for many months in the year, have come. The single thin 
petaled Rose, or more poetic “ Eglantine,” of our lanes and hedge-rows, is the foster parent of the queen 
of flowei s ) and even La Reine, Geant des Batailles, Coup d’Hebe, and equally magnificent kinds, must 
own such humble origin. The gorgeous Azalea, the stately Rhododendron, the magnificent Hollyhock, 
the lovely Picotee, Pink, and Carnation, all acknowledge similar humble parentage; indeed though 
plants were perfect when originated, it is man’s mission upon earth to beautify it, and to render flowers 
and trees, and all living things, what they ought to be. A glorious mission it is, and, so far as our own 
peculiar duty is concerned, none but those who have tasted the sweets can appreciate the delightful 
allurements of cross-breeding and improving flowers. 
Theie is ^et a vast field unexploied, the little that has been attained is nothing as compared with 
what is to come. Every tribe of plants which has the primary colours, or an approximation to them 
presented in its flowers, is susceptible of immense improvement, not only in form of flower but also in 
colour and constitution of plant, and there is no reason why our Lilacs and Laburnums, and other gay 
shrubs, trees, and herbaceous plants, should not present a more gay and varied aspect, if an effort to 
improve them was rightly directed and followed up. But we are writing a dissertation on cross¬ 
breeding instead of Heath-growing, and hence must return to our subject. 
Now, it may be laid down as an indisputable truism at starting, that more Heaths are annually 
killed by kindness than by neglect; and hence the amateur cannot do better than dismiss from his 
mind all idea that they will turn sickly if they get a drop too much water, or die outright should 
they ever know the want of a sufficient quantity. We have seen plants in rude health with 
their pots covered with mosses and lichens, and almost lost amid weeds, and where they were watered 
broadcast with a coarse rose, and with no more care than a bed of cabbage plants; and we have seen 
one of the largest collections in England, in a house which cost thousands of pounds, attended with the 
most assiduous care, and scrupulously clean, almost every plant with death written on its long lank 
lean visage,—and all because some great gardener, in a neighbourhood remarkable for the humidity of 
the atmosphere, had said or written that Heaths must have the collar of the plant elevated above the 
rim of the pot, or, in other words, have in more arid situations, their balls or roots hung up to dry. 
