ON ERIC/E. 
91 
the elevated part of the Cape of Good Hope, or of North America ; 
consequently being a near approach in constitutional habits to our 
indigenous plants, and by this the cultivation of them is manifestly 
easy. 
The genus Blceria naturally occurs to the mind in connexion 
with that of Erica , to which it bears some resemblance. These 
are interesting little greenhouse shrubs, and with the treatment 
recommended for Ericas will do very well: the prettiest are 
B. ericoides, B. ‘purpurea, and B. ciliaris. The Enkianthus is 
another well known and much prized genus ; a native of China, 
and a very great ornament of our conservatories. Nothing can 
be finer than the appearance of a well-grown plant of E. Quinque- 
Jlora, at the season of its flowering ; its beautiful pendulous pink 
flowers, and rich bursting buds, have a very fine appearance, 
especially in the month of February, its season of flowering. The 
best soil for this plant is a mixture of sandy peat and loam in 
about equal parts ; the plant, when shifted, should be shaken out 
of the pot, and the matted roots separated, (not cut off,) and re¬ 
placed in a pot one size larger than the last; and this should not 
be done till the plant has filled the pot with roots, as they will 
not bear over-potting. This plant requires but little water in the 
winter; the surface of the soil should be moved with the hand 
before water is given, that the cultivator may be certain the plant 
requires it; for it often happens that the top of a soil, especially 
one in which sand is a part, will appear dry from its exposure to 
the air, fire heat, sun, &c. while that immediately under it will 
be quite damp enough for all the purposes of vegetation ; and 
thus by an indiscriminating watering many plants receive an 
injury from which it is often impossible to recover them. Cut¬ 
tings may be struck, though attended with some difficulty, in 
small pots filled entirely with sand, covered with a bell-glass, and 
placed on a shelf, surrounding the pot with moss. They do 
better this way than when plunged in heat. 
Next to this is the Clethra. C. arborea is one of the neatest 
of conservatory plants. The best soil for this is peat and loam, 
with plenty of pot room ; it requires a good supply of water in 
the summer. C . Arborea Minor is a variety of Arborea , both 
covered with beautiful racemes of pendulous white flowers in the 
autumn. There are five or six other species, all pretty ornaments 
of the American borders. 
