A S H O R T D I S S E R T A T I O N , & c .
ANTECEDENT to the year I TT¿, the few species of this, now so numerous Onus, known in our Tiritish gardens, were,
the E. vulgaris, E. Tctralix, E, cineria and E. vagatis native*J the E. Dabuicii, from Ireland; the E. arbórea introduced in
1748, from Madeira; [he E. herbácea or carnea m Ufia, from Switzerland; the E. mediterránea in 1 705, from Minorca,
and the E. scoparia, E. viridi-purpurea, E. australis, E. ciliaris and E. umbellata, from Portugal, between the year* 17<¡» and
1707. The two other European specie* we possess, the E. stricla and E. multiflora, natives of SPUN, have been but twelve
years in cultivation with us. Of the African species, found within the district of the Cape of Good Hope and the adjacent
territory, which have swelled the Genua to so great an extent; and which, hut as an echo to the general voice, may be said
to contribute, by the extreme brilliancy of the flowers of these species, more than any other, to the present splendor of our
green-houses, were unknown, till the above tera, to our English botanists, but by name. In the year 177 I seeds of two
species were received, at the Hammersmith nursery, from the Cape, both of them vegetated; the first which flowered,
proving the E. tubiflnra, of the Sp. Plant, of Linnams; the other, from the resemblance it bears to the Spruce Fir, was
then named E. abietina; hut since, altered in the Kew catalogue, to E. eoncinna. Two years subsequent, 1774, Mr.
Francis Masson, botanical collector to His Majesty at the Cape, laid the foundation for the celebrity of that superb collection
at Kew, which for many years, with unrivalled lustre, far outshone all other*, particularly by the number and variety of
this most beautiful tribe' uf plants: for which wc refer to the second Vol. of the catalogue of that garden; where the E.
curviflora, E. lútea, E. cruenta, E. persoluta, E. baccans, E. marifolia, E. abietina, E. corifolia, E. panieulata, E. cmpetrifolia,
E. spum>sa, E. capitata, E. conspicua, E. eerinthoides, E. visearía, E. Plukenetii, E. l'etiveri, and E. pciiolula,
are all stated to have been of that year's introduction. From this period, till within these few years, the accession was so
rapid, that it would be difficult, nay nearly impracticable, to ascertain the precise date when most of the remaining species
were introduced; as many different collectors were about this lime, or shortly after, producing in their collections new
species to which they each claimed the honour of priority of introduction; the enumeration of these, therefore, in succession
would be but a list of names, and in no way illustrate the present subject. It will be nothing relevant to our purpose, to
know how many Ericas were enumerated by Petiver, Plukenet, Hermann, Oldcnland, Ray, &c. &c. j as, before Linnieus
had, by his mode of classification, determined the precise limits of the Genus, the confusion that then pervaded all the elder
Botanists is such, that any comment from them, would rather perplex, than elucidate. Wherefore, beginning with the
Syslema Natura? of Linnaeus, Vol. H. of 1 767, including the European species, lie there enumerates but 42; and Dahlgren,
in 1771', edited a dissertation, under his eye, on the genus, containing a catalogue ol 5S names from Rergius, the Mantissa,
Sec. Thunberg returning from Africa in 1772, added 13 to the number; all of which were inserted in the Suppletncutum
Plantarum of 1791- From this last work, and some other sources, Murray has, in his Syst. Veg. of 17B4, made upa
Catalogue of 71 names. The last to be noticed, till the appearance of the Hon. Kew. is, the Dissertatio de Erica; published
under the inspection oí Thunberg, in 1785, with a list and descriptions of 91 species. In the year 1"89, a Catalogue of
the plants cultivated in the Roy at Gardens at Kew, was published by Mr. Alton; where, 41 Heaths are to be found in the
9d Vol.; and four in the addenda at the end of the 3d, making in all 45. Martyn in his Edition of Miller's Dictionary,
fasciculus of 1795, article Erica, enumerates but 81. Willdeñow, collating from all the foregoing, and assisted by his
friend Wendland, of the Royal Gardens at Herenhauscn, Hanover; has mounted the list to 137, in his Species Plantarum,
now publishing in continuation at Berlin. This, however, as will appear by the catalogue,, falls far short of the number,
wc have now, in actual cultivation in Britain. From the gTeat number of beautiful specimens lately received by G. I lihbert,
Esq. many of which were accompanied by seeds, now living plants, contributing to the present richness of the extensive
and superb Collection of that Gentleman at Clapham, and brought from the Cape of Good Hope by Mr. Nivcn, who was
employed for the only purpose, of amassing the vegetable treasures of that country, to enrich the Clapham gardens, and
herbarium ; as well as, from the numberless importations, by different hands, of seeds, since we have been in possession of
that territory; a fair conjecture may be made, that the Genus is not bounded, by double the number of species with which
we are at present acquainted. Few, if any, of the species but have been increased by cuttings; which has occasioned the
total disuse of propagation by layers; wherefore, the only methods we shall treat of, is this, and from the seed. The
process for the making, and planting of the cuttings, 'is as follows. Let a middle sized pot be prepared by filling
it, within three inches of the margin, with small hroken potsherds, or some such matter; to the end that, a constant
and ready drain may be gained for the water, which it will be necessary to give the cuttings, at any time the earth,
&c. shall appear dry on the surface. Then consulting the list given with" Volume 1st, take a sufficient'quantity of sandv
loam, sandy peat, or common sand, or a mixture of any of them finely sifted, to fill the pot up to the margin, and
press it lightly with the hand; thus prepared it is fit In receive the cuttings. These must be taken about an inch long,
or shorter, according to the nature and season of ihc plants making their fresh branches, from the smallest and tenderes!
shoots; culling oil" the leaves from two-thirds of their length close to the shoot; for which a pair of small scis^ars
is the most convenient. When a few are thus made ready, for not manv should he cut at a time, lest they wither before
they can be planted, with a small piece of wood, lapered to a point, dibble them into the pot; fixing the lower end of the
cutting as firm as possible. When the pot has been thus filled with them, al about half an inch distance each way,
leaving a clear half inch from the inner edge; cover them with a small bell-glass, procured as near as possible to lit within i'ls
inner lini, then place it under a large hand-ulass, or frame, where it must he kept from the stronger rays of the «nn, until
the cuttings are rooted. Some time after tins has taken place, which will be known by their growth, the small bell-glass
must be first removed; ahout a week after, the pnt may be taken from under the large hand glass, and the plants .-xpnscd
to the open air, in the shade ot a north wall, or in winter put in the shadv part of the grcen-hoTisv, to protect them from the
sun and wind, till they are removed into separate pott. The seeds of some species, which ripen in this country, as well as
those which may be procured from the Cape, may be sown about the middle of March, in pots, prepared in the same way
as directed tor cutting!J with this exception, that the earth he invariably sandv pea! linelv sifted; the seeds should l„- covered
so slightly, that ihcy may he but just vomica led; when covered, they must lie watered'with a Wltering-pot whose rose, or
head should admit of a passage lor the water, only as a light dew; lest the seeds be all thrown together, or washed out the
side ol the pot. Both plants from Cuttings, and seedlings, may be removed wiih creater safety whilst quile vounc, than
alter they have acquired a considerable size. The smallest pots lhat can be procured*, are the best for ihe tirst transplantingin
which they should remain, till the pots are quite filled wnb roots. The earth m which all Heaths thrive most is a soft,
loose, sandy peat. That nothing may be wanting, which wc can contribute, to the illustration of the Genu-; a list k
subjoined, communicated by Messrs. Lee and Kennedy, of all those species cultivated by them at their nurserv, Hammersmiths
unquestionably, the most extensive collection, of living plants, of everv denomination, now in Europe.