growing on
the small terraces of the Rock Garden they are equally useful. And of
all these dwarf Heaths more can be said in favour of _E. carnea_ than of
any other species. It is not only absolutely hardy, but it flowers with
astonishing freedom at a time of year when flowers are particularly
cherished. Its flowering, of course, somewhat depends upon the weather,
but frequently one may see its bright rosy bells almost as soon as
January comes in. By the end of February the entire plant is a mass of
beautiful colour, and for two or three months longer they retain their
freshness no matter what weather may occur. So free-flowering is this
Heath that its flowers literally cover it. _E. carnea_ is one of those
plants (and there are many of them) which, although perfectly well
known and quite common, are still not used in gardens so freely as they
ought to be. The majority of our early-flowering plants bear flowers
that are either white or yellow, so that the rosy-red colouring of this
Erica makes a welcome change. However freely it might be planted it
would never become wearisome or out of place, for its tints, though
bright and warm, are not harsh. Statements have been recently published
to the effect that _E. carnea_ is a British plant. This idea appears to
have originated with Bentham, the botanist, who regarded _E. carnea_ and
_E. mediterranea_ as the same species. Following out this idea, he
included the plant which has already been alluded to as a form of _E.
mediterranea_, which is found in Western Ireland, in his Flora of
Britain as a form of _E. carnea_. Possibly he was right from the
standpoint of the botanist, but the plant grown in gardens and nurseries
as _E. carnea_ is quite distinct from _E. mediterranea_. It is usually
not more than 6 to 8 inches high, and is a native of the mountains of
Central Europe.

[Illustration: _WHITE SCOTCH HEATHER (Erica cinerea alba)._]

_E. cinerea_ (Scotch Heather).--Over almost the whole of these islands,
from the Highlands of Scotland to the moors of Devon and Cornwall, this
Heath occurs more or less abundantly. During the late summer and early
autumn--it flowers from July onwards--it covers miles of Exmoor with
bright-purple colouring, being usually associated with one of the dwarf
autumn-flowering Gorses (_Ulex Gallii_). In gardens it has produced
several forms, the two most brilliantly coloured being
_atrosanguinea_ and _atropurpurea_, but all the forms of this Heath
are