March 17, 1863. ] 



JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 



209 



In gardens of any extent, -where turf is extensively used, it is 

 of importance to apply it to the best effect without incurring 

 surh an additional expense as may become irksome to t lie owner, 

 or ihe chance of the turf proving a source of trouble and vexation 

 to the gardener, for it true taste is economical m any one thing, 

 it certainly is eo in the matter of living down turf; and I can- 

 not see why it cannot be done to the best effect where the scythe 

 or the machine can be used effectively. Gentle slopes and un- 

 dulations of turf generally look well, and these can be mown ; 

 but steep banks are, in my humble opinion, neither attractive 

 to the eye nor comfortable to traverse, and certainly I do not 

 believe they compensate in Eny way for the extra time necessary 

 to keep them in order. 



In natural scenery I think we shall find that where ground is 

 covered with a close herbage, the rise from low to high ground 

 is gentle and gradual, and that steep descents belong to ro„ks 

 for the most part barren; and although it is not necessary 

 slavishly to copy Niture, we ought at least to keep within 

 certain bounds and not stray too far from her teachings. 



Every year new gardens are being formed, or alteraiions'are 

 mule and, generally speaking, the whole attention is given to 

 picture-effect, with scarcely a thought a? to how that effeci is to 

 he maintained. Turf is laid just in such a manner and place as 

 requires the utmost stretch ot time to ksep it as cluee as it 

 should be. In the same way nurseries are ransacked tor shrubs 

 and trees of just such a size and height as are required for the 

 moment. Many of them die, the rest become too large in a 

 year or two unless they are severely pjnished to keep them 

 within bounds. It would be greatly to the advantage of the 

 owners to give a little thought beforehand to such matters, as, 

 in selecting subjects for planting a new garden, how important 

 it is to have young well-formed plants that are certain lo live, 

 giving in addition the pleasure of watching them grow ; and 

 also to lay the turf in sucn a manner that it can be mown off 

 quickly and kept clean, unless it is considered preferable to see 

 a man in his shirt sleeves at the everlasting task of clipping to 

 keep it short. — F. Chitty. 



STEOBILANTHES AUEICTJLATUS. 



The order of Acanthads contains many pretty stove plants cf 1 country. The plant was presented a 

 the " soft-wooded" class, which, from their affording consider- | Chelsea Botanic Garden, by Messrs 

 able variety, and from 

 many of them being 

 winter bloomers, are de- 

 sirable in gardens where 

 conveniences exist for the 

 cultivation of plants of this 

 peculiar stamp. There are 

 the Aphelandras, the Por- 

 phyrocomas, the Schau- 

 enas, the Eranthemums, 

 the Goldfussias, Belope- 

 rones, the Kuellias, the 

 Cyrtantheras, and many 

 other family groups, all 

 yielding 6pecies of a more 

 or less ornamental charac- 

 ter; and though not quite 

 so striking as some of 

 these, there are some Stro- 

 bilanths, such as S.Sabin- 

 ianus, and the subject of 

 the present notice, which 

 possess sufficient merit to 

 claim admission, if only 

 for variety's sake. 



Strobilanthes auricula- 

 tus is a vigorous-growing 

 br£n?hing plant, of from 

 2 to 3 teet high, bearing 

 stem-clasping elliptic-ob- 

 long leaves, which are nar- 

 rowed to the base, and 

 strongly auriculate; they 

 are hairy on both surfaces. 

 Ihe flowers come on short 

 axillary branches, and 

 issue as is usual in this 

 genus, from a spike of 

 imbricated leafy bracts, 

 which, having the charac- 

 ter of a strobilus or cone, 

 seem to have suggested 

 the generic name. They 

 are ■» ery pale blue, prettily 

 veined, and when a con- 

 siderable number are ex- 

 panded at one time, are 

 rather attractive. Their 

 defect is, that tbey indi- 

 vidually fall too soon. 



The plant is a native of 

 the East Indies. We have 

 no exact information as to 

 its introduction to this 



bout the year 1850, to the 

 Henderson, Pine Apple 

 Nursery, Edgeware Koad. 

 With us it has blossomed 

 in February. 



Nothing can be easier 

 to cultivate or increase. 

 It grows vigorously in a 

 stove, if potted liberally 

 into a free compost, which 

 should not be too rich. To 

 develope its ornamental 

 qualities, a good plant 

 should be grown on 

 through Bummer and au- 

 tumn, and then allowed 

 a short rest. The excite- 

 ment of additional heat 

 will then cause it lo throw 

 rut the flowering branches. 

 To produce smaller bloom- 

 ing plants, cuttings taken 

 from a nearly matured 

 growth, will usually 

 branch into flower, as 

 happened with that from 

 which the accompanying 

 sketch was taken. — M. — 

 (Gardeners' Magazine of 

 Motany.) 



S'lobi'anthes auricalatus. 



TlKETABBS IN EKG- 

 lsM. — Out in the fields 

 near the remains of Beau- 

 lieu Abbey, Hampshire, 

 stand the ruins of a build- 

 ing, now a mere pinfold 

 for cattle, called by tra- 

 dition the Monk's Wine- 

 Press, whilst the meadows 

 beyond, lying on the slope 

 of the hill, are still known 

 as "The Vineyards." This 

 term is still frequently 

 found hereabouts as the 

 name of fields generally 

 marked by a southern 

 slope, as at Beckley and 

 Hern, near Christchurch, 

 showing how common 

 formerly was the cul- 

 tivation of the Vine, first 

 introduced into England 

 by the Romans. — (Vise's 

 Xeic Forest.) 



