CONTEMPORARY WRITINGS. 
141 
across, and consist of five obcordate segments, 
enclosed at the base within a tubular calyx 
upwards of an inch long ; they are of a pretty 
bright rosy purple colour, and are produced 
from the end of June to October. 
Its compact and procumbent habit, and its 
profuse and continued blooming, render it 
peculiarly well adapted for planting in arti- 
ficial rockeries, especially if the position is 
comparatively steep, down the rugged parts 
of which its slender branches would gracefully 
decline. For bedding out it is also well suited; 
but in this case the plants, when put out, 
should be surrounded by three or four largish 
blocks of stone, or vitrified brick, over which 
the branches will spread more readily than on 
the ground. This will be understood when 
it is remembered that its native habitat is 
among rocks. 
It is by no means difficult of cultivation, for 
it grows freely in any rich soil, and propagates 
freely from seeds ; being a perennial, however, 
the young plants raised from seed do not 
flower before the second year. It may also be 
multiplied by cuttings. 
The plant is growing in the garden of the 
Horticultural Society, and was exhibited at 
one of their meetings in Regent-street during 
the autumn of the past year, when we had an 
opportunity of admiring its interesting appear- 
ance. It had been received from Dr. Fischer, 
a Russian botanist, and is found inhabiting 
rocks on Mount Keridach, in the Russian 
province of Talysch. 
The Silenes, of which there are several inte- 
resting kinds in cultivation, forma very distinct 
group of plants belonging to the natural order 
Caryophyliea3, which also includes the Sweet 
William, garden Fink, and many other 
favourite flowers. 
CONTEMPORARY WRITINGS, 
AND ORIGINAL NOTES CONNECTED WITH HORTICULTURE 
AND NATURAL HISTORY. 
Grass Verges to Gravel Walks. — 
Whoever has noticed the difference in appear- 
ance between a smooth and level turf edge by 
the side of a gravel walk — whether it be 
simply a verge of a foot or two in width, or 
the margin of a broad surface of lawn — and an 
edging of a similar kind, but which is rugged, 
and, with elevations and depressions, not fol- 
lowing any general disposition of the whole 
surface, but rugged and uneven in themselves, 
must have been struck with the infinitely 
superior appearance of the former. Of course 
this refers to a highly-kept pleasure ground, 
and not to that part of a garden which is be- 
coming fashionable, and is characterized as 
" the wilderness," where, in fact, the rugged- 
ness of wild nature is imitated — often exag- 
gerated. The disposition of the surface, in a 
highly-dressed pleasure ground, varies accord- 
ing to circumstances, from perfect levelness, 
to gentle or sometimes even bold undula- 
tions : where gravel walks pass along, they 
ought by all means to follow evenly this cha- 
racteristic disposition, undulating or other- 
wise, just as the general surface may or may 
not have this character at the parts along 
which they pass, but never should the rail- 
road imitations of "embankments" and "deep 
cuttings" be resorted to, to bring them near toa 
level. Whatever the disposition of the gravel 
walk, and the ground through which it passes, 
in this respect the edge of the turf should be 
made exactly to correspond, and every means 
should be used to keep it in this state, by, at 
least annually, adjusting it with proper wooden 
beaters, and avoiding whatever would disar- 
range it, such as stepping directly on the edge, 
or passing the wheelbarrow or roller over it, 
without first placing something to protect it 
from injury. In mowing, too, the evenness of 
the edges is liable to be disarranged by cutting 
too closely in some places ; every care should 
be taken to avoid doing so. But there is an- 
other point connected with edgings which is 
as often neglected, and which is of very great 
importance in producing a pleasing effect. 
Let those who have never noticed these things 
observe the difference between a shallow edg- 
ing, not more than an inch above the gravel, 
and a deep raw-looking edge, standing up two, 
three, or four inches from the gravel ; and if 
they have what is called a "cultivated" eye, 
they would never tolerate a deep edge in any 
position where they had any control, nor omit 
to attack them wherever they might have any 
influence. The edging-iron ought to be ba- 
nished from among the gardener's implements, 
for to their use must the majority of the deep 
raw-looking edges alluded to, be referred. By 
the constant and careful use of the grass-shears 
upon shallow edges, the grass will form a 
highly-finished slope to the gravel, and not a 
particle of raw earth will be exposed to view. 
Where these evils exist, proper remedies 
should be applied ; the edgings of turf should 
first be levelled — at least made perfectly even, 
smooth, and regular, following the undulations 
of the ground. If the edges admit of it, they may 
be beaten down or lowered to meet the gravel, 
but if they are so high as would render this 
impracticable, the gravel must be raised and 
adapted to them when they have been made 
even. One inch is quite sufficient for them to 
be above the gravel, and the gravel in the 
centre of the walk should hardly be elevated 
above the edges ; a rounded walk is very un- 
comfortable to walk on, as well as offensive to 
the eye ; and if they are well made, with a 
very slight convexity, they will be quite as 
dry as though they were much more convex. 
