retrnaty 16 1868 . ] 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER 
135 
Dipteracaxthus. —The flowers produced from one-year-old plants 
are always the finest. If cuttings arc struck in the spring they may be 
grown into plants sufficiently large for most purposes. The soil should 
consist of about equal parts of good leaf mould, peat, loam, and sand. 
They enjoy an abundant supply of water, and the temperature of an 
ordinary moist stove. Insect pests must be kept away by the frequent 
application of the syringe. 
D. Hebbsti. —This species, though somewhat doubtfully referred 
to the present genus, is perhaps one of the very finest Acanthaceous 
plants for winter decoration. If proper attention is given to stopping 
the shoots during the growing season a handsome plant will have been 
with an obtuse base upwards of 2 inches in length, deep green above, 
paler below. Flowers large, about the same length as the leaves, 
mostly solitary from the axils of the upper ones ; tube long, and enlarg¬ 
ing upwards ; limb large and spreading, five-lobed ; colour rich scarlet. 
D. SPECTABiLis (fig. 19).—In this plant the leaves are ovate acu¬ 
minate, slightly hairy, some 2 inches long, and deep green. Flowers 
produced from the axils of the leaves on the upper branches, mostly in 
pairs, large and spreading, of rich deep blue. 
D. CAULESCENS. —Certainly less beautiful than either of the preced¬ 
ing, but the profusion with which its purplish-lilac flowers are produced 
through the very depth of winter amply compensates for its somewhat 
Fig, 19.—DIPTERACANTHUS SPECTABILIS. 
formed by the end of September, about which time its flowers first begin 
to open, and continue to do so for some three months. It is a half- 
shrubby plant, producing opposite lanceolate leaves about 6 inches in 
length and about 2 inches in breadth, upper side deep green, with a 
grey band traversing the entire length of midrib on each side, the lower 
surface dull purple. Flowers produced in clusters of about five from 
the axils of the upper leaves ; tube of corolla very slender and nearly 
3 inches long, the upper portion much enlarged and pale rosy purple in 
colour, limb white, spreading, five-lobed, each lobe having a central 
notch or division. 
D. AFFixis. —Here we have another very fine plant, but still it must 
be confessed it has proved with us much less prolific than the preceding 
species. Neither is it naturally so purely a winter flowerer; this, how¬ 
ever, can be overcome by continually stopping the young growths up to 
about the end of August. Leaves opposite, ovate acuminate at the apex. 
less decided colour. Naturally this species is of a rather straggling 
habit, and will therefore require a little extra attention in the matter 
of stopping side shoots, «Scc. Leaves opposite, nearly 2 inches in length, 
somewhat oblong acuminate, full green above, paler below, slightly 
tinged with dull purple. Flowers in pairs ; base of tube white, upper- 
part large and spreading, limb five-lobed, lobes slightly crisp, purplish- 
lilac, more or less streaked with lines of a deeper hue. 
EMPLOYERS AND THEIR GARDENERS. 
As regards exhibiting, and whether the employer or the employed 
should be named as taking the prizes, your pages have contained some 
remarks from both sides. It is a large subject, far larger than it seems 
at first sight. My son has a horse of his own ; riding up the town one 
of my friends overheard two lads talking. One says to the other, “ That 
be his own hoss, but he do keep it in Mr. Snooks’ stable.” (Snooks is 
the nom do Fume of my man). If I address a label or letter to myself 
