211 
THE COTTAGE GARDENER AND COUNTRY GENTLEMAN, January 8, 1861. 
through The Cottage Gardener, Wliat are the merits of 
this plant as a substitute for turf? I more particularly ask the 
question of those who have grown it. Opinion may be useful at 
times, but a practical result is much more so ; and if those who 
have grown this novelty would record faithfully their success or 
failure with it, we might then arrive at a just conclusion upon 
its merits. It has been represented as equal to gas, steam, 
electricity, or cod-liver oil in its usefulness ; liow far it may rival 
the first-named three of these great national boons I leave for its 
advocates to acquaint us with, but think it may possibly take rank 
with the last. Although, unfortunately, or perhaps fortunately, 
I have had no experience with that universal medicine, but I have 
had a little to do with Spergula, and therefore take this oppor¬ 
tunity of reporting upon it, and shall be glad to hear how far 
my observations are confirmed or opposed by those of others who 
have had it; for as the evidence we have had of it hitherto has 
been, on the whole, meagre and conflicting, the real merits of 
the article in question will more certainly be arrived at amongst 
the many. 
In the spring of 1859 I procured a few plants of Spergirla 
pilifera from a source said to be genuine. These I divided, and 
grew on during the summer in a bed of kitchen-garden soil; and 
in the early part of October these I divided again into small 
tufts, which I planted in a compartment of a cold pit where 
Calceolaria cuttings were being put in to stand the winter. 
These small plants I think took hold of the ground, but so 
quickly withered and apparently died away, that I felt at a loss 
to comprehend how it could be regarded as a boon to the gar¬ 
dening world, especially as the Calceolaria, amongst which it 
was planted, received no harm from the frost; this occasioned 
my inquiry about it and its results, and I may say that only one 
or two of the little plants so put in survived the winter, while 
the tender Calceolaria amplexicaulis stood pretty well in the same 
place. However, I obtained some more plants the last spring, 
and in the middle or latter end of May I divided these, and 
planted a circular bed, about seven feet in diameter, with them, 
the situation being a declivity" facing the south, and the soil 
portions of a previous flower-bed, the place being converted into 
a geometric garden. The circle alluded to was planted with this 
Spergula instead of turfing it, a kerb edging surrounding it. No 
place could be much better adapted for its prospering, and it 
did grow and look well for a considerable time, until it began to 
flower, when I could not see in which way it exceeded the 
common Daisy in appearance. Subsequently, however, these 
disappeared, and about the end of September, the plants being 
then about united, the whole, with very little exception, had 
that green velvety appearance so much lauded by its advocates, 
and I was in hopes this green velvety appearance would have 
been permanent; unfortunately, this has not been the case, for 
early in October some plants showed symptoms of dying off; 
and these being succeeded by others, there are scarce any per¬ 
fectly green patches left. Now, if this be a general feature, adieu 
to its utility as a turf substitute ; and I cannot account for its 
dying or disfigurement from any fault in the weather or its situa¬ 
tion ; the soil was deep and rich, and up to the time I write we 
have scarcely had any frost, so little, in fact, that two beds of 
Mangles’ Yariegated Geranium, in a perfectly exposed place in 
front of my window, look as well now (17 December) as they 
have done all the season : some frosts about the middle of Octo¬ 
ber did injure them, but they recovered, and have grown a good 
•deal since then; and assuredly the Spergula ought to he as 
hardy as this Geranium. But I am willing to believe that some 
part of the treatment we have given it may have been wrong. At 
the same time I may venture a doubt if any plant that will not 
accommodate itself to such a position as the one alluded to can 
ever become a good substitute for grassy turf; and though in 
my case a kerb edging kept it in bounds, I ask, What sort of an 
edge does it make when cut in a similar way to turf? Further¬ 
more, I ask, How does it endure hardships of the broom, where 
that implement has to be roughly plied over its surface to remove 
leaves and other litter ? In my case I know the scrubbing that 
it is common for grass to receive would reverse the stems of this 
Spergula so as to give it a ragged appearance; and if that opera¬ 
tion were performed just now, very little of it would be left, so 
much is it withered and decayed. If it has answered betier 
in another place, I hope the manager of it will detail his prac¬ 
tice ; but I have seen one or two other cases in which it failed 
exactly as it has done here ; so that its adaptability to all situa¬ 
tions is more than questionable, and hereafter we must regard it 
as a novelty, or for certain positions it may be more particularly 
suited for; but if the mere covering of a particular spot with a 
dense herbage of beautiful green be the criterion of merit, the 
Spergula pilifera is second to more plants than one, as Saxifraga 
hypnoides or S. tridactylites is its superior in many respects. 
But of the merits of the last-named plant I may, perhaps, have 
something to say hereafter, not, however, as a substitute for turf, 
but for covering rough places. In the meantime, let the merits 
and shortcomings of this Spergula be fairly reported by those 
who have grown it; and if it be decided by the majority of these 
parties that it is equal to all that has been said in its favour, I, 
for one, will acquiesce in their decision.—J. Robson. 
NOTES ON SOME NEW PLANTS. 
Alocasia jietallica. —This is, without a doubt, the finest 
plant of the season. It has ovate-peltate leaves a foot and a 
half long, by one in width, of a bright shining bronze colour. 
The foliage is produced from an underground tuber or rhizome; 
the flowers, as in most of the allied plants, being far less 
attractive than the leaves. No words can describe the beautiful 
play of colours on the leaves of this noble plant. It belongs to 
Aroidacese, is a native of Borneo, and was introduced by Mr. 
Low, of Clapton. 
Beloperone violacea. —An acanthaceous plant, introduced 
from Brazil, by M. Linden, of Brussels. It produces during 
winter terminal heads of gaping, purplish flowers, with white 
markings on the lip ; these remain a long time in bloom. It is, 
like some of its near relations, Justicia and Thyrsacanthus, of 
rather a bad habit, being inclined to run up with tall, straight 
stems, and lose its lower leaves. 
Ixoea jttcunda produces large heads of creamy white flowers, 
but the plant has an upright and rigid habit, which is a great 
drawback to its usefulness. It is a native of Ceylon, whence it 
was sent by Mr. Thwaites, the director of the Botanic Garden 
of Peradenia. 
Stephanophysum Baikiei. —A very free-flowering acantha¬ 
ceous plant, introduced to the Royal Botanic Garden, Kew, 
from the mouth of the River Niger. It produces large panicles 
of tubular crimson flowers at the points of the shoots, and 
smaller clusters in the axils of the upper leaves. As these 
brightly coloured flowers are produced in November and Decem¬ 
ber, the plant is one of the most useful of those sent out this 
year. It strikes very freely from cuttings, and is very easily 
grown into a good specimen. 
Coetthnea ebythrophcea. —An upright bushy plant, with 
soft, downy, ovate-lanceolate leaves. The flowers are solitary, 
only one appearing in the axil of each leaf, but they remain a 
long time in perfection, and as there is a nearly constant suc¬ 
cession of them the plant is seldom out of bloom. The flowers 
are tubular, an inch and a half long, dividing at the mouth into 
five unequal lobes ; the colour is a brilliant vermilion. But the 
most remarkable feature is the calyx. This is five-lobed, and 
spreads out quite flat; it is an inch or more in diameter; it is 
at first quite green, but as it gradually expands the centre 
becomes of a rosy colour, and only the points of the lobes 
retain their green tint. It is a native of Mexico, and for 
this remarkable plant we are algo indebted to that enterprising 
nurseryman, M. Linden. 
Draclena (Cordyline) indivisa. —This beautiful plant was 
introduced from New Zealand, by Messrs. Lee, of Hammersmith. 
The leaves are broad sword-shaped, the midrib is of a bright 
amber colour, and smaller veins of the same colour run parallel 
with it at slight intervals ; the other parts of the leaf are bright 
green. This will be a valuable addition to our collection of 
foliage plants, particularly as it may be successfully cultivated in 
a warm greenhouse.— Karl. 
NEW PRODUCT EROM BLACK CURRANTS. 
The manufacture of sugar and brandy from Beetroot is well 
known to be an important branch of agricultural industry in 
France ; but recently another manufacture has sprung up which 
has scarcely yet attracted any notice in this country— we 
allude to the production of a liqueur from Black Currants, now 
in extensive demand in France, and likely to be still more in 
request if the calculations of those engaged in the trade are to 
be at all relied on. Some of our readers may have tasted the 
liqueur de Cassis even in this country, as we believe it has been 
