THE COTTAGE GARDENER AND COUNTRY GENTLEMAN’S COMPANION, July 14, 1857. 227 
WEEKLY CALENDAR. 
Weather near London in 
1856. 
D 
M 
D 
W 
JULY 14—20, 1857* 
_ 
Barometer. 
Thermo. 
Wind. 
Rain in 
Inches. 
Sun 
Rises. 
Sun 
Sets. 
’ 
Moon 
R.&S. 
Moon’s 
Age. 
Clock 
af. Sun. 
Day of 
Year. 
14 
Tu 
Touch-me-Not (Impatiens). 
29.993—29.920 
73—52 
S. 
— 
1 a. 4 
10 a. 8 
11 a. 5 
€ 
5 
31 
195 
15 
W 
St. Swithin. 
29.990—29.834 
77—52 
S.W. 
11 
2 
9 
11 22 
24 
5 
37 
196 
16 
Th 
Rupturewort (Herniaria). 
29.992—29.737 
68—43 
S.W. 
, 08 
3 
8 
11 46 
25 
5 
43 
197 
17 
F 
Goosefoot (Chenopodium). 
30.104—30.080 
71—40 
W. 
— 
5 
7 
morn. 
26 
5 
48 
198 
18 
S 
Oraches (Atriplex). 
30.030—30.009 
77—49 
S.W. 
01 
6 
6 
0 19 
27 
5 
53 
199 
19 
Sun 
6 Sunday after Trinity. 
30.005—29.979 
76—61 
W. 
— 
7 
5 
1 11 
28 
5 
58 
200 
20 
M 
Sea Eryngo (Eryngium). 
29997—29.941 
71-57 
N.W. 
04 
8 
4 
2 20 
29 
6 
1 
201 
Meteorology of the Week. —At Chiswick, from observations during the last twenty-eight years, the average highest and lowest 
temperatures of these days are 73.7°, and 51.3°, respectively, 
on the 18th, in 1851. During the period 100 days were fine, 
The greatest heat, 94°, occurred on the 17 th, 
and on 96 rain fell. 
in 1834; 
and the lowest cold, 39 , 
Root widely creeping, tough, thick, twisted, many- 
kneed, white, hairy. Stems hard, erect, hollow, three 
or four feet high, knots hard and wide apart, rough, and 
clothed with whitish down. Leaves about eight inches 
long, finely toothed at the edge, broad at the base, 
tapering gradually to a sharp point, marked lengthways 
with alternate stripes of pale yellow, or white, and 
milky green, varying in width, surface rough. Sheaths 
of leaves long and membranous. Flower-head a panicle, 
handsome, alternate-branched, dense, straw-coloured. 
Spihelets downy, tbree-floreted. Calyx three-awned, the 
middle awn the longest. Valves of corolla lanceolate, 
blunt, fringed. Ovary smooth, notched at the end. 
Style cleft in two. Stigma brusli-like. Seed two-liorned. 
It belongs to Triandria Digynia class and order of the 
Linn scan System. 
In England it is known by the various names of 
Ribbon Grass, Painted Grass, Indian Grass, and Ladies’ 
Laces. In Scotland it is called Gardeners’ Garters. The 
Catalogue Hortus Kewensis states that it was Introduced 
in 1648; but this is a mistake, for Parkinson in his 
‘ Garden of Pleasant Flowers,” published in 1629, says 
“it hath long ago been received into our English 
gardens.” He describes it under the name of “ Oramen 
striatum, Painted Grass, or Ladies’ Laces,” adding that 
Lobel says “ it groweth naturally in the woods and hills 
of Savoy.” “ It is called by Lobel Gramen sulcatum or 
striatum album; of others Gramenpictum. The French 
call it Aiguellettes d'armes, of the fashion that their 
ensigns, pennons, or streamers used in war were of; 
that is, like unto a party-coloured curtain.” 
Gerarde, also, in his “Herbal,” published in 1597, 
describes it under the name of Gramen striatum, ac¬ 
companied by a good drawing. To the names already 
mentioned he adds these — Furrowed Grass, White 
Chameleon Grass, and Streaked Grass, “ silver streaks 
running along through the midst of the leaves, fashion¬ 
ing the same like to laces or ribbons woven of white 
and green silk, very beautiful and fair to behold. It is 
kept in our English gardens rather for pleasure than 
virtue.” 
Caspar Bauhin, in his Theatrum Botanicum, pub¬ 
lished in 1658, observes that it was then cultivated in 
gardens in Germany, England, and Belgium from seed 
first brought out of Spain, and that in Germany it was 
called Spanish Grass. 
FRUITS IN GENERAL, STOCKS, &c. 
It will be readily conceded, I think, that there has 
not been an advance in the culture or character of our 
fruits during the last twenty years equal to that in 
flowers; in fact, they will not for a moment bear com¬ 
parison. It is, therefore, a fair question why such 
should be the case. The first thing to inquire is, 
whether our fruits in general are not of as much 
importance to the country as our flowers. This will 
be a question somewhat difficult of settlement, and 
amounts, indeed, to a contest between two of our senses 
equally desirous of gratification, the eye and the 
palate—two keen competitors, each desirous of being 
gratified in its turn. If the house “were to divide ” on 
ORNAMENTAL GRASS. 
ARU'NDO DO'NAX VERSPCOLOR. 
(Ribbon Grass.) 
No. CCCCLIX. Vol. XVIII. 
