THE FLORIST S JOURNAL. 
212 
thinking exotic plants the best for these cottage decorations, 
because the border flowers would be as it were a living book on 
geography. J. M. D. is anxious to stimulate cottage floriculture 
by small prizes, which should be books, not pecuniary rewards, 
and offered by the more opulent inhabitants of the vicinity. He 
gives a list of a few books, together with a more extended one of 
exotic flowers, suited for cottage decoration. For these we have 
no room, but, in the meantime, truth imposes on us the pleasing 
duty of saying that the plants especially are judiciously selected. 
ON THE CULTURE OF STACHYS SPECIOSA, AND COCCINEA. 
BY MR P. N. DON. 
The Stachydece form the ninth tribe of the Labiates. They 
consist of numerous genera, sub-genera, and species, one or 
other of which is found in almost every part of the world, with 
the exception of New Holland. Many of the restricted genus 
Stachys are common weeds in Britain ; but Speciosa and Coccinea 
are natives of South America, and require the protection of a 
frame in winter. Their habits are rather coarse ; but their 
spikes of flowers, from which the generic name is derived, are 
truly splendid in their colours, being of so intense and brilliant a 
scarlet, that the eye can scarcely bear to look on them. They 
are highly ornamental in the greenhouse, or for beds or borders ; 
or, when well grown and neatly tied up, no plant suits better foi 
ornamental vases. 
They are easily grown, and will thrive in any ordinary garden 
mould ; but if it is rather rich they thrive better, only it must not be 
so very rich as to force them into overgrowth and prevent them 
from flowering. If grown in beds, these must be of considerable 
extent, as the habit is so strong that they would not look well in 
a small bed. Where there is space enough they are magnificent, 
and when planted out in the beds they should be pegged down, 
and only the flower spikes allowed to rise ; and as this takes 
place at every joint, the whole bed becomes one mass of scarlet 
of the most radiant intensity. They are also well suited for pots, 
and especially for window culture if properly treated. 
