CUPHEAS restore to us the light of other days. Time was when all the lovers of gardens, and more especially the practitioners of chromatic colouring, were at fever heat in discussing the relative merits of Cuphea platycentra and Cuphea eminens and Cuphea miniata, and all other cupheas, known or unknown, that might be located in the parterre to the advantage of its systematic artistic colouring. "But now"--the scene is changed; the men are changed; the fashion is changed; cupheas are unknown--

"The light of other days is faded.

And all their glory past."

But who shall say they are less beautiful than they were? who shall appraise a plant in the way of a broker, and value it by what it may fetch in the money market? "A thing of beauty is a joy for ever; its loveliness increases" where there are souls to appreciate it, and therefore we shall claim the cuphea as a "familiar garden flower," and in the fervour of appreciation of its real merit forget the fame of an hour that it enjoyed as an integer in the now historical bedding system.

The plant before us is the real old "Crystal Palace" cuphea, the best of the bedding plants of that particular style and tone. When employed in the splendid displays of bedding at Sydenham it was found to be amenable to very simple treatment, and we shall condense for the good of our readers the system of culture adopted there by Mr. Eyles and Mr. Gordon, as communicated by them to us pro bono publico. The stock was raised from cuttings in June and July, and the earlier the better, generally speaking. When struck so late as September a fair bloom may be secured the following year, but the earlier struck cuttings make the best bedders, because in the spring they may be cut back so as to form very strong bushy plants for the summer display. The stock raised for bedding may be very well wintered in boxes, and if there is not enough of them, cuttings may be struck in heat in February and March, and will make useful plants for the beds, though lean as compared with well-wintered plants from autumn cuttings. Any good soil will suit the cuphea when bedded out, and a dry sunny position may be selected where there is ample choice. But if there is no choice, the happy conclusion may be laid to heart that it will do very well almost anywhere.

The virtues of the plant are not yet all told. Oh, dear no. It is a real gem for winter flowers, and whoever would keep a greenhouse or conservatory gay through all the dead season would do well to grow a few plants of this particular species. Strike the cuttings in May, and in the same month prune rather severely any old plants you have to make bushy young plants of them. Grow them with care, so that they do not suffer for want of water, and when re-potting use a rich, mellow, sandy loam. But in all stages keep the plants in rather smallish pots, and you will find them almost always in flower. If you suspect you are carrying the starving process too far, help them with manure water. A few large specimens are worth having, therefore old plants cut back and re-potted as soon as they make new growth are likely to pay for their keep. The plant likes moisture, but it is dangerous to say so, because when liberally grown it is too leafy, and the flowers are few and very much hidden.

Cuphea silenoides is a good half-hardy annual, blooming from July to September. The flowers are purple, and a tinge of purple is seen in the branches. It is effective when massed with some yellow flower, but not of much account alone.

Cuphea miniata is an annual or perennial, at the will of the cultivator. The flowers are in leafy racemes, the petals purple or rose. It will flower all the summer in moist soil.

Cuphea lanceolata is a vigorous plant of erect habit, with conspicuous and beautiful purple flowers. The end of the tube expands into three divisions, two of which form what we may term top petals, and the third a broad notched petal. To liken the flower to an orchid would not be outre.

Cuphea Jorullensis is probably the finest species known. The flowers are scarlet, tipped with yellow.

Cuphea purpurea, a pretty hardy annual, with bluish or pale purple flowers, will prove useful to associate with asters and balsams for autumnal bloom.

Cuphea cinnabarina may be grown to a fine specimen form as a greenhouse plant. The flowers are large, the tube much puffed out, the limb expanding regularly like a miniature gloxinia, the colour pale red.

Cuphea verticillata is a nearly hardy species of moderate growth, the flower tube yellowish-red, the limb expanding irregularly and curiously, the colour violet.

The cupheas belong to the family of loosestrifes, of which perhaps the best-known garden flowers are the lysimachias. That any of these will stop strife will of course be understood, or why should they have such a collective and enviable name? Hear what the great Pliny saith: "If a pair of yoked oxen quarrel, a branch of loosestrife laid upon their shoulders will effect an in-stantaneous and perfect reconciliation." Dodoens, speaking of the yellow lysimachia, says: "The perfume of this herbe dryed, driueth away all Serpentes and venemous beasts, and killeth flies and knattes." Gerarde makes a variation on the drying of the perfume by saying, "The smoke of the burned herbe driueth away serpents;" and he quotes Pliny to the effect that "it dieth haire yellow; which is not very vnlike to be done by reason the flowers are yellow."