FEBRUARY. 33 



will leave onl)^ a naked stump. Green-fly also must be removed by 

 carefully brushing them off. There is much difference of opinion re- 

 specting the time to re-pot Auriculas. There can be no doubt but 

 thEtt early potting causes many of the plants to bloom in autumn, 

 which weakens the plants and injures the spring bloom. My time 

 for beginning this necessary operation is towards the end of July, so 

 that I may have them all finished by the middle of August. The plan 

 I follow is to shift two years consecutively, leaving a good ball of soil 

 at the roots ; and the third year to shake the whole of the compost 

 from the fibres, and pot them afresh. When I require to do this, I 

 re-pot about a month earher. The method I adopt in re-potting is 

 as follows. For a full-sized plant I use a pot six inches wide and 

 seven deep ; and for smaller plants and off'sets, pots varying from three 

 to five inches wide. For draining I use, first, a layer of broken 

 crocks, then a layer of oyster- shells, convex side up ; above this I 

 place some vegetable fibre, to prevent the compost choking the drain- 

 age. I then fill in some compost ; when this is done, I examine the 

 plant to be re-potted, and reduce the ball of fibres with a sharp knife. 

 I like to grow my plants with short stems ; consequently, the lower 

 portion of the stem, or carrot, is well examined annually, and all de- 

 caying portions of it cut off, and the wound dressed with powdered 

 wood (charcoal) to dry it up, and keep the plant healthy. The off- 

 sets are then slipped carefully off, and the part of the plant to which 

 they adhered dressed also with charcoal ; the plant is then placed in 

 the centre of the pot, which is filled up to within about half an inch 

 of the top, care being taken to keep the foliage clear of the compost ; 

 a gentle stroke or two upon the bench will settle the soil, and should 

 it sink much, add the quantity necessary to complete the process. 



When the compost is shaken altogether from the plants, and the 

 stem and fibres properly trimmed, the fibres require to be equally dis- 

 tributed over the soil in the pot, touching the side, and then filled up. 



Some cultivators have recommended keeping the plants in a dry 

 state for a few days after re-potting. I have found harm resulting 

 from following this advice ; therefore they should be watered when- 

 ever completed. 



There is one fatal malady to which this fine flower is liable, — that 

 is the rot. This may be attributed to two causes ; viz. improper 

 compost, and allowing water to lodge in the hearts of the plants. An 

 experienced cultivator can instantly perceive by the pecuhar smell 

 when disease is in a collection. When a plant is seen with its head 

 leaning to one side, and the outer leaves assuming a purple hue, hav- 

 ing also a strong disagreeable smell, then rot has commenced. Plants 

 so infected must be immediately removed to a distance from those in 

 health, otherwise the whole collection may be swept off in a very 

 short time. I have tried every sort of experiment to cure this scourge. 

 The only remedy that was successful was, to take the plant out of 

 the pot, wash it well, and with a sharp knife cut away all infected 

 parts, and dust the wounds with charcoal ; and after allowing the 

 plant to dry for a few hours, re-pot it in a mixture of leaf-mould, 

 loam, and sharp sand. 



NEW SERIES, VOL. II. NO. XIV. D 



