82 THE FLORAL WORLD AND GARDEN GUIDE. 



a year, even if no slugs are visible, as prevention is better than a 

 cure in this as in all other cases. Generally speaking, although 

 alpine plants cannot endure damp, and must have well drained 

 positions, yet a long exposure to drought is highly injurious. There- 

 fore during hot dry weather give them plentiful supplies of water 

 towards evening, and they will repay you with their charming smiles. 

 And now, as a concluding paragraph, let me endeavour to 

 prevail on those of my readers who can appreciate exquisite forms 

 and lovely colours in the vegetable creation, to make themselves 

 familiar with alpine and rock plants, and they will ever hereafter 

 feel that they are indebted to the pages of the Floeal Woeld for 

 advocating their adoption for the Ladies' Garden. For my own 

 part I cannot imagine anything more fascinating, for those who are 

 fond of their garden, than a well-grown collection of these plants, 

 for they are not gaudy to-day and bereft of beauty to-morrow, for 

 there Avill be every month — nay, I may say every day — some fresh 

 feature amongst them springing up that will interest and amuse 

 those whose tastes and inclinations are that way inclined ; and what 

 perhaps fits them the better for the Ladies' Garden is the fact that 

 they require the gentle care and watchfulness such as only the fair 

 sex can render, for no unthinking, careless hand should be allowed 

 to touch them, or their tender forms may soon vanish under the 

 cruel treatment of some rude blunderer. I have pictured in my 

 mind's eye what elevating and interesting hours of amusement is in 

 store for those who cultivate these plants with a determination to do 

 them justice ; and, on the other hand, I can imagine the disappoint- 

 ment of those who begin to grow them and then leave them to their 

 fate. To the latter I would say, you had better leave them alone, 

 they are not for such unstable minds and fancies as yours ; but for 

 those who will continue to caress and love them they will furnish 

 uninterrupted joy and pleasure. 



CULTUEAL EEMAEKS ON THE AUEICULA. 



BY ME. J. JAMES, 



Head Gardener to W. F. Watson, Esq., Islewortb. 



HE beautiful new varieties of Alpine Auriculas raised by 

 Mr. Turner are likely to do more service in dispelling 

 the cloud which has hung over these lovely plants for 

 so many years past, than all the lamentations of the 

 florists uttered during that time. I shall not indulge in a 



lot of maudlin talk about the " decline of floriculture" and other 

 rubbish; for the rapid strides which have been made with many 

 florists' flowers, both in raising new varieties and the establishment 

 of better systems of culture, convince me that floriculture is not 

 declining but advancing. It is true that a few subjects have suffered 

 neo-lect from the change in fashion, but nothing more, and there can 

 be no doubt Auriculas have suffered more than most others. 

 It is, however, useless to disguise the fact that show Auriculas are 



