182 - THE FLORIST. 



and exposed to a greater amount of actual cold than in the Alps 

 themselves, and therefore need some protecting material, even in the 

 depth of winter. But the danger from cold is not in the depth of 

 winter when they are at rest, but when the wmter is past and growth 

 commences. In their native habitat, as soon as the snow disappears 

 there is no more fear of frost. Not so with us ; and therefore in this 

 climate the injury from cold is perpetrated principally from the time 

 the plant commences its growth till it matures its flower. Mice are an 

 enemy more to be dreaded than frost in the winter, as my poor 

 benibbled Oxonian, which I fear will die, can testify. Mr. Willison, of 

 Whitby, told me a few years ago he lost nearly the whole of his stock 

 the preceding winter from this cause, the mice equally relishing the 

 comfortable shelter of the frames and the taste of the Auriculas. But a 

 far more common source of injury is the severity of the summer. In 

 their Alpine retreats they are not exposed to the strength of the summer's 

 sun under the dense foliage of the valleys. In an acre and a half of 

 garden here, owing to some Irish mode of laying it out, and partly to 

 the fact that it was a Grass meadow the year before, I could not find a 

 north aspect sufficient for 100 pots of Auriculas. I did my best ; but 

 they complained ; and now I am paying the penalty for not attending 

 better to their cry. Not but that my boxes are worth looking at as it 

 is ; but I would rather have two such winters as the last to do their 

 worst to my Auriculas than one month of last July. It cost me two 

 varieties altogether ; and I am disposed to attribute to it the fact that 

 I have so many more than usual blooming out of character or not 

 blooming at all. For instance, of six plants of Dickson's Duke of 

 Wellington, which some contend is the finest of the green-edged, only 

 one blooms with me, and that is white-edged. Sir John Moore serves 

 ine the same trick for the second time, and one fine and healthy looking 

 plant of Leigh's Colonel Taylor has perfect blooms fit to show in Lilhput, 

 each pip being no larger than a Currant blossom. 



In Hollyhocks I am glad I am no worse off than my neighbours, 

 though that seems like a savage cause of rejoicing. By diligence I had 

 got together a good stock of young. plants by the autumn, the strongest 

 of which, all but the weakly ones in fact, were planted out, and fine 

 plants they were ; but all died. The small stuff brought into the 

 greenhouse in pots have for the most part lived ; but there they are 

 now, no larger than they were in December, and will not stir ■ nor 

 damp off. 



Pansies do not thrive here ; and probably will not till there is more 

 vegetation on the ground ; and when I am to look forward to that I 

 cannot tell, for two successive seasons have swept off each its army of 

 evergreens ; w^hich is the reason, I suppose, why Escallonias, Leyces- 

 terias, and other things reputed " perfectly hardy," are killed to the 

 ground, and some are entirely dead. Nevertheless, the Pansies, too, in 

 the open ground have stood the winter far better than the summer. 



Of Pinks, the sorts you name as tender, though in very light ground, 

 stood the weather as well as others — Colchester Cardinal especially so. 



But how shall I approach the subject of Dahhas ? I had (alas ! that 

 I should say had) a choice collection ; and being very desirous of 



