JULY. 163 



however, thought, not only by the raiser, but by most of the exhibi- 

 tors present, to possess claims of a much higher order. The disap- 

 pointment caused Mr. Lancashire to sell the stock (8 to 10 plants) 

 somewhat hastily to Mr. Brierly, who in turn resold it at a trifling 

 profit to Mr. Cheetham, by whom it was eventually sent out. Hence 

 the origin of its name, Cheetham's Lancashire's Hero, otherwise Lan- 

 cashire Hero. I have before me some interesting information shewing 

 how well the points of a first-rate Auricula were understood long 

 before the present race of Florists were in existence, which shall serve 

 for a future paper. J. E. 



Note. — The Auricula in question avrs exhibited at Worton Cottage by Mr. 

 Edwards, and was handed to Mr. Andrews to prepare for our illustration, the 

 fidelity of which may be relied upon. 



REMINISCENCES. 



BY DR. HORNER. 



ON INDUCING THE AMARYLLIS TO FLOWER. 



Few plants equal the Amaryllis in the size, diversity, and splendour 

 of its flowers, as well as in its elegant habit. All admire it when 

 they do see it in bloom ; but, as usually managed, it is unfortunately 

 so uncertain of flowering, that few, very few, care to cultivate it. 



I believe that out of a collection of a hundred plants I lately saw 

 in a first-rate establishment near London, there were not twenty that 

 shewed for flowering. I recollect once having received a dozen bulbs 

 that were purposely selected for me as likely to bloom, but all failed. 

 The next year I adopted the following expedient, by which I caused 

 no less than ten out of the dozen to shew their beautiful flowers 

 (they were hybrid varieties from Ghent). 



When the foliage had withered in autumn, the bulbs, in their 

 pots, were placed in a dry situation, in which they remained even 

 till the 30th of April, a period some weeks later than that at which 

 they are usually started into growth. Part of the soil was now 

 carefully crumbled away from their roots, without breaking their 

 strong fibres ; and the bulbs being repotted in a dark peaty loam, 

 were plunged in a hot-bed in a common frame ; — their growth was 

 as rapid as its eff'ects were gratifying ; for in a very few days they 

 shot up their foliage with an accompanying flower-stem, ten out of 

 the twelve. I attributed this happy result to their unusually long 

 period of rest, it having been protracted much beyond their stated 

 time of growth, — to their roots not having received any injury from 

 being tumbled out of the pots and stored away, — and further, to their 

 being rapidly started into growth by bottom-heat. 



Let others follow these instructions, and I doubt not of their 

 success ; nor let this " reminiscence" be thought the less of, because 

 it is simple, and devoid of mysterious recommendations. 



Hull, 8th June. 



