202 



THE FLORIST. 



thereby ; but, on the contrary, my plants are, and have been, re- 

 markably vigorous, producing; blooms proportionably fine. 



Having, therefore, been so successful myself, I should have felt 

 surprise at Iota's misfortune, had I not been convinced of the pre- 

 cocity of his decision ; arising, I have no doubt, from the unsightly 

 appearance presented, for a short time, at the bottom of the pot ; but 

 as this appearance is only short-lived, it has never subjected me to 

 any alarm. 



In answer to our friend's inquiry relative to Cheetham's Lanca- 

 shire Hero, I beg to say that the variation alluded to is peculiar to 

 most Auriculas; and I think may be attributed to some temporary 

 condition of the plant, arising from age, soil, or climate. A green- 

 edged variety of my own raising (Robert Burns) has produced plants 

 this season with green, grey, and white-edged blooms. 



I would here mention what appears to me to be a curiosity in this 

 tribe. About four years ago I bloomed a seedling Auricula of a 

 sulphur colour, edged with bright green ; the ground-colour of the 

 bloom sparkling in the sun as if sprinkled with particles of ice : it is 

 a stout flower, very circular and flat, the tube is pale, and the paste 

 too narrow; still, it is such a novelty, and forms so great a contrast 

 with the fine black, purple, and chocolate grounds of these flowers, 

 that I consider it an acquisition to my collection; and in compliment 

 to the poetess, I have called it Eliza Cook. 



Little Beauty, another seedling which bloomed the following year, 

 is a small but perfect flower; thrum good, tube rich lasting orange, 

 circular, and not too large; eye fine and circular, stops well at the 

 ground, which is yellow bronze, proportionably edged with bright 

 green. This I need not say is a favourite of mine, owing to its 

 neatness and novel ground-colour. 



Another curiosity is a seedling which bloomed for the first time 

 last season; it threw up a stem, and an umbel of six pips, in the 

 usual way ; but also on the otherwise naked stem was produced a 

 perfect plant, with a close little heart, composed at this time of nine 

 leaves, and which continues to increase in size and strength daily, 

 although the bloom has been gone more than two months, and the 

 flower-stems of most of my stock have decayed. I shall carefully 

 watch this anomaly; and if the stem should not fall (which I think 

 it will), I shall have great pleasure in communicating the result to 

 your interesting periodical. 



Permit me to conclude by congratulating you on the fine portraits 

 which you have lately presented us with of my favourite flower the 

 Auricula. 



Hill Field, Coventry. Samuel Cooke. 



