AURICULA. 41 



obtained from a nursery ; and this is considered of some 

 importance. What further directions are necessary will 

 equally apply to those flowers raised at home, and to such 

 as are only adopted children. 



Preserve the plants from too much wet in winter, but 

 let them have as much air as possible. To screen them 

 from rain, it is best to keep them under cover. In Fe- 

 bruary, when the weather is mild, take out of the pots as 

 much of the earth as you can without disturbing the roots, 

 and fill them up with fresh earth, which will greatly 

 strengthen the plants : also take off such leaves as are 

 decayed. 



Auriculas should, in dry weather, be very gently wa- 

 tered three times in a week, carefully observing that no 

 water fall upon the flowers ; which, by washing off their 

 farina, would greatly deface their beauty, and hasten their 

 decay. 



The best situation for Auriculas, when in bloom, is 

 where the air may surround them, but roofed over head 

 at such a distance as not to oppress the plants. Placed 

 in an eastern balcony, shaded by a veranda, and by a few 

 shrubs on the southern side, they will be well lodged. 

 When the flowers have lost their beauty, they must be 

 entirely exposed, to perfect their seeds, which will ripen 

 in June. When the seeds are ripe, the seed-vessel will 

 turn brown, and open. When they are perfectly dry, 

 gather them, and lay them in an open paper exposed to 

 the sun. To prevent their growing mouldy, they must 

 remain in the pods till the season for sowing them. 



Soon after they are past flowering, Auriculas should be 

 taken out of the earth, such fibres as have grown very 

 long should be shortened, and the lower part of the 

 main root, if too long or decayed, cut off. If the lower 



