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JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 



[ AprU 18, 1872. 



root, aud as it is the root that is eateu, this part should be 

 blanched. Enough earth only for that purpose will, therefore, 

 be required to be left round the stem. 



Nothing but attention to the above details wiU be recjuired 

 until the crop is ready to use, -which generally happens in 

 October for the first crop ; aud the second crop, which is 

 much later, I usually take up, trim of! all the tops, and lay 

 the roots up amongst sand or dry earth in the storehouse, to 

 be used when hard weather sets in. If this vegetable is 

 planted iu a deeply-dug and weU-drained soil, it wiU be 

 benefited with water every alternate day in dry weather. — 

 Thomas Fiecobd. 



ALPINE AUEICULAS. 



I CAN assure " G. S.," who writes on the above subject, that 

 there are many who agree with him iu considering the Alpine 

 Auricula exceedingly pretty, and who hail with satisfaction the 

 progress which Mr. C. Turner has made with them, but he 

 will hardly persuade a florist with antiquated notions that they 

 deserve a higher position than that which is assigned to them. 

 " G. S." seems to think the greater ease with which they are 

 cultivated will give them a higher place in favom- ; it may do 

 so, but to an Auricula-grower that very difficulty — greatly and 

 gi'ossly exaggerated, I heUeve — is one great charm of the flower. 

 A true worker deUghts in nothing so much as the overcoming 

 of difficulties ; and to pilot a good collection of Auriculas 

 thi'ough summer's sims and winter's frosts and damps until, 

 as now, the stage is fiUed with blooming beauties, is a cause 

 of intense satisfaction. 



I hardly think " G. S." has a right to complain that the 

 Alpine Axuleula does not receive a fuller description in the 

 catalogue of Mr. Turner than it has ; it is certainly meagre 

 enough, but so is that of the florists' Auricula. Why Auriculas 

 altogether should be thus treated I know not, but so it is. 

 There is one thing to be borne in mind — the lists alter but 

 little, new varieties are few and far between, and hence there 

 is not the same need for description. People know them, aud 

 when new varieties are introduced a description is given of them. 

 But DahUas, Verbenas, Pansies, <S:c., are for ever being added 

 to, and that in large quantities, bo that there is a necessity for 

 giving their descriptions. 



Additions are being made to the number of Alpines, but I 

 think " G. S." would find the following selection well worthy 

 of growing. It should be remembered that the colours, are 

 mostly either varieties of crimson in the way of old Brutus, or 

 shaded violet in the way of Conspicua. 



Black Prince, dark maroon. 

 Conspicua, shaded yellow\ 

 Defiance, crimson. 

 Field Marshal, dark maroon 

 .John Leech, dark crimson. 

 Jes.^ie, shaded violet. 

 Mastei-piece, dark maroon. 

 In selfs I can strongly recommend the following :^ 



King of Crimsons, rich bright 



crimson. 

 Novelty, shaded violet. 

 Eleanor, dark crimson. 

 Wonderful, shaded crimson. 

 Landseer, dark crimson. 



Blackbird (Spalding), dark. 

 Formosa (Smith), shaded 



mauve. 

 Lord Clyde (Lightbodj-), dark 



maroon. 

 Metropolitan (Spalding), a 



bright purple. 

 Mrs. Smith (Sroith), dark. 



Mrs. Stm-rock (Martin), bright 



crimson. 

 Nonsuch (Barker), bright 



purple. 

 Othello (Netherwood), dark 



maroon. 

 Pizarro (CampbeD), rich dark 



flower. 



To " Ax Old Scbsckiber," who asks if there is any way of 

 forchig Auriculas and Pansies iuto bloom, I say Yes; but I 

 would give Punch's advice, " Don't." It will injure the plants. 

 If you wish to do it put them under a hand-glass, shghtly 

 shade, and water the ground well. The heat will produce an 

 evaporation which will soften the petals, and the heat will 

 expand them, but I never like to do it. — D., Deal. 



Liverpool Fancy Fair and Flower Show, in aid of the 

 now Southern Hospital, in Sefton Park during Whitsun week 

 — the schedule of prizes for this Horticultural Exhibition 

 (May 21st to 23rd) is very hberal. It will be opened by His 

 Royal Highness Prince Arthur. The growth of grand examples 

 of good gai'dening, so plentifully exhibited at Kensington, the 

 Royal Botanic Gardens, and at Manchester, Leeds, and else- 

 where, we are informed, has for some years been neglected at 

 Liverpool, though in the matter of spring and winter bloommg 

 plants our informant thinks the Liverpool gardeners stand in 

 the front rank. Ho is sure that those in the trade who take 



some of their plants there mh be well rewarded, as there is a 

 growing taste for Heaths, Azaleas, Palms, ifec., of ample sii^e. 



LACK OF SPRING FLO^TIES IN THE LONDON 

 PUBLIC GARDENS. 



On the 29th of February you published a list of seventy-five 

 flowers then blooming in the Botanic Gardens, Glasnevin, 

 Dublin. Annexed I beg to hand you names of those now 

 (AprU 5th), in blossom. Subscribers fond of spring flowers 

 will probably thank you if you will publish it. Evidently 

 there need be no bare beds during any portion of the year, but 

 with little trouble and slight expense a succession of interest- 

 ing and beautiful plants may be kept up from February to 

 November without the aid of tender exotics. 



There is hardly a cottage garden in the kingdom but has 

 been gay with flowers during the past month. Surely among 

 the sorts of flowers which flourish in these humble places, and 

 by then- bloom reward the occupiers and please the passers-by, 

 are some wliich would thrive in the gardens on the Thames 

 Embankment, and in the beds in Palace Yard. It may be 

 that the little money required wiU be provided by Government, 

 and that next spring wUl produce an appearance, from seeds 

 sown and plants arranged, that wUl afford a contrast to the 

 gloomy soU which this season lies uncovered, and thereby 

 gratify the million.— P. N. W. 

 Hakdv Plants in Bloom in Dublin Botanic Gardens, 6th April, 1872 



LABYRINTHS. 



Our neighbom-. Punch, recently represented the picture- 

 costume of the griindmamma revived iu that of her grand 

 daughter, who was looking at her portrait ; aud so it must 

 needs be, for 



" Fasliioa ! fickle, vacant tiling. 

 For ever gaily on the wing," 



must return from time to time to forms and colours previously 

 assumed. Such recurrences are in the garden as much as in 



