362 



JOUENAL OF nOBTICDLTUKE AND COTTAGE GAKDENEB. 



[ May 7, 1874. 



glaBS, which will greatly retard the evaporation from the soil, 

 and obviate the necessity of frequent watering ; hnt as soon as 

 the seedlings are above the soil, the glass should be partially 

 removed, as too much care cannot be taken to preserve them 

 from damping-off. When suiEciently large to transplant, they 

 should be potted two or three together, in 4-inch potF, using a 

 mixture of sandy loam and leaf mould or peat ; good drainage 

 must be insured by a handful of crocks. In May the plants 

 may be transferred to the borders, with their balls of earth 

 entire. We are inclined to think that the seed might be sown 

 in the open borders about the middle of April, if the soil is 

 light, and a hand-light can be placed over the patch for the 

 first month or so. The plant may also be grown in pots for 

 the window or greenhouse ; and in this situation it will be more 

 likely to ripen seed than in the open ground. As in the case 

 of the Loasas, and some other genera of the s.ame family, the 

 foliage of this plant is armed with stinging hairs, but they are 

 much less venomous than in Loasa and Caiophora, and need 

 not deter the amateur from its cultivation. — (W. Thonqison's 

 English Flower Garden, licvised hij the Author.) 



ME. TURNER'S AURICULAS. 



On my return from Clifton the other day I made use of the 

 opportunity to look over the collection of my friend Mr. Charles 

 Turner, and will make it the text on which to spin a yarn 

 on my favourite flower ; for such, notwithstanding the rival 

 claims of the Rose, Gladiolus, and other florists' flowers, I still 

 believe it to be. My own collection, larger, better, and in 

 better health than ever it was, has this year somewhat dis- 

 appointed me, but this I do not attribute to any difficulty in 

 the plant, but to some neglect of my own. I have hitherto 

 repotted in August, and last year I was a good deal away both 

 in that month and in September, and I am rather inclined 

 to think that my plants did not receive the amount of water 

 that they ought to have had, and that hence there was not 

 vigour enough in them to show a good truss of bloom. My 

 trusses were smaller than usual. They would have suited the 

 northern growers who like a small truss, for they were mostly 

 very true to character, and as I look on them now I find that 

 very few of them puzzle me, as they sometimes do, whether 

 they are correctly named or not. As one consequence of this 

 I was well beaten at the little show which the Metropolitan 

 Ploral Society held at the Regent's Park Spring Exhibition by 

 Mr. Douglas, whose collection is not one-sixth the size of my 

 own; but then he does everything he undertakes in such style, 

 that I felt sure he would beat me when he set to work. 



Mr. Turner's collection is not nearly the size that it was 

 some years ago, although I know he has bought some two or 

 three collections, but he tells me that the demand is so great 

 that he finds it impossible to meet it, and is quite sold out of 

 Eome kinds. It is a pity that we do not see more of these, for 

 there is no flower that attracts more attention at the exhibi- 

 tions than they do. At the Park the other day one was sur- 

 rounded by a number of persons asking all sorts of questions, 

 and taking down names, Jtc, and it would greatly enhance the 

 pleasure of exhibiting to meet with more competitors. I 

 would sooner a great deal be beiten as I was this year, than 

 walk over the course, or only have one competitor, as has 

 frequently been the case. Mr. Turner's collection ought to 

 have been at its zenith when I was there, but the extraordi- 

 narily hot days we had the week before last and the beginning 

 of last week had very much altered their appearance, and they 

 were fast going out of bloom. 



There are a few general facts connected with the blooming of 

 the Auricula which I think received confirmation in Mr. Tnrntr's 

 collection, and I may as well refer to them before speaking of 

 any special varieties. 1. As far as one's knowledge in the 

 south goes it is clear that, as in other flowers, some seasons 

 are specially favourable or unfavourable to certain kinds. 

 Wherever, for example, I have seen Colonel Champneys this 

 year it has been tine both in foliage and truss ; while George 

 Lightbody has not been up to the mark. It is very odd ; one 

 of those things "no fella can explain;" but so it is. We 

 notice the same in Eoses and Tulips and in Strawberries, and it 

 seems to be the same with the Auricula. 2. It is also clear 

 that heart blooms — those that spring from the centre of the 

 plant, cannot be so thoroughly relied upon as being true to 

 character as those from the side. For instance, there was a 

 plant here of Richard Headly with two trusses, one from the 

 centre, the other from the side, and I venture to say that no 

 person would have been able to detect the plont from the I 



centre bloom, so thoroughly out of character was it, while the 

 side bloom from the same plant was all that could be desired. 

 3. Notwithstanding all that has been done, and the beautiful 

 varieties that have been raised of late years, we have not, if we 

 take the rigid rules of the florist as our guide, obtained a per- 

 fect Auricula as yet ; in some point or other it comes short, 

 and so there is a field open still to the seedling-raiser, and let 

 him take heart from this, that varieties which were sent out 

 seventy years ago and more can take prizes now. 



And now with regard to some of the varieties noticed at Mr. 

 Turner's. 



Alderman Wisbey (Headly). — A good green edge, having, how- 

 ever, like all Auriculas, a fault or two. The paste is not quite 

 solid enough, and consequently has a streaky appearance; and 

 there is a white line round the segments, allowable in a grey 

 edge, but a defect in a green edge. Its habit is vigorous. 



Col. Champneys. — A very taking flower, somewhat of the 

 colour of Smith's Britannia, but of a splendid habit ; for though 

 only four or five years in commerce, Mr. Turner has a large stock 

 of it. It was esjiecially fine this season. The ground colour is 

 bright violet, running too often into the edge, and the eye is 

 somewhat x^ale in colour; but it is a very attractive flower;, 

 especially on the home stage, and will always hold its place for 

 that reason. 



Competitor. — A fine grey edge, somewhat in the style of Robert 

 Traill. The paste is good, eye not so orange as in that variety, 

 habit excellent.' 



Alderman Charles Brown, or simply Charles Edward Brown, 

 for it is known under both names, is another of Mr. Headly's 

 seedlings. Of fine habit, propagates freely, and is an excellent 

 smooth grey-edge flower, good solid circular paste, and bright 

 colour. 



Cliarles Edward Perry (Turner). — A souvenir of our lamented 

 friend. A very bright purplish-blue self ; foliage beautiful and 

 ample, and habit good ; colour approaching Spalding's Metro- 

 politan. Perhaps a little flimsy, but a fine trusser, and sure to 

 be a favourite on the home stage. 



Master Hole (Turner).— A pretty flower of good quality; so 

 much so that a plant with a small truss took the first jirize in 

 sells before C. E. Perry and i&etropolitan, its smoothness and 

 quality recommending it. 



Cheerfulness (Turner). — Bright violet self; smooth, clear, 

 white paste. The truss large, and the plant good. 



Une.xpected (Turner). — A very good grey-edged flower; fine 

 truss ; paste clear and good ; apparently also of good habit. 



Mrs. Mendel (Turner). — A pretty white-edged flower, but I 

 fear diifioult to grow, as it has been raised some years, and there 

 is no stock of it. 



Of course Mr. Turner had all the leading varieties in fine 

 order, George Lightbody, Lancashire Hero, Imperator, Robert 

 Traill, Admiral Napier, &e. ; but I have often written of these, 

 and have therefore only denoted those which are newer and 

 less known. — D., Deal. 



FRUIT PROSPECTS. 



Some of your correspondents have been congratulating the 

 public on the escape of the fruit blooms from the frost of the 

 10th of March. I am sorry to say it is not so with nie. All the 

 standard Cherries, Plums, and most of the Pears (standards), 

 are a total failure. A large Siberian Crab that I expected 

 would be one sheet of bloom has every blossom destroyed ; and 

 nine-tenths of the Damson bloom has also dropped without 

 opening at all. 



I enclose a few Cherry buds to show in what stage of growth 

 they were at the time. The blossoms on the wall trees, where 

 the branches are not closely nailed, are equally bad. — T. G., 

 Glithrroe, Lancashire. 



[The Cherry buds you enclosed were leaf buds. — Eds.] 



NARCISSUS POETICUS. , 

 This fine old plant has almost been driven into obscurity 

 by a race of others with more high-sounding titles, but not 

 more useful or ornamental, many of them in fact decidedly 

 iuferior. Florists, however, who cater for the popular taste, 

 know its value ; and poeticus is the Narcissus frequently seen 

 in fruiterers' windows in London and elsewhere tied up in large 

 bunches, and easting their sweet fragrance even into the street. 

 I allude to it here as a plant well worthy of forcing in quantity, 

 and of planting extensively in the borders. The flowers, which 

 are borne singly, are about 2i inches across, pure white, with 

 a greenish-yellow eye fringed with deep orange, and sweetly, 

 but not overpoweringly as some are, perfumed. A bouquet of 

 the flowers neatly made up, and fringed with Maiden-hair Fern, 



