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PRIMULA. 3 
34 PRIMULA. 
The Auricula (Primula Auricula) 
is a native of the Alps of Switzer- 
land, where its flowers are commonly 
yellow and very fragant; it may be 
gathered in abundance on the road- 
side on the highest part of the pass 
of the Simplon, growing with the 
different Saxifrages, and not far from 
Rhododéndron hirsiitum. When it 
was transplanted into gardens is 
uncertain, but it has been cultivated 
in Britain since the days of Gerard, 
in 1596 ; and ina state of cultivation 
its flowers are yellow, red, blue, pur- 
ple, white, and green, and single and 
double, though the only double va- 
riety has the flowers yellow. Many 
elaborate directions have been given 
for preparing the soil for the Auri- 
cula; and while some writers, as 
Justice, recommend rotten willow- 
wood anda cowdung, others, as 
Emmers recommend bullock’s 
blood, sugar-bakers? scum, and con- 
centrated night-soil. The plants, 
however, will grow and thrive on 
any rich loamy soil, for example, ina 
mixture of leaf-mould, or thoroughly 
rotten cowdung and loam. They 
will even grow very well in heath 
soil mixed with loam ; and this is 
the soil in which they are commonly 
grown 1n the neighbourhood of Paris. 
Whatever kind of manure is used 
for the Auricula, it should be so 
thoroughly decomposed as to have 
become a fine mould, and, in this 
state, it may be mixed with the 
common soil of gardens in equal 
parts, with the addition of a fifth or 
a sixth part of coarse sand if the 
plants are to be grown in pots. All 
the choice varieties of Auricula are 
grown in pcts, and kept under cover 
in glass fraines shaded ; or placed in 
a northern exposure during winter 
and spring, and in the open air in a 
situation open to the east or the west 
during summer after the flowering 
season is over. During the time 
they are in flower, they are com- 
monly kept in frames close under 
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the glass, or under hand-glasses to 
protect the flowers from the rain ; 
the flowers in all the varicties, and 
the leaves in some, being more or 
less covered with a powdery bloom, 
the preservation of which is a desi- 
deratum among choice cultivators. 
The Auricula is propagated by divi- 
sion of the root, or by cutting off 
slips which have generally some 
roots attached, and are put at once 
into small pots. The season for 
performing the operation is shortly 
after the flowers have gone off, or, 
if they are left on, immediately after 
the seed has ripened. ‘There are 
common kinds of Auricula which 
are planted in borders or in beds in 
the open ground; but, as_ before 
observed, all the choicer sorts are 
grown in pots and kept in pits or 
frames. The culture rsguires so 
much care and nicety, test ‘whoever 
would excel in it, and possess a good 
collection, should procure a book 
specially devoted to the culture of 
this and other florists’ flowers ; for 
example, to Hogg’s Treatise on the 
Auricula, or Maddox’s Flerisi’s 
Directory. Auriculas, when grown 
as florists’ flowers, have almost in- 
numerable names; but they nay be 
all divided into three classes, viz., 
those with green edges, those with 
gray edges, and those of only one 
colour, which are ealled selfs. No 
Auricula is valued that is what is 
called pin-eyed, that is, if the style 
and stigma appearabove the anthers. 
The Polyanthus (Primula vul- 
garis, var. cauléscens) and 
rose (Primula vulgaris, var. 
lis) are cultivated in thes 
and in the same manner as the Au- 
ricula; but being much _ hardier, 
and also naturally stronger, a larger 
portion of loam is used in the soil, 
and only the more choice sorts are 
grown in pots. Both Polyanthuses 
and Primroses form most ornamental 
border flowers in early spring, but 
only the Polyanthus is what is 
