A DIALOGUE ON THE CULTIVATION OF THE AURICULA. 81 



with the exception of Ashley Heath in Staffordshire it is said to be 

 the highest level land in England. 



L. Are not your Dahlias much injured by the wind ? 



Inf. It must be a very strong gale ; observe there is a belt of 

 Spruce and Larch all round the outside of the garden, with Haw- 

 thorn hedges, which with hare fence inside is infinitely better than 

 any wall for plants and flowers ; then again the various divisions are 

 divided with Privet, Ribes Sanguineum, and Fuchsias, so that even 

 my Balsams, which often grow in the open borders from three to five 

 feet high, are never injured by the wind, but they did not ripen any 

 seed last summer for want of sun, which was a great disappointment, 

 since I like to keep a good store by me for five or six years before I 

 sow it. You see this garden soil is dark coloured, light in its nature 

 and full of white shining sand. Ahout thirty years back it was a 

 common grown over with wild Heath plants, in fact it was black 

 peat; this is now well mixed with animal dung, and forms a very 

 good soil for bog plants and most flowers, particularly Hyacinths and 

 Auriculas, the management of which I will now continue. In January 

 they require a similar treatment to that I gave you for December. 

 Now comes February ; in this month the sap begins to stir, and so 

 must the Auricula fancier if he intends to have a fine bloom, with 

 bold trusses, and stems about the thickness of the quill of a swan's 

 wing or often thicker, however mine have. This is the month for 

 top-dressing the plants, an operation requiring very little skill but 

 some patience. Now the way I dress mine is, first taking care the 

 plants and soil are quite dry, I then place the pot on a stand made 

 for the work, with drawer and sides, then with an oyster knife loosen 

 the soil round the pot about an inch or more deep, then turn up the. 

 pot, taking care the plant does not fall out, and shake off what soil 

 you can without injuring the fibres of the root more than can be 

 helped, see what offsets may be removed, for this is the very best 

 time to do so, since they grow the quickest in the spring. Should 

 you think that removing any strong offset may injure the blooming of 

 the plant, you may defer it till August. Having taken off what you 

 wish or can, then lill up the vacancy to about one inch of the rim 

 with a compost something richer than that used for potting; after 

 tins let them have a moderate watering to settle the roots, and mini 

 tliey are well covered up at night that they may not be checked by 



