148 A DIALOGUE ON THE CULTIVATION OF THE AURICULA. 



ARTICLE III. 



A DIALOGUE ON THE CULTIVATION OF THE AURICULA. 



B* WILLIAM HOWAHD, ESQ. 



(Continued from April Number.) 



Informant. In admitting air to the plants, take care you do not let 

 any keen cold draughts drive on the expanding petals; if you do, they 

 will cup. 



Learner. What do you mean by this term? 

 Inf. Not well expand or lie flat, and when this takes place, it 

 will be found a difficult task to make the flower fit for exhibition. I 

 have found certain plants more liable to cup than others, such as 

 Kenyon's Ringleader, Bearless's Superb, Pollitt's Standard of Eng- 

 land, Jingling Johnny, &c. During the time the bloom is opening, 

 they require to be kept from withering, drying, easterly winds, or 

 they are certain to curl up ; then some persons use a flattener. 

 L. What is a flattener? 



Inf. An instrument used by florists to cause the petals of Auri- 

 culas and Polyanthuses to lie smooth ; however, to prevent this 

 malady is far preferable to mending it. 



L. I do not see why this should be designated a malady, the rot 

 may. 



Inf. And so is a cold in the head ; and if you intend to keep 

 your plants free from it, mind the wind when it blows keen from the 

 east, north, or north-east; give them air from the west, south, or 

 south-west,* and so with discretion from all points of the compass. 

 Remember, never raise the lights, or open the ventilators in the face 

 of a cold driving current of air. 



L. And what time do you cover them in the evening ; with rugs I 

 mean? 



Inf. Generally at sun-set ; and in cold,, wet, unfavourable weather 

 sooner ; at the same time minding to close the ventilators. In frosty 

 mornings it is better not to uncover them before the sun has warmed 

 the atmosphere, but in a fine congenial spring morning they cannot 

 be uncovered too soon. Now I think I h.ave cautioned you enough 

 for this month. In April they will requi re a similar treatment as 

 regards air ; watering, in all probability*, may be increased ; yet 

 there is no rule without an exception, as in, the spring of 1837, when 



