128 ON COMPOSTS FOR'THB AVBIClfl.A 



ARTICLE IV. 

 ON THE COMPOSTS FOR THE AURICULA. 



BV ETHNIC. 



This plant is grown in moat of the poor artisan's gardens in the 

 greatest perfection, for it is a plant that requires more care than 

 all the florist flowers ; in Manchester, the method of growing 

 the plant, is this, the frame or pit is made of turf, built three 

 feet high at the back, and two feet in the front, facing the south- 

 ' east, with a wooden shutter or door to keep off the wet and frost, 

 and to be taken off in mild weather. 



In planting the Auricula for bloom, care should be taken to 

 select strong young plants with strong hearts and sound, free 

 from all decay, looking white and healthy round the shank or 

 neck, the plants must be planted in rich light soil ; the soil used 

 in Lancashire is three parts rotten sheep dung, with one part 

 light fresh mould mixed together and past through a seive or 

 riddle ; in Yorkshire the compost parts are one barrowful of 

 dead leaves, one barrowful of cow dung two years old, one bar- 

 rowful of decayed vegetable mould, and one barrowful of river 

 sand mixed well together ; in Lancaster it is similar to the above, 

 in Suffolk dead fish is used instead of rotten cow dung, which 

 they say grows them much finer than either horse, sheep, or cow 

 dung. I have seen near Bristol some sorts that have been very 

 fine and good flowers, which I have condemned altogether as not 

 being fit for show, and if I had had them at several exhibitions, 

 they would have stood the first; no doubt there is so much for 

 situation and soil with this flower, that it would be difficult to 

 describe which is the best, for it will grow very fine in either of 

 those I have mentioned above, though it is so variously treated 

 with growers who have has many different means of mixing the 

 compost with as various soils, as there is varieties of plants them- 

 selves. 



But I believe the best way to have the frames, is to build them 

 •with a stage as figured in a former number of your Cabinet; 

 if the frame was made so as to take away the back and front,, 

 and leave the glass on in wet weather, it would keep them 

 dry and give them air at the same time, I am likewise 

 sure the plants would he more healthy and not so liable to 



