MISCELLANEOUS INTELLIGENCE. 47 



mediate between the deeper and brighter tints, consequently affording a foil to 



all. Why is snow injurious to the effect of foliage, or flowers, of every 

 gratttated tint? On account of its glaring whiteness, supplying neither con- 

 trast nor harmony, white entering into the composition of every shade of tint, 

 and particularly being productive of semi- colours; consequently, being a com- 

 ponent principle, when uncombined it can neither harmonise, nor contrast 

 with itself. Why does the olive tint of the expanding oak-leaf offend the eve 

 of taste ? Because, its being composed of green in combination with yellow, 

 the component principle can neither harmonise nor contrast with itself, in a 

 simple uncompounded tint, in the surrounding grass, or foliage of more for- 

 ward trees. Why does the verdant herbage of spring produce inferior pictor- 

 esque effect, in grounds ornamented with trees, than the sterile grass of early 

 autumn, consequent on mowing? Because, spring grass and foliage are 

 gradations of one and the same colours ; consequently, in whatever variety of 

 gradation, the diversified tints of any colour, neither hainionising nor con- 

 trasting, cannot possibly be productive of pictoresque effects. Contrariant is 

 the effect of sterile grass, on account of its russet tint, like ripened corn, pre 

 senting advantageous contrast; russet being a semi-colour, uncompounded of 

 green. Countless natural phenomena, with their solutions, might be multi- 

 plied, illustrative of the preceding theory of colours being of practical utility in 

 gardening. — Dennis's Landscape Gardening. 



Auricula. — Nature has given such a finish to the finer specimens of this plant , 

 that art may well be required to furnish them with the shelter of a roof. Some 

 of the family are hardy and beautiful as spring flowers on the open borders; 

 but the more delicate cannot endure the pelting of the rain which falls in April, 

 the season of their«beauty ; a glass frame is therefore essential to the saving of 

 the fine meal with which the flowers and sometimes the leaves are covered, and 

 which seems designed to moderate the heat of the sun, but which has in itself 

 no defence against the washing of the rain; and hence those plants which are 

 brought to great fineness by cultivation, soon perish or grow poor when neglected. 

 The best specimens at first raised from seed are quickly propagated by off.sets 

 from the roots ; and as cultivators have great tenderness for their young brood, 

 you have only to open an asylum and it will soon he filled. It were vain to at- 

 tempt particular descriptions of five hundred varieties. As to the general pro- 

 perties of a good plant, the stem should be of such length as to carry its head of 

 flowers erect, and raised above the foliage. About seven or eight pips, or single 

 blossoms, make a rich and close umbel of flowers. The circumference of the 

 border of each blossom should be round, the anthers large, the eye smooth, white, 

 and circular; the ground colour should be equal on all sides, defined next the 

 eye, and only broken where it blends with the edging. The favourite ground 

 colours are — black, purple, dark brown, rich blue, bright pink, crimson, or glow- 

 ing scarlet. A green edging is line, but that combined with a crimson ground 

 ccdour, being very rare, is, probably on that account, prized the most. Florists 

 have given receipts for compost with trifling exactness of invalids who pore upon 

 dietetics and weigh their footi. Sound earth, vegetable earth, peat earth, decayed 

 willow-wood, and wood ashes, are recommended in proportions, from half, down 

 In twelfth and twenty-fourth parts. No doubt such a commixture may be very 

 good, but some other will do just as well. Let the compost be rich and light; 

 consisting of one half of old rutted cow's dung, either from a spent hot-bed or 

 gathered from the fields, and the other half black mould from the garden, adding 

 more or less of peat moss and sand according as the soil is light or heavy; the 

 whole mass to be so blended as to assume a uniform consistence. With this, fill 

 the dower pots within an inch of the top, taking care to cover the hole in the bot- 

 tom with a piece of shite to prevent the intrusion of worms. The pots should be 

 six or seven inches wide and about the same measure in depth. Smaller ones 

 iii.n be used for bringing forward young plants, whether seedlings or off-sets. 

 The proper time for planting or re-potting, is in August. Srip every plant cf its 

 dcaved leaves and of all .stumps of roots beneath the young fibres, and having 

 firmed the earth with the hand give a plentiful watering. The pots may then 

 be closely set together in the frame, which should be half filled with saw dust, in 

 which the pots are to he immersed to the lip. The glass cover may be put on at 

 the first to encourage striking, and then kept on or off according to the weather, 



