EXTRACTS. 169 



»ioi)ally, the management of their flowers, that they might benefit by witness- 

 ing his practical skill and dexterity in niixinjc compost, in triramiiig the root* 

 of the plants, and in fresh potting them, as well as in thinning out the young 

 formed pips, and flattening and arranjjing them in the truss, when fully ex- 

 panded. He considered himself a perfect adept in this respect; and fully 

 entitled to his fee, of a dinner and a glass of grog. Ilis discourses, and thts 

 recital of his feats iu Auricula growing, athl of the prizes he had won, were, 

 it is true, sometimes rather tedious and fatigviing to those who had heard them 

 before; but to his pupils and young florists, who wished to profit by them, 

 the theme and the subject were, I believe, always pleasing, and listened to 

 with attention. 



THE UNLUCKY PUPIL. 



There was a person residing at Newington, belonging to the India House, 

 whom Emmerton had imbued and inoculated with the Auricula fancy, and 

 who entered into it with spirit, and purchased at least one hundred plants of 

 the best sorts then in cultivation. He likewise had got enrolled a member of 

 a Flower Society in that neighbourhood, and felt almost confident, under 

 Emmerton's auspices and tuition, of winning the first prize, the silver cup; 

 but unlooked-for accidents will often mar the best-laid projects, and occasion 

 disappointment. Good compost was a particular object of solicitude with 

 both of them; and as Emmerton contended, that without bullock's blood 

 aud goose-dung they would stand no chance ; now, as the latter was a species 

 of manure very difficult to be obtained iu that quarter, he persuaded his pupil 

 to commission some country waggoner out of Sussex to bring him, at Mid- 

 summer, two geese and a gander; which, according to Emmerton's calcula- 

 tion, would produce dung enough by Christmas to last him two years, wheu 

 they would be fat and fit to kill, aud well adapted for good fare, w herewith 

 to treat his friends at that joyous season. This project was soon put in exe- 

 cution; the geese were brought to town, aud cooped up in a corner of his 

 small garden, which might be ten yards lonjr, by five wide. Every thing was 

 going on smoothly; the plants grew and the dung accumulated; only the 

 man's wife complained of the filthy smell, arising from the heated and fer- 

 menting dung, than which nothing can be more offensive; but Emmerton 

 promised soon to remedy that evil, by covering it with loam; notwithstand- 

 ing, as the dung increased, and was stirred up with the blood, the fermcuta- 

 tiou and stench increased too, aud became so intolerable, that the women 

 living at the two adjoining houses joined their complaints with hers, and 

 abused him whenever he made his appearance; and they all insisted upon its 

 being instantly removed, threatening him with their immediate vengeance, in 

 case of refusal. Emmertgn, finding the storm gathering in right earnest, 

 judged it prudent to decamp; telling them, that the London ladies were too 

 flue nosed by half; but he never dared to repeat his visits after. 



This was only a prelude to the vexation which the gentleman had to expe- 

 rience himself. One day, when absent at his office, the door of the coop was 

 by some means left open, and the geese, finding themselves at liberty, waddled 

 about the garden unnoticed; and having been deprived of grass aud green 

 meat so long, fell upon the Auriculas in the frame, pecked, bit, and i)nlled 

 them out of the pots, and trod over, aud spoiled them so completely, that 

 they were of little worth afterwards. One of the geese was killed, and eat at 

 Michaelmas; and would, no doubt, have met this fate, whether the said 

 olTence aud trespass had been committed or not. The two others were stolen 

 a day or two afti-r. This sad mishap deprived the owner at once of all hopes 

 of the silver cup, aud inflicted upon poor Emmerton the certain loss also of 

 many u good dinner on a Sunday ; when, unfortunately for him, a dinner 

 wai an object of uo trifling inij)ortaiiee. 



DIFMCULTY OF OBTAINING YELLOW LOAM IN LONDON. 



From the inclosure of waste and common lands, and from the prohibition 

 of the Lords of the Manors of others not yet enelosid, a> Old Oak Coiinnon, 

 •nd Wimbledon, there it great difficulty in proenring pure nali\e loam round' 

 London. I, as well as many other florists and nurn'rymau, have been lately 



