160 EXTRACTS 



under the necessity of scnJin°; for it as far as Waltliani Flats, and Wanstead 

 Common, at considerable expense. 'J'his loam is of a. yellow cast, of too free 

 and unsubstantial a texture for Carnations or Tulips; yet very suitable for 

 Auriculas, and many other plants. It seems free from any sour or deleterious 

 qualitj-, arising either from stagnant water, or rust of iron. 



In order to preserve our Auriculas in a sound healthy condition, J have 

 judged it requisite, of late years, to make some alteration in the compost, aud 

 to form it of more simple and less powerful ingredients. The effect has been, 

 that they have flowered equally as well, whilst we have preserved our plants 

 better. We no longer have recourse to sugar-bakers' scum, blood from the 

 slaughter-house, pigeons' dung, aud the like; for, unless great cautiou be 

 taken, there is more harm than good to be appreheuded from the use of them. 

 Interest and pnidence alike suggested the propriety of discontinuing the fur- 

 ther application of them, aud of endangering no longer a collection of more 

 thau two thousand plants, which we keep on sale, of all the best varieties in 

 cultivation. There is this advantage arising from Auriculas being grown iu 

 moderately manured soil, that they are more easily kept in a healthy state, 

 are less aft'ected by the weather, aud less liable to disease ; they are, also, less 

 sensible of change of place, when sold and transplanted into other soils. Only 

 conceive, for a moment, what the eflect would be, of turning a fat stall-fed ox 

 into a barren pasture ; or of restricting a London Alderman to the plain and 

 frugal diet of a poor citizen. 



Experience has taught those florists, who are in the habit of keeping strong 

 plants of Auriculas to exhibit for prizes, and of forcing them forward, as they 

 are coming into bloom, iu extremely rich and highly stimulating compost, 

 to cause them to throw up bold strong trusses, that they uever can depeud on 

 the same flowers for the succeeding year ; for vegetation, overexcited, must 

 decline afterwards; aud those plants, if any opportunity ofter, they generally 

 dispose of, with the recommendation attached to them, of their having won a 

 prize; and select others, to prepare aud train iu like manner for the next 

 year's coutest. 



I have frequently received some of those prize-taking flowers from the 

 country, but they have very seldom thriven well; they could not bear their 

 roots to be shaken from the mould, aud to be transplanted into a different 

 soil. I would always decline purchasing such in future, if I knew it. Vege- 

 table economy, as well as animal, are both subject to certain laws of Nature, 

 that cannot be transgressed with impunity ; and our treatmeut of p'auts 

 ought always to be conformable thereto. A plain and simple mode of cul- 

 ture, as regards all plants, provided they are fouud to thrive aud flower well 

 in using it, is always to be preferred, and ought to be pursued, as being the 

 easiest, cheapest, aud the best. To copy after Nature, is one of the best and 

 unerring rules that a gardener or florist can go by, when he is once made 

 acquainted with the habits of any plant, aud the soil and situation in which 

 it thrives best. 



Strong stimulative manures, howe\er beneficially they may act for the time, 

 in producing large flowers, and vivid colours, too frequently leave the plants 

 afterwards in a state of exhaustion, if not of premature aud gradual decay. 

 By forcing them so much, the juices are vitiated, and the constitution im- 

 paired; for we all kuow the injurious, if not fatal effects, that opium, lauda- 

 num, brandy, aud even wine, taken in excess, produce upon the human body. 



Mr. Bailey, of the Clapton Nursery, some years ago, produced, at the 

 Islington Flower Show, as fine a plant of Lee's Colonel Taylor, aud in as 

 fine flower, as ever was exhibited perhaps in England; and which he sold, the 

 same day, to Mr. Brooks, of Ball's Pond Nursery, for the sum of five guineas; 

 but this plant, having been forced in the manner described above, began to 

 decline after it had been fresh potted iu other compost, aud never lived to 

 flower again. 



We have, of late years, used the following mixture:— one barrow of rich 

 yellow loam, or fresh dug earth, from some uitadow, or pasture laud, or com- 

 mon, with the turf, well rotten; one barrow of leaf mould ; one ditto of well 

 decomposed horse or frame dung; oue ditto of cow-dung, two years old at 

 least; and one jieck of river-sand, not sea-sand. 



