2(3 ON THE CULTURE OF THE AURICULA. 



Ion"-, so that they project 3 ft. 3 in. on each side ; the ends of 

 these arc morticed into ten upright posts 2% ft. long ; these stand 

 a foot above the cross pieces, and are connected together at their 

 tops by a long rail ; this serves for the lower edge of the lights to 

 rest upon. At four feet from the ground are built in a sufficient 

 number of wood bricks, in each of which is an iron hook; to these 

 are hung glazed lights 4 ft. by 3 ft. Across the pieces that project 

 on each side tbe wall are nailed six splines, 3 in. broad and H 

 thick ; these should be of sufficient length to reach from one end 

 to the other, as they will bear the weight of the pots better. The 

 space that remains open below the lights may be closed by shutters, 

 or a piece of thick canvass, in case of severe frost or wind. I 

 hope I have made this intelligible, as it is by far the most conve- 

 nient of any repository I have ever seen, for it serves both as a 

 summer and winter situation ; besides, the south-west side serves 

 to flower many plants in after the Auriculas are removed to the 

 north-east. A building of this sort costs about £10, but they can 

 be made to any size, and are cheaper than any other repository. 



The compost I now use is made as follows : — Fresh and rather 

 sandy maiden loam, two barrowsful, finely powdered ; two-year-old 

 night-soil, a barrowful ; leaf mould, white sand, and rotten decayed 

 bean-stalks, of each a barrowful ; mix these well, and they are fit 

 for use. All Auricula composts should be kept dry, as they retain 

 their goodness longer. 



The beginning of August shift and repot your plants ; remove 



as much of the old soil as possible, and where the tap root is long, 



shorten it ; remove all such slips as have got roots, but no others ; 



put in the bottom of the pot a small oyster-shell, and upon this a 



handful of small cinders ; then a sufficient quantity of compost, 



that when the plant is put in and moulded up, there is near an 



inch of the pot without mould. Water them, and return them to 



their places, wbere they may remain till December, keeping them 



moderately moist with rain water. In giving this, he careful not 



to pour it upon the leaves ; and if, after you have given them the 



benefit of a gentle rain, any should settle in their crowns, extract 



it with a common syringe. About the beginning of December, 



remove them from the north-east side to the south, where they 



may remain till the end of March or beginning of April. During 



December and January, give but very little water; the drier they 



