ON THE CULTURE OF THE AURICULA. 199 



ARTICLE IV.— On the Culture of the Auricula. By 

 A Middlesex Amateur. 



Being a subscriber and well-wisher to the success of your Ma- 

 gazine, I herewith send you the details of my mode of cultivating 

 that beautiful spring flower, the Auricula — growing them, I con- 

 sider, as well as any one. As I grow them merely for my own 

 amusement, (having little else to do,) I have had leisure to try 

 a variety of experiments, many of which I have found to answer 

 for a time, but the following is what I can confidently recommend 

 as most worthy of adoption. 



My standing compost consists of three barrowfuls of fine yellow 

 loam, two ditto two-year-old cow-dung, one ditto two-and-a-half- 

 year-old night soil, and one peck of sea sand. The whole of these 

 1 mix together at least six months before I use it, turning it once 

 a month. About the beginning of October, I make choice of an 

 air)- full-south aspect, and stand my pots on slates, placed at the 

 bottoms of the frames. I expose them to all dry weather during 

 the day, putting on the glasses at night ; but at the beginning of 

 April, I keep them on day and night, raising them a little behind 

 during the day. When the plants begin to show bloom, I take 

 great care in order to protect them from frost, for if they get in 

 the least frosted, they will never blow flat. I add extra covering 

 to them about the 20th of March, and continue it during their stay 

 under the frame. When in bloom, I remove them to a northern 

 aspect, where I let them remain till October. 



Now as to potting, there is a diversity of opinions ; but I pot 

 them mostly in June or thereabouts. When potting, if there is 

 any appearance of canker at the carrot root, 1 cut it ofl' till soundness 

 appears. If any of the plants appear in a poor dwindling wav, 

 the carroty stump ought to be closely examined, and a bit cut pfi"; 

 and if a black speck appears, it should be cut out : when this can- 

 not be done, the plant usually dies. I am always careful to have 

 a good drainage, putting an oyster-shell at the bottom of each pot, 

 then some riddlings, and fill up with the compost. I then shake 

 the pot twice or more on the board. After that, if the plants have 

 not been cut much, J Maud them in some tubs till the surface 

 appears black, and then remove them to a shady place. I mostly 

 earth my plants up about ihe middle of February, watering them 



