P R I 



P R I 



sown lifting over ihcm a little rotten willow 

 dj then covering them with a net or wire, 

 to prevent cats or buds from scratching out, 

 or burying the set - to destroy them, 



never coyer the seeds but leave 

 then on the surface, fot the rain to wash them 

 into the ground, which is often the best me- 

 TUe boxes, 8ec., should then be placed 

 e half the day's sun, during the 

 winter season ; but in the beginning of March 

 moved, where they may have only the 

 morning sun till ten o'clock ; for the voung 

 plants now soon begin to appear, which, it ex- 

 posed to one whole day's sun only, are all de- 

 stroyed. The proper season for sowing the seed 

 is in the latter end of summer, <>r beginning of 

 autumn, as about September, but they may be 

 sown in the spring. 



During the summer season, the plants in dry- 

 weather should be often refreshed with water, 

 never giving them too great a quantity at once. 

 In the July following, the plants will be large 

 enough to remove, at which time a bed mu.-t 

 be prepared, or boxes, filled with the above- 

 mentioned soil, in which they mav he planted 

 about three inches apart, and shaded when in 

 beds, every dav, till they are thoroughly rooted, 

 as also in very hot drv weather; but if they are 

 in baskets or boxes, they may be removed to a 

 shady situation. 



When planted in beds, there shendd be some 

 rotten neats' dung laid about ten inches under 

 the surface, and beaten down close and smooth : 

 this will prevent the worms from drawing the 

 young plants out of the earth, which they ge- 

 nerally do where this is not practised. This 

 dung should be laid ahout half a foot thick, 

 which will entirely prevent the worms getting 

 through it until the plants are well established 

 in the beds : and the roots strike down into the 

 dung by the spring, which makes their Bo 

 stronger than usual : these beds should be ex- 

 posed to the ea- reened from the south 

 sun as much as is necessary. 



In the spring following many of these flowers 

 will show; when such of them as have good 

 properties should he selected, which should 

 be removed each of them into a pot of the same 

 prepared earth, and preserved until the next 

 season, at which time a judgment of the good- 

 ness of the flower mav be formed ; but those 

 that produce plain-coloured or small fli 

 should be taken out, and planted in borders in 

 the out-parts of the garden, to make a show, or 

 gather for nosegays, Sec. ; the others, which do 

 not produce their flowers the same vear, may 

 be taken up, and set out into a fresh bed, to 

 remain t:il their properties are kn 



Vol. 11. 



In the second method, the offsets or slips 

 may be taken from the old roots, in the spring 

 or autumn, and bo planted into small p its 

 tilled with the same sort of earth as was directed 

 tor the seedlings, and during the summer 

 son be set in a shady place, and must be olten 

 gently refreshed with water, and in the autumn 

 and winter be sheltered from violent rains, [a 

 the spring following these plants produce € 

 ers, though but weak ; therefore, soon after they 

 are past flowering, they should be put into 

 pots, and the second year they will blow- 

 in perfection. 



In order to obtain a fine bloom of these flow- 

 ers, the plants should be preserved from too 

 much wet in winter, which often rots and spoils 

 them, letting them have as much free open air 

 as possible ; but not be too much exposed to the 

 sun, which is apt to forward their budding for 

 flower too soon; and the frosty mornings, which 

 often happen in March, thereby destroving their 

 buds, if they are not protected ; to prevent 

 which, those who are curious in these Bowers 

 place their pots in autumn under a common 

 hot-bed frame, where, in good weather, the 

 plants may enjoy the full air, bv drawing off 

 the glasses; and in great rains, snow, or frost, 

 be screened by covering them. 



Ahout the beginning of February, when the 

 weather is mild, the upper part of the earth 

 in the Auricula pots should be taken off as low 

 as can be, without disturbing their roots, filling 

 up the pots with fresh rich earth, which greatly 

 strengthens them for bloom. As those plants 

 which have strong single heads always produce 

 the largest clusters of dowers, the curious florist 

 should pull off the offsets a- soon a* it can be 

 done with safety to their grow ing, to encourage 

 she mother plants to flower the stronger; they 

 should also pinch off the flowers in autumn, 

 where thevare produced, and not suffer them to 

 open, that the plants may not be weakened bv 

 it. The pots should be covered with mats in 

 weather, during the time of their budding 

 for Bower, lest the sharp mornings biicht them, 

 and prevent their blowing. Vv hen the flower- 

 stems begin to advance and the blossom buds 

 grow turgid, they must he protected from hasty 

 rains, which would wash off their white meallv 

 farina, and greatly deface the beauty of their 

 flower*, keeping them as much uncovered as 

 possible, otherwise their -terns will be drawn up 

 too weak to support their flowers, (which is 

 often the case w lien their pot-, are placed neat- 

 walls) giving the :: gentle waterings to strengthen 

 them, but none of the water should be let fall 

 into the centre of the plant, or among the ]• 



When the flowers begin to open, then 



