294 MORE POT-POURRI 



fume, not unlike the Almond. I also sow a packet or 

 two of Mathiola bicornis, or Sweet-scented Stock. It 

 is powerfully fragrant after dusk, and is of a pleasant 

 character. Then I have a few plants of Nicotiana 

 affinis scattered about the garden. These you will 

 know better than myself. There is also the Hesperis 

 tristis, which I find somewhat difficult to grow here 

 [Manchester]. Also CEnothera odorata, another of the 

 type. So that here you have a small group of plants 

 which kindly reserve their fragrance, store it up dur- 

 ing the daytime, and then considerately during the 

 twilight and evening, when the breadwinner of the 

 family comes home after his day's toil, throw out their 

 precious odours and make the garden all the pleasanter 

 and more refreshing for the night stroll after supper.' 



April 28th. Some years ago I was anxious to grow 

 some florist Auriculas, but I must frankly own we were 

 never very successful. They took too much frame-room 

 and wanted too much care ; but for anyone who likes to 

 grow special flowers in a small space I cannot imagine 

 anything more interesting than Auricula -growing. The 

 following directions were written out for me by a most 

 successful Auricula-grower, and they may prove very 

 useful to some few people who are fond of these flowers : 



' The fancy or florists' Auricula is divided into green 

 edges, gray edges, white edges, and selfs. These flowers 

 should be grown in pots. One of the most famous 

 growers (and a man of high class, although his station 

 is only that of a Sheffield workman) is Ben Simonite. 

 According to him, a compost of two parts fibrous loam, 

 one part old hotbed manure, one part old leaf -mould, 

 with sufficient charcoal the size of split peas to keep the 

 soil open, is suitable. This should be put together in 

 the autumn, and turned over frequently during the win- 

 ter. The right time for repotting is after the bloom is 



