334 breck's new book of flowers. 



be done soon after flowering, and new varieties may be 

 obtained from seed. A little protection of leaves in the 

 winter will be beneficial. 



P. Auricula. — The Auricula is a florist's flower of great 

 beauty. It is a native of the Alpine regions of Switzer- 

 land and Germany. The most common colors in its wild 

 state are yellow and red, sometimes purple, and occasion- 

 ally variegated or mealy. In this country the cultivation 

 of this beautiful flower has received but little attention, 

 probably on account of the severity of our winter and 

 spring months, or the great heat of the summer, which is 

 more destructive to it than cold. The extremes of heat 

 and cold render its cultivation difficult. But in England, 

 near most of the manufacturing towns, and in Scotland, 

 the cultivation of this flower has formed a favorite amuse- 

 ment of weavers and mechanics. The flower-stalk springs 

 from radical leaves, is six or eight inches high, and bears a 

 truss of six or eight flowers, which are of various colors. 

 These flowers are called j)ips, which should be raised 

 with a light-colored eye; the ground color, when very 

 dark-purple, blue or brown, edged with green, contrasts 

 finely with the eye, and such are considered richer than 

 those varieties where the color is lighter. The best soil 

 for the Auricula is a compost made from loam from an old 

 pasture, kept and turned over occasionally during a year, 

 and then mixed with hot-bed dung rotten, to a mould, or 

 with leaf-mould and some sand, to keep it open. The 

 soil and manure must be well mellowed by time before 

 using, and not mixed until it is wanted. 



P. Sin<^nsiS. — Chinese Primrose. — This beautiful green- 

 house species is a native of China, and is too tender for 

 out-door culture ; but is fine for the green-house or sitting- 

 room, where it will produce a succession of flowers all the 

 winter and spring, and if turned out in the open ground 

 in June in a cool shady place, will continue to bloom all 



