FLOWER GARDEN. 339 



The ground colour should be bold and rich, and equal on every 

 side of the eye, whether it be in one uniform circle, or in bright 

 patches ; it should be distinct at the eye, and only broken at the 

 outward part, into the edging ; a fine black, purple, or coffe-colour, 

 contrast best with the eye ; a rich blue, or bright pink, is pleasing, 

 but a glowing scarlet, or deep crimson, would be most desirable, if 

 well edged with a bright green ; but this is very rare. 



The green edge, or margin, is the principal cause of the varie- 

 gated appearance in the flower ; and it should be in proportion to 

 the ground colour ; that is, about one half of each. 



The darker grounds are generallly covered with a white pow- 

 der, which constitutes much of the beauty of the flower. 



Comfiost for Auriculas* 



The compost proper for Auriculas, should consist of the follow- 

 ing ingredients, in the annexed proportions, viz. 



One half, rotten cow-dung, two years old. 



One sixth, fresh sound earth, of an open texture. 



One eighth, earth of rotten leaves. 



One twelfth, coarse sea or river sand. 



One twelfth, moory earth. 



One twenty-fourth, ashes of burned vegetables. 

 These ingredients should be well incorporated, and placed in an 

 open situation, perfectly exposed to the action of the sun and air ; it 

 should be laid in a regular heap or mass from fifteen to eighteen 

 inches thick and turned frequently : in this state it should remain 

 a year or six months, turning it once every two months, and keeping 

 it always free from weeds : before it is used, it should be passed 

 through a coarse screen, to free it from stones, Sec. and to incorpo- 

 rate it the more effectually. 



JVt'W Foiling' Auriculas, and Increasing them by Slifis, 



The most advisable time to transplant, or to slip auriculas, or as 

 It is usually termed, to pot them, is immediately, or very soon after 

 their bloom is over ; and this should be repeated annually ; for, it 

 preserves the health and consitution of the plants, by affording them 

 a fresh supply of nourishment, and affords an opportunity of cur- 

 tailing the fibres, if grown too long, or if any are decayed and 

 mouldy ; or of cutting off, the lower part of the main root, if in a rot- 

 ting or decayed state, which is frequently the case. By this treat- 

 ment, the plants are brought into a state of action and fresh vege- 

 tation, which will cause a continued circulation of the juices, during 

 the summer. 



The pots should be hard baked, and for blooming plants, ought 

 to be seven inches in diameter at top, four and a half at bottom, and 

 about seven deep : but smaller plants, and offsets, should have 

 shallower pots, and of a proportinate size ; and very large plants, 

 must have pots in proportion. These before being used, if new, 

 should be immersed in water, for five or six hours, or more. 



