P R I 



P R I 



sown sifting over them a little rotten willow 

 iTiou'.d ; then covering thcni with a net or wire, 

 to prevent cats or birds from scratching out, 

 or biir\iiig ihe seeds so as to destroy them. 

 Some pci'sons never cover the seeds, but leave 

 them on the surface, for the rain to wash them 

 into the ground, which is often the best me- 

 thod. The ijoxes, 8cc., should then be placed 

 so as'^to receive half the day's sun, during the 

 winter season ; but in the beginning of March 

 be removed, where they may have only the 

 Diorning sun till ten o'clock ; for the young- 

 plants now soon begm to appear, which, if 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 sumiTier, or begmning of 

 autunm, 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 must 

 be prepared, or boxes, filled with the above- 

 mentioned soil, in which they may be planted 

 about three inches apart, and shaded when in 

 beds, every day, till they arc thoroughly rooted, 

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

 in baskets or boxes, they may be removed to a 

 shady situation. 



When planted in beds, there should be some 

 rotten ncats' 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 

 dunff should be laid about 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 flowers 

 stronger than usual : these beds should be ex- 

 posed to the east, and screened 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 be 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 may be formed ; but those 

 that produce plain-coloured or small flowers 

 should be taken out, and planted in borders in 

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

 gather for nosegays, &c. ; the others, which do 

 not produce their flowers the same year, may 

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

 e main till their properties are known. 



Vol. II. 



In the second method, the oflTsets or slips 

 may be taken from the old roots, in the spring 

 or autumn, and be planted into small pots 

 filled with the same sort of earth as was directed 

 for the seedlings, and during the sumiiicr sea- 

 con b'j set in a shady place, and must be often 

 g .-ntly refreshed with water, and in the autunm 

 i.!:d winter be sheltered from violent rains. In 

 the spring follov^ing the^e plants produce flow- 

 ers, though but weak ; therefore, soon after they 

 are past flowering, t'uey should be put into 

 larger pels, and the second year they will blow 

 in perfection. 



In order to obtain a fine blooin 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 destroying their 

 buds, if they are not protected ; to prevent 

 which, those who are curious in these flowers 

 place their pots in autumn under a common 

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

 plants may enjoy the full air, by drawing off 

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

 be screened by covering them. 



About 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 flowers, the curious floHst 

 should'pull off the offsets as soon as it can be 

 dr)ne with safety to their growing, to encourage 

 the mother plaiits to flower the stronger; they 

 should also pinch off the flowers in autumn, 

 where they are produced, and not suffer them to 

 open, that the plants may not be weakened by 

 it. The pots should be covered with mats in 

 frosty weather, during the time of their budding 

 for flower, lest the sharp mornings blight them, 

 and prevent their blowing. When the flower- 

 stems begin to advance and the blossom buds 

 grow turgid, they must be protected from hasty 

 rains, which would wash off their white meally 

 farina, and greatly deface the beauty of their 

 flowers, keeping them as much uncovered as 

 possible, otherwise their stems will be drawn up 

 too weak to support their flowers, (which is 

 often the case w hen their pots are placed near 

 walls) giving them gentle waterings to strengthen 

 them, but none of the water should be let fall 

 into the centre of the plant, or among the leaves. 



When the flowers begin to open, their pots 

 2 M 



