THE AURICULA. 147 



Considering the number of years that the Auricula 

 has been cultivated in this country, the varieties are 

 comparatively few ; yet, ,from the increasing esta- 

 blishment of Flower Societies, not only in England, 

 but in Scotland and Ireland also, in which Socie- 

 ties silver cups and other prizes are yearly awarded 

 to those members who exhibit the finest and most 

 perfect flowers, and from the great pains and atten- 

 tion now paid to raising of seedlings, we may very 

 fairly expect, in the course of a few years more, a 

 very considerable accession of new flowers : indeed, 

 at this moment I know of several very superior seed- 

 lings in the hands of different florists ; but it will be 

 some time before they can propagate such a stock of 

 each as shall induce them to put those new flow r ers 

 into circulation. They have also the ordeal of trial 

 to go through : they must win the first or second 

 prize at some exhibition or other, and have stood the 

 contest with some first-rate flowers. No common, 

 indifferent flower will be accepted. At no period, I 

 believe, has this flower been cultivated with so much 

 ardour as at present and what will not perseverance 



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