FLOWERS FOR SUBURBAN GARDENS 373 



be perfectly even and solid, and the band of colour on the edge 

 should also be an even circle, whether green, grey, or white. 



It might be thought that such perfect banding as this would 

 be impossible of attainment, but if well-bred varieties are grown 

 they will respond quite in the way that the grower wants to good 

 cultivation. 



The Alpines are less elaborate, inasmuch as they do not 

 contain any paste. There is a central colour yellow, white, or 

 cream and an edging in the form of a broad band, generally of 

 a dark colour, but somewhat paler at the edge than at the interior. 

 They are more showy flowers than the Stage section, and are 

 perhaps more popular with the general public ; certainly some of 

 the fine modern Alpines are great favourites. Being hardy, and 

 having no meal to be spoiled by rain, they are admirable for 

 garden culture. They may be used as clumps in borders, or rock- 

 work, or in beds, either alone or in association with Tulips. We 

 fear that we cannot say that they are ideal spring flowers for town 

 gardens, although the frame Auriculas may be grown in towns, as 

 we have stated already. 



CULTURE OF PRIZE AURICULAS 



An amateur who wanted to grow a collection of Stage and 

 Alpine Auriculas in pots, with which to compete at exhibitions, 

 would be wise to face the expense of making a start with named 

 varieties of recognised standards. Judges are familiar with these 

 varieties, and expect to see them. They would not pass over a 

 really good seedling because they did not know it under name; 

 on the contrary, they would cluster round it eagerly, and compare 

 it with the best of the standard varieties. But really good seed- 

 lings are few and far between. A collection of ordinary ones 

 would not stand a ghost of a chance against a collection of named 

 varieties. Prize Auriculas may be expected to cost from one-arid- 



