4 GARDENING FOR BEGINNERS 



probable that these numerous varieties have been developed by the 

 intercrossing of some other species of Alpine Primula. The fact that 

 the Auricula is an Alpine plant gives us a clue to the treatment likely 

 to be successful in cultivating it. A close atmosphere is most injurious ; 

 whenever it is possible air should be admitted over and under the plants, 

 night and day, summer and winter. The only exception to frames not 

 being open night and day is excessive frost. The plants may be frozen 

 quite hard and suffer no injury. 



Classes of Auricula. The Auricula for garden purposes is divided 

 into four sections viz. Green-edged, Grey-edged, White-edged, and 

 Selfs. This may seem unimportant to the cultivator who does not look 

 too closely into the composition of the flower. It is so difficult to obtain 

 green-edged varieties that unless the fancier had a definite standard of 

 excellence to work up to in this class, it might speedily be ignored 

 altogether, and the green-edged section would drop altogether out of 

 existence. This type of Auricula is always placed first in exhibition 

 schedules and in trade catalogues; probably there is no other reason 

 for this except custom. The "pip " or corolla should be circular, and the 

 petals ought to be free from notches in the margin. Seven to nine pips 

 form a handsome truss ; the foot-stalks ought to be stout, and the main 

 stem ought also to stand up erect without the support of a stick. 



The corolla ought to have a margin of green ; rich dark green forms 

 a beautiful setting for the velvet black ground or " body " colour. This 

 black ground encloses a white centre, and the eye ought to be a clear, 

 rich yellow. The white centre is formed of a dense coating of farina ; 

 the eye ought to be round, and the " paste " also circular. The body 

 colour is sometimes angular or irregular; this, of course, is a fault, 

 and the more solid this ground colour is the better is the flower 

 esteemed. 



A grey-edged Auricula differs from the green-edged type in the 

 outer margin being slightly dotted with farina. This makes it appear 

 grey ; in all other points the standard of excellence is the same as in 

 the green-edge. 



The white-edge differs from the grey in the coating of farina being 

 so dense that the edge appears quite white ; the farina is never so dense 

 as in the centre of the corolla, but the green margin is covered so 

 thickly that it appears white. 



The selfs are altogether different from either of the above classes. 

 There is the yellow or orange-coloured eye, and the centre of dense 

 white paste, but the margin is merely a solid unshaded colour of dark 

 maroon, violet, red, or yellow. 



There has grown up within the last decade or so a section termed 

 Fancies. Of course, when a batch of seedlings is raised by cross- 

 fertilisation from any of the above classes there are varieties outside 

 these classes that are in their way very pretty. These have been culti- 

 vated and admired, even more so by many persons of taste than the 

 more formal edged types. The larger proportion of them are merely 

 edged varieties. They have the margin of green, grey, or white, but 

 no ground colour ; they are very pretty in the garden, and those who 



