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the lights should be kept over the flowers, but by no 

 means close shut down, but admit all the air you con- 

 veniently can behind, as the Auricula itself is quite 

 as hardy, or nearly so, as the common Primrose, but 

 they cannot stand the heavy autumn and winter rains, 

 the greatest enemy this plant has. Towards four 

 o'clock in the afternoon the lights should be pulled 

 over the flowers at this season, and shut close down, 

 with about two or three mats thrown over them, 

 and so to remain till about eight or nine o'clock next 

 morning, when, if it does not rain, snow, or hail, they 

 should be exposed agam to the open air in the usual 

 way ; but if it rains, take off the mats only. In 

 January, if the season has the appearance of open 

 weather, you may treat your plants nearly in the same 

 manner as the two last months, but if there is snow, 

 and the frost severe, you must be rather more cau- 

 tious as to the exposure; a trifling frost is of no serious 

 consequence to these hardy plants, but do not have 

 the mould severely frozen in the pots, as by the end 

 of January the bloom is formed, although very low 

 in the heart of the plant, and to get them severely 

 frozen would be risking too much. But if there is 

 likely to be a continuation of frosty weather, and the 

 plants have been close shut down for three weeks, let 

 the snow be taken off the mats, and the lights re- 

 moved for a few hours in the day, or give plenty of 

 air behind, and if the sun should break out for two 



