81 



then be shortened to -within an inch of the leaves, 

 leaving only the young and new fibres or roots. One 

 great and fatal cause of the dwindling and disease of 

 Auriculce is the leaving too long a tap-root ; it will 

 most assuredly decay, and eventually kill the plant. 

 When seed is required, repotting the breeders must 

 be deferred until August. {Johnson's Bid. Modern 

 Gardening.) 



Pots. — The smaller the pots, consistent with the 

 due supply of nourishment, the better, not only for 

 convenience and economy of room, but because the 

 needless development of root in any plant is always 

 at the expense of its parts of fructification. Conse- 

 quently we recommend the adoption of pots having 

 the dimensions prescribed by Dr. Horner, observing, 

 at the same time, that repotting annually, by supply- 

 ing fresh soil every year, enables these smaller-sized 

 pots to be employed without detriment. 



The pots for a full- sized plant should not exceed 

 four inches at the top, and three inches at the bot- 

 tom, inside measure ; they should also be made five- 

 and-a-half inches deep to allow of abundant drainage, 

 and should not be hard-baked, but left as porous as 

 possible.* It is a great and almost universal fault to 



* Against this recommendation by Dr. Homer, to employ- 

 slightly -baked pots, we enter a decided protest. In 1844, Mr. 

 Slater lost a great many Auriculas that were growing in these 

 porous pots, whilst thcs3 in hard-baked pots did very well. 

 G 



