April.] FLOWER GARDEN. 349 



adding a little coarse sand, close around the stem of the plant, on 

 the surface; the bottom of the pot should then be gently struck two 

 or three times against the ground) in order to close the earth about 

 the roots, this will cause it to sink half an inch below the top of 

 the pot, which will prevent the loss of water when administered. 



N. B. The true depth to plant an auricula is within about half 

 an inch of the bottom of its lowest or outside leaves. 



Any offsets that have formed one or more fibres, of an inch or 

 two in length, may be slipped oft" the old plant, and replanted around 

 the sides of large pots, or singly in small ones, filled with the same 

 compost; and if hand-glasses are placed over them, such will cause 

 their fibres to grow more rapidly; but they ought not to be long 

 continued on, lest the plants should be drawn and weakened 

 thereby. 



After potting, give each plant a little water, and place the pots 

 in a shaded situation, where they may have the morning sun till 

 ten o'clock, and the afternoon from four or five, but by no means 

 under the drip of trees; there they are to remain till October, 

 taking care to keep them regularly watered, and free from weeds. 

 The pots may, or may not, be plunged in the earth, but in the lat- 

 ter case they will require more attendance. 



Care of Seedling Auriculas. 



Seedling auriculas which were sown last autumn or this spring, 

 now demand attention; these plants when newly come up, or while 

 quite young, must be carefully protected from the full sun in the 

 heat of the day, and frequently refreshed with water. 



The boxes or tubs in which they are growing should be removed 

 to a shady border, toward the latter end of this month, or beginning 

 of next: the place should be open to the morning sun till about nine 

 o'clock, but shaded the rest of the day, and the plants watered 

 frequently in dry weather. As soon as any of them appear with six 

 leaves such should be carefully taken out from the rest, and planted 

 in pots or boxes filled with compost, about two inches asunder; 

 and if grown by the beginning of August, so large as to touch each 

 other, they may then be transplanted into separate small pots, to 

 remain all winter. 



Polyanthuses. 



Polyanthuses blow at the same time, and the fine kinds require 

 nearly the same treatment as auriculas, both with respect to soil 

 and situation; they are, like the latter, very impatient of heat and 

 drought, and agree with a much greater portion of moisture: they 

 are fond of shade, and will not succeed well when exposed to our 

 summer heats, in a warm situation; at least so as to blow, even in 

 tolerable perfection, the ensuing season. 



The fine kinds may be grown in the same sized pots and in the 

 same compost as auriculas, with the addition of more loam; and 

 the common or more indifferent sorts may be planted in cool shady 



