Aucuba 



( 93 



Auricula 



AUCUBA. 



Description. Favourite ornamental harcly ever- 

 green sliriibs (ord. Cornaoeoe) of great value in tin- 

 garden or slirublicry. The variegated leaves show 

 much variety of markings, and the best forms arc 

 very beautiful. 



Propagation. By seeds sown when ripe, or by 

 cuttings in sandy soil in autumn or spring. The 

 latter may be struck in the open, but it is well to 

 have some covering at hand in case of severe 

 weather. Aucubas make good town plants, and 

 may also be grown as pot plants. 



Soil. Any common soil will grow them in the 

 open, but for pots one of a more sandy character 

 should be used. 



Other Cultural Points. If berries are wanted, it 

 is necessary to grow both male and female plants. 

 :ind to ensure a good crop the female flowers ought 

 to be fertilised with pollen from the male plants 

 when the pistil appears to be viscid or sticky. If 

 the pollen is ready before the pistil is sufficiently 

 advanced, it may be kept for some time in a dry 

 place without losing its potency. 



Principal Species and Varieties : 



japonica, ID', or less. There are many vars. in 

 cultivation, and it is preferable for a purchaser 

 to select for himself in the nursery. The following 

 are worth growing : 



alho-variegata. longifolia. pygmamsulphurea. 



aurea. uiMculata. vera nana. 



fructu-alho. maculata mascu- viridis. 



limbata. line. 



Other Species : 



chinensis. himalaica. 



AUDIBERTIA. 



Hardy evergreens (ord. Labiatas) of no particular 

 ganieii value. Propagation is by seeds, and 

 ordinary garden soil suits. 



Principal Species : 

 iucauu, ir, Aug. , bl. polystachya, 2', Oct., wh. 



AUDOUINIA. 



A genus of one species (ord. Bruniaceas). Capi- 

 tata, 1', May, purple, is a greenhouse shrub. Propa- 

 gated by cuttings of ripened shoots in sand in a 

 cold frame. Soil, fibrous loam and leaf mould, with 

 sand. 



AULAX. 



Evergreen greenhouse shrubs (ord. Proteacese), 

 natives of the Cape, propagated by cuttings of 

 ripened shoots in sandy soil, under a bell-glass in a 

 cold frame. Soil, loam and leaf soil in equal parts, 

 with sand. 



Principal Species : 

 pinifolia, 2', Jy., yel. umbellata, 2', Je., yel. 



AURICULA. 



Description. Exquisite spring-flowering plants 

 (ord. Primulacesc), of the highest order of excellence 

 for the garden, or for flowering in frames or Auricula 

 houses. While all are hardy, what are known as 

 the Show Auriculas should be grown under glass, 

 as the meal-like dust on the blooms and leaves is 

 spoiled by rain, and one of their charms thus 

 greatly defaced. These Show Auriculas are divided 

 into Green-edged, Grey-edged, Self, and White- 

 edged varieties. The ''Roles for Judging" of the 

 Royal Horticultural Society give the leading points 

 of all the sections in a succinct way, and a sum- 

 mary of these gives the needed information re- 

 garding their qualities. The corolla must be round, 

 smooth on the edge, ami perfectly flat; the tube 



AulacopliyUuni (nee Zaniia). 



yellow or lemon, round, filled with the anthers, 

 hiding tin- *tigma from view. The paste, which 

 comes next to the tube, should be solid and pure 

 white. The ground or body colour ought to be 

 dense, forming a perfect circle round the paste; 

 while the edge should be green, grey, white, or un- 

 shaded self-colour. The stem must also be long 

 enough and strong enough to carry the truss well 

 above the leaves. The Alpines are to be judged dif- 

 ferently, but it may be noted that the centre must be 

 yellow, cream, or white, and without any farina, and 

 the edge a zone of some dark colour, shading off 

 to a paler tint towards the margin. Although the 

 Alpine Auriculas are hardy enough, there is little 



: I ^.->, II ,f Company, Ltd. 



Ai nii:n,A Mus. H. TrnxKii (Au-ixi-:). (See p. 95). 



doubt that they come to greater perfection when 

 cultivated in frames. 



It is gratifying to find that Auriculas are again 

 growing in favour. For many years they were 

 largely grown by great numbers" throughout the 

 kingdom, but afterwards, and until recently, their 

 cultivation was only maintained by a few enthusiasts. 



Propagation. New varieties are raised from 

 seeds, which are generally the produce of plants 

 carefully cross-fertilised with the pollen of other 

 flowers of the highest quality. Specialists con- 

 sider that it is undesirable to cross-fertilise plants 

 belonging to a different class, i.e. a white-edged 

 variety with a green-edge, and so on. The 

 precaution of removing the anthers from the 



