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Gardening for Amateurs 



Auriculas for Amateurs 



THE various kinds of Auricula now 

 met with are all forms of the 

 common Auricula, or Bear's Ear, a 

 native of the Alps of Europe. Its botan- 

 ical name is Primula Auricula. For con- 

 siderably more than two centuries it has 

 been grown in gardens. Its great popu- 

 larity as a florist's flower dates from the 

 beginning of the last century, or perhaps 

 longer, when the Auricula was largely taken 

 up by the weavers of Lancashire, the cutlers 

 of Sheffield, and the workmen of other large 

 industrial centres, especially in the North 

 of England. Whether the latter still retain 

 their interest in the flower to the same extent 

 as before is at least open to question. Never- 

 theless, lovers of the Auricula are numerous 

 throughout the country, as may be seen 

 by the strong interest taken in the Auricula 

 shows at different places. 



An inspection of a well-grown collection 

 of Auriculas in flower enables one fully to 

 understand the feelings of enthusiastic cul- 

 tivators, for few if any plants show such 



Alpine Auricula Claude Halcro, yellow and crimson. 



(From a photograph sent by Mr. J. L. Gibson.) 



exquisitely marked and such variously 

 coloured flowers. The symmetrical shape 

 of the blooms and the regular way they are 

 arranged in the head or cluster are also 

 noteworthy features. 



The different forms are divided into green- 

 edged, white-edged, grey-edged, and selfs. 

 Varieties that cannot be included under 

 either of these heads are termed fancies. 



The Alpine Auriculas are a more robust 

 race, and probably owe a good deal of their 

 distinctive characters to the influence of 

 Primula pubescens. They are not so much 

 appreciated for show purposes, yet the finer 

 varieties form delightful pot plants, and 

 others can be grown out of doors in the open 

 border. The chief distinctions of the different 

 classes are as follows : 



Show Auriculas. In the green-edged 

 section the flower should be quite circular 

 in shape, smooth at the edge, and the truss 

 or cluster of blossom borne on a stout erect 

 stalk. The outside of the flower is green, 

 the richer the better ; then comes what may 

 be described 

 as the body 

 colour, usually 

 very dark and 

 of a velvety 

 texture. In- 

 side this is a 

 white sub- 

 stance, termed 

 the paste, and 

 formed of a 

 dense mass of 

 fine meal-like 

 matter known 

 as farina. A 

 yellow eye or 

 centre com- 

 pletes a charm- 

 ing bloom. In 

 the white-edged 

 varieties the 

 outside is 

 covered with 

 this farina of 

 sufficient den- 



