12 GARDENING FOR BEGINNERS 



Auricula has arrived at its present state of perfection. The inception of 

 the work was theirs, yet it has been nobly carried out by the present- 

 day fanciers. The interest excited by an Auricula exhibition is great 

 even at the present time, and the National Auricula Society annually 

 holds an exhibition of all classes of Auriculas, under the auspices of the 

 Royal Horticultural Society, every year about the end of April. 



The history of the Auricula has frequently been written, but little 

 is known, except that the original parent is the Primula Auricula, an 

 Alpine species with leaves finely powdered with a white farina, and 

 flowers of a primrose colour in trusses. The leaves of the cultivated 

 varieties are sometimes without any powder, others are densely covered 

 with it, the flowers being of the most variable character ; and it is prob- 

 able that these numerous varieties have been developed by the inter- 

 crossing of some other species of Alpine Primula. The fact that the 

 Auricula is an Alpine plant gives us a clue to the treatment likely to be 

 successful in cultivating it. A close atmosphere is most injurious ; when- 

 ever it is possible air should be admitted over and under the plants, 

 night and day, summer and winter. The only exception to frames not 

 being open night and day is excessive frost. The plants may be frozen 

 quite hard and suffer no injury. 



Classes of Auricula. -The Auricula for garden purposes is divided 

 into four sections viz. Green-edged, Grey-edged, White-edged, and 

 Selfs. This may seem unimportant to the cultivator who does not look 

 too closely into the composition of the flower. It is so difficult to obtain 

 green-edged varieties that unless the fancier had a definite standard of 

 excellence to work up to in this class, it might speedily be ignored alto- 

 gether, and the green-edged section would drop altogether out of exist- 

 ence. This type of Auricula is always placed first in exhibition schedules 

 and in trade catalogues ; probably there is no other reason for this 

 except custom. The " pip " or corolla should be circular, and the petals 

 ought to be free from notches in the margin. Seven to nine pips form 

 a handsome truss ; the foot-stalks ought to be stout, and the main stem 

 ought also to stand up erect without the support of a stick. 



The corolla ought to have a margin of green ; rich dark green forms 

 a beautiful setting for the velvet black ground or " body " colour. This 

 black ground encloses a white centre, and the eye ought to be a clear, 

 rich yellow. The white centre is formed of a dense coating of farina ; 

 the eye ought to be round, and the " paste " also circular. The body 

 colour is sometimes angular or irregular ; this, of course, is a fault, and 

 the more solid this ground colour is the better is the flower esteemed. 



A grey-edged Auricula differs from the green-edged type in the outer 

 margin being slightly dotted with farina. This makes it appear grey ; 

 in all other points the standard of excellence is the same as in the green- 

 edge. 



The white-edge differs from the grey in the coating of farina being 

 so dense that the edge appears quite white ; the farina is never so dense 

 as in the centre of the corolla, but the green margin is covered so thickly 

 that it appears white. 



