190 



JOUENAL OF HORTICULTUBE AND COTTAGE GAEDENEB. 



[ September 6, 1877. 



as well as branches have done their work, and a young tree 

 must tats its place. — Edward Luckhuest. 



AURICULA NOTES. 



Some correspondence has appeared lately in your columns 

 which induces me to take up a pen to champion my favourite 

 flower. I do not think the Auricula aphis is such a formid- 

 able enemy as " D.,Deal," has hitherto found it, and I venture 

 to prophesy that if he deals with it as promptly as he is now 

 doing it will sink into the category of a second-rate foe, to 

 be kept at bay by watchfulness in the same way as the green 

 aphis is. It is the loving watch upon your plants that gives 

 you early information of coming mischief, be it damp, aphis, 

 or rot in the calk, and early information enables you to apply 

 that early remedy which alone will save so sensitive and re- 

 fined a plant as an Auricula. 



I have the Aphis Auriculas still upon my plants, but in re- 

 stricted numbers, and I am watching them closely. As I 

 promised early in the year, I quarantined some infestedalpines, 

 but the aphis has not thriven upon them, from which I infer 

 he dislikes the disturbance entailsd by the necessary moving 

 each time an observation is wanted. Does not thi3 teach a 

 lesson ? 



It has re-appeared upon some of the plants which were 

 cleaned with care in February, washed — foliage, calk, and root 

 — in soft soap and water, and repotted, and then repotted a 

 second time in May or June when they were clean, but it is 

 strongest on some few plants which, owing to their bearing 

 Eeed, were isolated, not repotted in June, and on which I am 

 now watching them. All this seems to show one dose may not 

 be enough, the watch kept must be renewed, and if necessary 

 the treatment be repeated. 



I am now using Giahurst compound, of which I mix 2 ozs. 

 in one gallon of water and let it stand a few hours, and am 

 not afraid to dip the plant in — pot, roots, leaves and all ; 

 though, of course, with the mealy-foliaged plants a more deli- 

 cate operation is required, and the foliage must be exempted 

 from so drastic a treatment. I find no harm to result but 

 rather good, and my gardener, Eobert Stafford, declares the 

 plants directly benefit from the Giahurst, an opinion to which 

 I soarcely like to stand godfather, though I am watching to 

 see, and am convinced of its benefit indirectly in its effect 

 upon insect life. The large bulk of my collection is clean, a 

 small quantity of aphis only having made its appearance on 

 plants repotted in Jane, but still enough to require watching. 

 It would be interesting to know if other people's experience in 

 any way coincides with mine. 



This year I had the pleasure of blooming my firBt seedling 

 Auriculas, chance-saved seed from my own flowers. And what 

 a pleasure there is in a bed of seedlings ! It is a lottery in 

 which you draw all prizes and no blanks. Every day discloses 

 some new b=auty, and you know that your plants have all the 

 vigour and health of their whole life before them. But though 

 it is all gain and no loss, the great prizes are very few in such 

 a lot as I describe. The seed was saved from good flowers. 

 Privateer (Grimes), Bingleader (Kenyon), Colonel Cliampneys 

 (Turner), Lord Lee (Berry), Mary Ann (Fletcher), Empress 

 (Tamer), Eliza (Sims), Mrs. Smith (Smith), &o. ; but not 

 crossed carefully with selected pollen parents, the fertilisation 

 was a matter of chance, and as prophesied twelve months ago 

 by the Bev. F. D. Horner, what wonder that the quality was 

 inferior ? To a florist the lot showed every fault to which the 

 Auricula is subject. To others their brilliance and exquisite 

 scent commanded the admiration of all who saw them. To 

 me they were a source of constant delight and wonder. Why 

 should Empress, for example, give me first a really good 

 alpine firm and rich with its dense yellow paste, second a 

 grey edge resembling Conqueror of Earope, and third a rich 

 dark self only spoilt by a wavy paste ? and why side by side 

 should Fletcher's Mary Ann give me a lovely deep violet self, 

 and then a white edge of good proportions and quality spoilt 

 by a staring pin eye ? The very disappointments of the lot 

 were delightful in their provoking variety ; every fault, nearly 

 every virtue, were blended in indescribable confusion, but the 

 bloom passed away and has left the memory of the most 

 charming flower bed I ever enjoyed, and a little experience of 

 failure by which I hope to benefit in futura in a more carsful 

 selection of seed, which should give a larger per-centage of 

 those good qualities which make one variety better than 

 another. 



Before I close my notes may I ask your correspondents if 



they know any larger yellow alpine Auricula than Primula 

 auricula? Tears ago I found in the high Alps of Switzerland, 

 under a high overhanging cliff facing the north where the sun 

 seldom struck, the largest and richest Auricula I ever saw, the 

 flower stem from 9 to 10 inches, with eighteen pips of large 

 yellow flowers, and the whole plant richly dusted over with 

 white farina. I can scarcely think it is the Primula auricula, 

 which i3 now a garden favourite, and which thrives well both 

 in pot and open-air border with me, but which when in its 

 finest health and condition never approaches the lusty giant I 

 remember, and which I hope some day again to search for on 

 the St. Gothard. — John T. D. Llewelts. 



WINTER CUCUMBER CULTURE. 



Ccctjmbeks, like many other garden products, appear to be 

 valued just in proportion to their scarcity. If by some slip of 

 the tongue of an assistant an idea becomes settled in the 

 kitchen that Cucumbers are scarce in the garden the kitchen 

 people will become especially alive to their importance, and 

 every order sent to the gardener will begin with Cucumbers. 

 If there is one season more than another when Cnoumbers are 

 really scarce, and at times especially valued, it is during the 

 months of December, January, and February. I have gene- 

 rally passed through these months tolerably comfortably by 

 commencing preparations in good time and thus mostly 

 avoided any serious scarcity, and, if scarcity at times has 

 occurred, by keeping as much as possible the knowledge of 

 that circumstance to myself. 



Cucumbers for fruiting during the winter should be planted 

 at once, and the plants should be strong to begin with. I sow 

 the seeds during the last week in July, and grow the plants 

 under the influence of all the light and air they will endure, 

 with the object of producing woody stems and medium-sized 

 thick leaves — not large flabby foliage. 



It i3 no use attempting the growth of winter Cucumbers 

 unless well-heated houses are provided, I mean houses con- 

 taining a sufficient amount of piping to preserve a night 

 temperature of 70° in severe weather without violently heating 

 the pipes. That temperature may not always be required, but 

 it is none the less necessary that the pipes should be able to 

 produce it. Overheated pipes promote red spider, weakly 

 growths, and deformed fruits. 



In addition to pipes for affording bottom heat I like a good 

 quantity of dung and leaves, and the Cucumbers like it too. 

 A bottom heat of 80° to 85° is a suitable temperature for the 

 roots. 



Soil, of course, is important. It should be fresh, good, and 

 rough. Chopped turf just blackened with soot I have found 

 suitable ; if at all poor, one-third of horse droppings — old 

 mushroom-bed manure — may be mixed with the loam. A 

 great bulk should not be employed at once. Commence with 

 a small hillock for eaoh plant, and Eurface-dress weekly or 

 whenever roots protrude and ask for fresh food. Active sur- 

 face roots induce healthy fruitful growth, and open — previously 

 warmed — turfy soil and warm water secure active roots. Water 

 must be given according to circumstances. It must at all times 

 be sufficient, at no time excessive. 



Temperature, ventilation, and atmospheric moisture are im- 

 portant elements in winter Cucumber culture, and not much 

 less important is bright clean glass. A night temperature of 

 65° is a safe one, with just a chink for air in the top ventilators. 

 During very severe and also dull weather the thermometer may 

 fall to 60° at 6 a.m. The day temperature should be 5' or 6' 

 higher by fire heat, and should reach its maximum at 9 a.m. 

 That is important. The sun heat may rise to SO 3 to 85'. 

 Watch for this, and bottle it up by early closing; it will 

 save coals and produce green foliage (which red spiders do 

 not appear to like), and green Cacnmbers too, which look well 

 anywhere — on the plants or the table. As the temperature 

 increases so let the moisture increase ; this will be insured by 

 the troughs on the pipes when the heat is from the fire alone, 

 but with sun heat the walls and paths occasionally need 

 damping. Syringe on favourable occasions. The water must 

 not hang about the plants during hour after hour. One good 

 syringing weekly is more effectual than daily squirtings. Pre- 

 vent red spider if possible. Perfectly clear soot water is a 

 deterrent ; it is also stimulating to the plants. 



Great watchfulness of the weather at night, early morning 

 attention, cautions admittance of air, intelligent guidance of 

 heat and moisture, are the chief essentials to success in winter 

 Cucumber culture. A trio of excellent sorts are Telegraph, 





