48 



AURICULAS. 



of the month. Those that have been kept in four inch pots 

 should be put into pots of seven inches, and those that are 

 in five inch pots may be put into eight inch. Give a gentle 

 watering after repotting. Pinks do not require the pots so 

 large, but the same treatment in every other respect. Where 

 the extremities of the leaves are decayed, cut them off, with 

 any other decayed leaves: the pots must be well drained 

 with shivers or fine gravel. Give them plenty of air, other- 

 wise they will be weak in growth. 



Primroses and Daisies may be planted out in shady situa- 

 tions : the sun destroys them during summer if exposed. 



AURICULAS. 



These beautiful and highly interesting plants are, to a 

 great degree, neglected in our collections. It cannot be from 

 want of beauty or fragrance that they have not attracted our 

 attention, for they are exquisite in both. We are rather in- 

 clined to think that those who have them do not give them 

 the treatment they require yearly to perfect their bloom. 

 They should now have the surface earth taken off about half 

 an inch down, and fresh soil added, which will cause them to 

 put on fresh fibres about the upper part of the roots, and 

 greatly increase their growth. The frame in which they are 

 placed should now face the east, as the sun will be too strong 

 for them ; and about the end of the month turn it to the 

 north. The glass of the frame may be white-washed, which 

 will partially shade them from the sun, that being their de- 

 light. Give them water sparingly until they begin to grow, 

 and never water them over the foliage previous to flowering, 

 as water injures that fine mealy-like substance found on many 

 of the sorts, and which so greatly improves their beauty. 

 Defend them, therefore, from rain and high winds. To have 

 them flower strongly, only one flower stem should be allowed 

 to grow. The first one that shows is generally the best. 

 At all events, leave the strongest, and cut off all the others, 

 or only nip off the flower pips, which answers the same end. 

 Never keep the sash off during the night, in case it rain 

 before morning. 



