112 JOURNAL OF THE ROYAL HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



and produced a sort of concrete flooring, and lost many infant 

 plants. 



I am irresistibly drawn to the subject of seedling Auriculas, 

 because in both the Southern and Northern shows their appear- 

 ance is of intense interest. 



There is no better public test than exhibitions, where they 

 must meet the old varieties and each other, and pass a severe 

 examination. Still to a very large extent an exhibition does 

 not give a full view of the work accomplished. What may be 

 caught for one particular day is only as an instantaneous photo- 

 graph, showing a momentary position with respect to new 

 flowers, of which there may not yet be a second plant in 

 existence ; whereas of long established and distributed varieties 

 there is great succession and choice. 



In the days of the older raisers there were weak flowers 

 produced and accepted, perhaps for variety's sake, if they were 

 anything like an Auricula, perhaps because to equal the best was 

 an impious expectation. But a sterner rule is laid down for us, 

 and I am not sorry for it. A new Auricula is at once taken for 

 judgment before the best of the older flowers ; and if it is not 

 worthy, it stands lower than the old second-rates. Some redoubt- 

 able champion variety is flung at its diminished head, and that 

 floral missile is at present the grand grey-edge George Lightbody. 

 Even this flower often shows more faults than one, all the more 

 vexatious because it can do better. But at its best it is far too 

 true an Auricula for us to wish to see it driven out of the 

 field. Our aim is rather to surround it with compeers which 

 it will be a great honour to defeat, Towards that — and not in 

 one class only but in all — I feel a quiet assurance that we are 

 progressing. 



Another point upon which I would lay all stress is purity. In 

 crosses I would keep class to class to intensify class distinctions, 

 to avoid beaded edges in the green-edged, undecided edges in the 

 greys, and lack of density in the whites. So may the selfs also 

 have their rule of colour to colour. Enterprising exceptions here 

 should be made carefully, for some mixtures only result in dull 

 and common shades of puce, and unattractive tints of plum, to say 

 nothing of fancy sports that scarcely have a name in colour. 



To the raiser of seedlings there is a further source of purity— 

 the pureness of the whole collection from weak inferior varieties. 



