346 THE PLEASURE, OR [April. 
wanted; and let such pots as stand in need of that article be imme- 
diately supplied with it. In doing this, suffer no water to fall on 
' the flowers, for that would wash off the afore-mentioned farinaceous 
bloom, and greatly deface their beauty. 
The waterings should be moderate, and frequent; for these 
plants being rather of a succulent nature, cannot bear too much, 
without material injury. 
Keep the surface of the pots perfectly neat, free from weeds and 
every sort of litter; suffer no decayed leaves to remain on the plants, 
but let such, as soon as they appear, be taken off. 
By thus placing your auricula pots on a covered stage, it not on- 
ly preserves the flowers much longer in beauty, but you also, more 
readily view them, and they show themselves to much greater ad- 
vantage than when placed on the ground. 
The shelves and back of the stage, should be painted black, or of 
some dark colour, by way of contrast to the white eyes, &c. of the 
flowers: and if a large looking-glass be placed at each end of the 
stage, the effect produced will be very pleasing, by apparently length- 
ening the stage each way, as far as the eye can reach. 
A row of fine Polyanthuses in pots, may likewise be introduced on 
the auricula stage; it will add to the variety, and form a pleasing 
contrast. 
The tallest flowering auriculas, should stand on the most distant 
shelf, and the shortest in front; those stems which are weak and bend, 
ought to be supported with small wires, fixed in the earth behind 
them, so as not to be easily discerned. If the roof of the stage 
is covered with glass, it will be an additional advantage to the 
plants. 
«fl Description of the Properties of a fine Variegated Auricula. 
The stem should be strong, erect, and elastic, and of a proper 
height, that the bunch or truss of flowers, may be above the foliage 
of the plant. 
The peduncles or foot-stalks, should also be strong and elastic, 
and of a proportional length to the size and quantity of the pips*, 
which should not be less than seven in number, that the bunch may 
be rather round, close, and compact. 
The component parts of the pip, are the tube, with its stamens 
and anthers; the eye, and the exterior circle containing the ground 
colour, with its edge or margin: these three should be all well pro- 
portioned, which will be the case, if the diameter of the tube be one 
part, the eye three, and the whole pip or flower, six, or nearly so. 
All the admirers of this charming flower agree, that the pips 
ought to be round; but this seldom happens; and we must be con- 
tent if they are so nearly round, as not to be what is called starry. 
The anthers or summits of the stamins, ought to be large, bold, 
and fill the tube well, and the tube should terminate rather above 
the eye; the eye should be very white, smooth, and round, without 
any cracks, and distinct from the ground or self-colour. 
