104 
THE AURICULA. 
novelty may be produced one year, there is no 
dependence upon ever raising another like it, 
nor can the individual plant, by any means, 
be saved or perpetuated. 
Beauty and qualifications for improvement 
are the principal recommendations of any 
plants to the notice of modern florists ; 
hence we now have the Rose, the Pansy, 
the Dahlia, the Picotee, the Geranium, the 
Verbena, the Fuchsia, the Cineraria, the 
Calceolaria, and many others added to the 
number, or rather (as the late Mr. Loudon 
more properly expressed it), " elevated to the 
rank of Florists' Flowers ;" whereas formerly 
the only subjects so distinguished were the 
Auricula, the Pink, the Carnation, the Tulip, 
the Ranunculus, the Hyacinth, and the Poly- 
anthus. With these preliminary remarks, we 
introduce the first of a regular series of papers 
on Florists' Flowers, by Mr. G. Glenny, F.H.S. 
author of the Properties of Flowers, — than 
whom, we believe, there is no man more 
capable, nor are we aware of any one whose 
opinions and writings on these particular 
subjects are so deservedly respected, and so 
universally and implicitly relied upon. 
GLENNY ON THE AURICULA. 
This most delicate and attractive of spring 
flowers has long been highly favoured among 
florists, and perhaps enthusiasm has not been 
carried to a greater pitch, among the humble 
classes, with any other, unless it be the Tulip, 
which perhaps may vie with it as to the num- 
ber of its extravagant admirers ; but even 
this is doubtful. The Auricula has hitherto 
proved one of the most treacherous of all the 
florists' pets ; and this always arising from 
a want of attention to a few rules now better 
understood ; but it will be no easy task to 
make those who have been so fatally disap- 
pointed, recommence the cultivation of a flower 
with which they have been unsuccessful. It 
has always been considered that the Auricula 
required exciting soils, and no plant in the 
world has been so tampered with. From early 
ages, particular cultivators have had their 
secrets, or pretended secrets, and probably in 
writing or speaking of them, have communi- 
cated imperfectly the means by which they 
have succeeded. It need hardly he questioned, 
then, that as most of the composts recom- 
mended by early writers have been exceed- 
ingly powerful, the slightest deviation in 
quantity, or strength, (in neither of which have 
they been very explicit) would naturally lead 
to destruction. Let us instance a few of the 
ingredients mentioned by these instructors. 
Einmerton recommends goose or pigeon's dung, 
night soil, sugar-bakers' scum — all exceedingly 
powerful manures, and if not carefully used, 
even to the most robust plants, in the highest 
degree mischievous ; how much more danger- 
ous then must these things have been when 
applied to the Auricula, which is one of the last 
that should be tampered with. But it is only 
fair to give some of the various composts which 
Emmertou recommended, and all of which 
he said he found successful. One was three 
barrow fuls of goose-dung, steeped in blood 
from the butcher's ; three barrowfuls of sugar- 
baker's scum ; two barrowfuls of fine yellow 
loam. Now the goose-dung steeped in blood 
can be defined by nobody. If it were new, it 
would absorb but little of the blood ; if it 
were perfectly dry, it would absorb a good 
deal. In the one ease, the blood would hardly 
be ten per cent, in the other it would be 
pretty well half ; therefore it is impossible to 
say what extent of good or evil would lurk 
in this portion of the proposed compost. 
Again, he says, two barrowfuls of goose-dung 
steeped in blood, two barrowfuls of scum, 
two barrowfuls of night soil, and two barrow- 
fuls of loam. The objections to the goose- 
dung and blood remain as in the last case ; it 
is impossible to define the real quantity of 
blood absorbed. Each of these composts are 
to be mixed in a hole, and be turned over 
repeatedly for two years, that is to say, once 
a month, in an exposed situation, that every 
part may be frozen in winter, and heated by 
the sun and penetrated by the air in summer. 
Again, we have another compost recommended 
by him. It is, four barrowfuls of loam, steeped 
in night-soil and urine ; two barrowfuls of 
goose-dung, mixed with blood ; two barrow- 
fuls of sugar-baker's scum, and two pecks of 
sea-sand. Again, for there is great variety in 
his composts, two barrowfuls of night-soil ; 
one of cow-dung ; one of yellow-loam, and 
one peck of sea-sand. Again, two barrowfuls 
of night soil ; two of goose-dung ; two of cow- 
dung ; two of fine yellow loam, and two of 
sea-sand. Now looking at the different con- 
stitution of these varied composts, and the 
exceedingly powerful nature of their ingre- 
dients, it seems altogether incredible that they 
