THE FLORICULTURAL ENTHUSIAST. 
281 
them for auriculas without a particle of any- 
other stuff with them, and continued to do so 
after seeing that they did well in it. 
Top-dressing fob Auriculas. — One part 
pigeon's dung (three years old) to three parts 
of fresh soil, such as they are growing in, two 
parts silver sand ; let these lay together : when 
it does not catch the rain, damp it occasionally, 
but do not let it he absolutely wet. This top- 
dressing is quite exciting enough : the longer 
it lays together the better. Indeed, if the 
pigeon's dung were quite fresh and mixed 
with the loam, and lay in the heap for three 
years to rot, it would be better than if rotted 
by itself and afterwards mixed. 
Laurel Leaves. — I was recommended to 
use bruised laurel leaves, in frames, to kill the 
thrip ; I accordingly bruised a quantity and 
put plenty of them among the pots — they killed 
the thrip and the plants also. From this I 
gather, that it is very poisonous, and that it is 
too dangerous to play with. I don't like such 
remedies. 
Blooming Carnations. — It is not enough 
to tie a bast round half way up the pod, but 
you should also, as soon as the coloured petal 
shows, tear down the divisions as far as the 
bast, so that there is no kind of check on 
either side. If this be not done, I find that 
the pod will hold together until it can resist 
no longer, and it gives or bursts in the weak- 
est part, even below the tie, and destroys the 
bloom for showing. 
Auricula Seed. — To get a stock of any 
scarce sort of auricula I have cut out the 
heart : there appears to be a bud or two to 
every leaf, and a good many of them come 
out. The time to cut it out is the instant it 
shows itself by the side of the flower-stalk, 
and before it takes much of the strength away; 
it is sure to throw the shoots sooner, stronger, 
and better for it, and all you lose is the main 
plant. I used to pull off the leaves, but I 
found it was better to leave them on, as the 
leaves having made their growth could take 
nothing from the plant. 
To Increase the Tulip. — I have cut the 
top half completely away to destroy the growth 
of the leaves, because it takes the growing 
part away, and thus forces the growth of any 
incipient buds that may be at the base of 
them. This applies only to such kinds as do 
not freely breed. Some breed a good deal too 
fast. I applied this to a Louis theXVI., though 
I gave six pounds for it, not bigger than a 
peach kernel, but I had tried it with common 
ones before. They should be cut long enough 
before planting to dry the cut surface, or it 
might mildew in the ground. My Louis 
threw two ollsets which came nearly as large, 
if not quite as large, as the root I cut was ; 
and there were several as large as pips of 
apples. Mr. Millikin said once, that it was a 
desperate remedy, but he had known it answer. 
To Promote the Growth of Plants. — 
Pick off the bloom buds as soon as you can 
get hold of them. Auriculas and polyanthuses, 
offsets of hyacinths, ranunculuses, anemones, 
and everything else that I have tried, and 
nothing more than the tulip, has grown much 
stronger for taking off the bloom-bud. It is 
well to do so where the plant is scarce and the 
flower not wanted. 
The Florist's Directory. — I think there 
is too much mystery in auricula growing as 
directed in it. I never followed it, and mine 
grew well in rotten turfs and nothing else. I 
did try some with the rotten wood taken from 
a hollow willow tree, but there was a good 
deal of bird droppings had got among it, as 
the top was open, and it was too strong for 
anything; hut a little of it, mixed with plenty 
of ordinary soil, would do for top-dressing. 
The Directory which mentions willow-mould, 
among a great many things, reminds me of it ; 
when it is thoroughly decomposed it is a very 
excellent thing ror enriching a compost ; and 
pure wood-mould will, I think, hurt nothing. 
Polyanthuses, Primroses, Cowslips, Ox- 
lips. — All these four seem to me to be one 
thing, or, rather, to come from one thing. So 
far as I could be answerable for anything, I 
saved some seed entirely from a common kind 
of polyanthus, and I had all the four things. 
I could all but swear that no other seed could 
come among that which I gathered from, what 
struck me to he, a gay bastard sort of poly- 
anthus. I have mentioned this to a botanical 
friend, who says it is quite possible. 
Run Carnations. — Notwithstanding some 
people say they never come back, I have had 
one come as good as ever it was after four 
seasons' blooming as a run one. It would 
never be worth while to do it with a plentiful 
sort ; but I would always lay every good or 
scarce one that happened to be run, for the 
chance of their coming back. 
Ranunculuses. — Never let them bloom too 
much. My neighbour has taken up his roots 
very small twice, after what I call a heavy 
bloom : mine have come up strong both years ; 
and I have a right to believe it is because I 
only allow one or, at most, two flowers to per- 
fect themselves ; all that come too forward for 
the Show lent oil' directly ; and allowing two, 
the most likely to suit, to perfect themselves, 
I take the rest off directly I can lay hold of 
them, so that instead of their being worse for 
that which would be a very prolific bloom, no 
more strength is exhausted than will do for 
two flowers, and the roots are firm, healthy, 
and sound : as a proof of this, a common stock- 
bed, that holds the surplus of a few sorts that 
I have a great many of growing in the some 
