Plate 489 . 
ALPINE AURICULAS— SELINA, BLACK 
PRINCE, AND MONARCH. 
The past season was not a favourable one for the Auricula ; 
the lengthened cold spring materially interfered with their 
period of blooming, and consequently, when the exhibitions 
were held at their usual time only two exhibitors were enabled 
to enter into competition ; our own were not in bloom, and 
indeed so late were they, that on the 2 1 st of May we were 
enabled to cut a box of excellent blooms and send them to the 
Crystal Palace. In all our experience of Auricula growing, we 
never recollect so late a blooming period. There were not 
many new flowers exhibited, the most remarkable amongst 
them being Colonel Champneys, a seedling of Mr. Turner’s, 
good in some points, but defective in others. 
Alpine Auriculas were, however, shown in good condition 
and large quantities by Mr. Charles Turner, of Slough, who 
has done much to improve this class of Auriculas ; indeed, in 
point of form and beauty of colouring, they are now becoming 
equal to the show varieties. From the handsome collection shown 
by him we have selected three for our illustrations. Selina 
(fig. 1), it will be seen, is almost intermediate between the self- 
coloured Auricula and the Alpine — it has the white paste of the 
former and the shaded colour of the latter, this being of a bright 
shaded purple. Black Prince (fig. 2) is a flower of good form and 
substance, of a deep maroon, shaded with black ; while Monarch 
(fig. 3) is one of the most perfect, if not the most perfect, 
