a north as yet) and there to be left to grow and 
bloom in their natural way. At all events, I 
never suffered my flowers that I intended for seed 
to remain longer in their winter quarters than 
M^hen they began to expand their master pips ; 
1 never allowed them to remain in the frame 
till they were completely blown. Flowers that 
are permitted to bloom and remain under glass 
any length of time, or that are placed on a 
stage, will seldom produce hold strong seed. 
This is one chief cause why Auricula seed is so 
veiy scarce, as few persons treat this plant in a 
way to produce a large crop of seed. Those 
large strong plants that are bloomed very fine 
under glass, and afterwards are placed on a stage, 
seldom or ever have a perfect, sound seed; 
the pods will apparently thrive,- and swell to a 
large size, but when you come to open them in 
the season, to take out a large crop, as you 
naturally would expect, the seed turns out to 
be so delicate, thin, lean, and weak, that they 
have not sufficient body or substance to vege- 
tate in the ensuing spring. 
. I recommend about twenty-five young plants 
to be placed out every spring for the express 
purpose of bearing seed, and to be suffered to 
be exposed to the rain, and other moderate wea- 
ther, similar to a Polyanthus, only a little more 
