122 
THE FLORIST AND POMOLOOIST. 
[ .TTTNI!, 
flower met with many old friends and made many new ones. To those who had 
known it long, but not seen it for a weary while, it was a dear old face, but little 
changed by time ; while to strangers it was a flower of bewildering beauty, 
smiting with love at first sight, and leaving that true impression of its nature, 
that it is one which makes the heart grow fonder as acquaintance ripens into 
intimacy. It was ample reward for any trouble on the part of those who had 
brought the Auriculas, to see the real delight and interest taken in them by the 
visitors who flocked around them, and asked many earnest questions about them. 
It was all in glowing contrast to the unobservant indifference that is often mani¬ 
fest at flower-shows, and that leaves the disheartening conviction that if the 
flowers had been but so many set forms in wax, or glass, or pottery, or Berlin 
wool, or silken cunning of embroidery, it would have been much the same to 
those who do not go to flower-shows for the sake of flowers. 
But good as the Crystal Palace exhibition was, we may hope to see it both 
better and larger. For there could not have been a more trying season for the 
Auricula, and this had told its tale against all growers who could not, or would 
not, so treat their plants as to save them the bitter knowledge of how bad the 
weather was. The one redeeming feature was the early start which open weeks 
in January and February allowed the plants to make. They never forgot this 
benefit, where they were saved from all after-check; but to preserve them from 
this required some delicate care, which is a very different thing from “ coddling,” 
and not half so easy. 
One of the happiest memories of the year with Auriculas is that some young 
flowers—new seedlings—are coming by the side of the best old flowers, even to 
take, with gentlest grace, the oft-won crown of bay-leaves from the grey brow of 
champions that have fought these fifty or a hundred years or more. There is no 
such a veteran band in any other florists'-flower, none that has borne the burden 
of so long a day. Where are the Tulips, Carnations, Dahlias, Eoses of half that 
time ago ? These flowers have all passed through many phases and vicissitudes, 
while the Auricula has looked down upon them through generations of florists 
and their flowers as from some calm height beyond the influence of time and 
change. Long-standing, honoured names, naturally are accounted of great 
weight, and we shall not, as Auricula-growers, easily grow accustomed to dis¬ 
connect the names of Smiling Beauty and Colonel Taylor from first prizes. But 
it may be, we shall come to some such sore amazement as the old tulip-grower 
did, on the day he found that “ Do-little ” was not at the head of the class. 
“ Why, where’s my Do-little,” cried he, “ where’s my Do-little ?” Name and 
fame must carry everything. There’s Do-little here. “ Whereas my Do-little ?” 
They will be good flowers that put down such as Smiling Beauty in Auriculas, 
but rivals and conquerors must appear in time, if the flower is carefully followed 
up. It may be a little difficult to work at, and it may be we have rested toO' 
content with the Avork done for us by former raisers, but it will never be that we 
exhaust perfection, and may say it is no use trying for anything better. If we 
