1876 . ] 
THE AUEICULA.-CHAPTER VI. 
235 
rather than root and feather for a drink, and mischief soon ensues. Water just 
as the plants ask for it. Never have them loet. 
Some autumn trusses will be rising. Flowers from these are hardly ever in 
proper size and character, and they weaken the plant, which, with all its marks 
of growth, has nothing now of its spring activity and strength. Happily few of 
the best sorts, except Colonel Taylor and True Briton^ are given to this ill-timed 
habit of autumn blooming ; whereas, nearly every plant sufficiently large of such 
kinds as General Niell^ BeestorHs Apollo^ Lady Wilhrahani^ Maclean^s Unique^ 
and others, may send up a truss. Where the spring bloom is valued, autumn 
pips must be removed. 
The stem should first be allowed to get clear of the heart and foliage with its 
head of buds, when they may be rubbed off. If, however, the stalk, when young 
and sappy, is broken short off into the plant, there will be great danger of its 
rotting down into the green neck and causing fatal mischief. 
Green-fly is still to be looked after. It will mainly affect the tasty fresh growth, 
and the eyes freshly breaking into off-sets beneath the foliage. These it will 
smother, if not prevented, and will also do great harm to seedlings in a small 
state, if allowed to infest them. Remove all yellow leaves, and if the weather be 
^oggy towards the end of the month, give all air possible and as little water. 
I trust that if I here briefly allude to the enemies of this plant and its 
diseases, I shall not convey the impression that it is difficult to keep in health. 
Truly it is an easy plant, good-natured, domestic, affectionate. It seems grateful 
for a touch—you might almost imagine, even for a look. There is no heavy 
work, mysterious nor unpleasant, in its treatment. Fairest hands might handle 
the Auricula, and find it all that is gentle, and sweet, and attractive in flowers. 
Its insect enemies can be kept in check by dint of ordinary watchfulness, and its 
one inanimate foe—damp—can be kept off by attention to air and situation. 
I have called attention already to aphis, caterpillar, maggot, slug, and wood¬ 
louse. There remain two or three more. One of them, red-spider, I have only 
seen once, where a collection was tortured for want of water in a hot, drying 
situation. If the plants are kept cool and moist, this pest cannot touch them ; 
and if they are affected, the best way is to provide them with a cool home in 
the shade, and sponge the leaves with a solution of soft-soap and water. 
Sometimes an overlooked wire-worm passes into a pot among the turfy loam, 
or is hatched there. Happily this abomination is fond of residing at the side of 
his pot, and is easily detected. 
The last enemy I notice is new to me this year, and I am thankful to say is 
not in my own collection, but I know of its presence in two. It is a mealy bug 
or aphis, apparently identical with the American blight. It seems a terrible 
thing, infesting the roots, permeating the soil, starting apparently from centres of 
decayed vegetable matter in the compost, destroying the fine white fibres of the 
plant, and causing it to have a languid, dull, set look, very noticeable and 
distressing. I do not know the cause, unless it be from leaf-mould too crude, or 
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