SEPTEMBER. 
2C9 
things: the high breeding of the flower—so that the Auricula of our 
stages is as different from its forefather of the Jur.gfrauor the Wetter- 
horn as the delicate and refined duchess is from the painted barbarian 
that once inhabited these islands; and that as far as warmth in winter 
is concerned, it is provided with a far warmer covering than all our 
“ frigi domo ” or mats can give it, some feet thick of snow; and while 
I quite think that there are other florists’ flowers which are far more 
troublesome than it, yet it is one which requires constant attention—a 
fact which excites the ineffable disgust of some people, such as my old 
man, who says, “ Law ! he takes as much care of them things as the 
missus does of her babbies.” While, therefore, I do not think that 
there is any flower which more thoroughly repays for the trouble 
expended on it, no one can grow it who is not determined to give it 
constant attention. With regard to the soil, I can only repeat what I 
said before, and add also, that some growers use a large proportion of 
cow-dung. Mr. Lightbody, of Falkirk (than whom no man grows 
them better), uses, he informs me, half cow-dung, the other half leaf 
mould and loam, with a little road grit or sand; the cow-dung cannot 
be too old. Your correspondent “ Iota,” tells a good story of some 
enthusiastic grower, who, asked by a bystander what that vras, replied, 
taking up a handful, “ Smell it, sir ; it’s cow-dung five years old. I 
could eat it!” I must suppose, then, that you have got well-dried 
sound pots, plenty of drainage, and your compost all ready ; shake off 
all the old earth, reduce the tap root if too long, cut away all cankery 
parts and dress the wounds with either powdered charcoal or gum 
arabic, put in your drainage, a large piece at the bottom, then some 
smaller pieces, and over it a few of the coarser pieces which have come 
from the sifting of your compost, then a handful of the potting stuff; 
lay the roots evenly round the pot, fill up with mould, and then water, 
The best plan of doing this is to have a tub near you filled with water; 
put some empty flower-pots in it reversed, and then stand your 
Auriculas on these, the water by capillary attraction soon reaches the 
top, the roots are not disturbed, and all get well wetted ; then take 
them out and put them into a close frame for a few days before 
exposing them. All this ought to be done long before this—not later 
than August—but the Rose show hindered me from saying this last 
month. Whatever may be the difference of opinion as to exposure to 
rain after the flowering season, I do not think there ought to be a 
second opinion as to its being injurious to the plant after the potting 
season ; a gentle shower or a slight syringing may not possibly do 
harm, but heavy rains they ought not to, and must not have ; this 
should be in a shady place, where you can at once cover them ; they 
should face the north", and there they ought to remain from the time 
that the spring bloom is over until the winter approaches, say the end 
of September or beginning of October. Various aspects have been 
recommended for their winter habitations, but I am inclined to think 
that a northern one, where they can get a little sun, is the best; if you 
have them in a westerly one, the plants in frosty weather get frozen 
and thawed alternately, and are stimulated at other times to growth, 
both of which are bad. Care must be taken to give air as often as 
