April 23. 
COUNTRY GENTLEMAN’S COMPANION. 
63 
and elevated refinement, to many a youth and maiden, 
who, in altered scenes, never wished to forget the im¬ 
pressions and aspirations formed by early contact with, 
and love for, the beautiful. Even those who could boast 
of no white powdered Auricula, could find charms and 
interest in the velvet petals, and rich, deep colour of the 
Self, and the more mottled and shaded ground colours 
of tiie Alpine. Rarities and novelties, more gaudy and 
attractive to less refined tastes, have next to banished 
these beauties from our princely gardens. Exceptions 
there are; but, as a rule, the best florist*’ Auriculas are 
to be found among tradesmen, and mechanics, and 
manufacturing operatives; and the best collections of 
the more common Dusty Millers, and their allied Selfs 
and Alpines, are to be found in the gardens of mechanics 
and cottagers, where I hope they may long find a 
home. Many with limited means may wish to cultivate 
these beauties, and, therefore, in this article, I will 
keep as much as possible to simplicities. 
The Auricula is a native of the mountains of Switzer¬ 
land, the hills of Syria, and the ranges of the Caucasus. 
In its wild state the colours are yellow, purple, and 
variegated. No such thing as a beautiful florists’ flower 
has ever been found in its wild state. To the florists’ 
skill we owe entirely the fine forms and the rich variety 
of colouring. The natural positions of the plant 
furnish the key note to its successful culture. True, 
just as in animals, the more improved the breed, the 
more sensitive to injury, and the greater the necessary 
care to prevent that injury and consequent deteriora¬ 
tion, or ruin. The pampered and petted florists’ Auricula 
would not stand long the treatment given to the hardier 
Alpine in the border, and yet the basis of our manage¬ 
ment of both must be founded on the same principle. 
The not attending to this is the reason why we so often 
fail to grow, in our comparatively sheltered valleys, the 
plants that stand uninjured on the cold mountain sides, 
with the snow alternately as a neighbour and a friendly 
bed blanket. In such circumstances, the tiny plants 
know but little of the dry, frosty east winds that rob 
our plants of their juices in severe winters, or of the 
keen frost that penetrates our earth to a considerable 
distance when there is no protection over it. First, the 
scanty herbage around them, and then the covering of 
snow, secures the little beauties from such injuries. 
Under our care, again, such plants may be exposed to 
stagnant moisture at one time, and great dryness at 
another, with a powerful, unclouded sun beating upon 
them, and drying and shrivelling their leaves. In their 
natural habitats, such little Alpines can scarcely ever 
know' anything of stagnant moisture. As the sun gains 
power, the snow around them, and far above them, will, 
in its melting, afford a sufficiency of moisture, while the 
same heat that brings such little beauties into active 
growth, will also encourage the growth of many things 
a little larger around them, and thus a kind of flickering 
shade be given from the direct rays of the sun in 
summer. Such little matters attended to, and many 
with limited space might succeed in growing many 
Alpines, besides Auriculas, that are now seldom met with 
in collections. 
From these considerations, as well as the extra care 
required for the improved varieties of the florist, it will 
be evident that he will require shelter aud shade for his 
favourites, and that even border flowers, in addition to 
being supplied with a sufficiency of moisture in summer, 
and not being covered over with other grosser-growing 
denizens of the border, would enjoy a degree of shade 
in summer, such as moving them from a position ex¬ 
posed to the sun to one more shaded, or a northern 
aspect. Many suitable plans for this purpose, in the 
shape of stages, and by vernatories or spring residences, 
have been devised by the florists, aud all suitable enough 
where expense is no object. In general, a common 
garden-frame, moveable at pleasure, and a few hand- 
lights, will be amply sufficient for all purposes. Even 
when these w'ere wanting, I have known glazed calico 
used with good effect; and, in a few cases, where en¬ 
thusiastic energy took the place of conveniences, a 
wooden box, with a moveable wooden lid, has done 
wonders. In order to prevent confusion, our remarks 
will chiefly pre suppose, that a garden-frame and a 
hand-light or two are to be appropriated to this purpose. 
Those with different conveniences must regulate their 
practice accordingly. 
Modes and Times of Propagation .—By suckers and 
offsets from established plants, and by seed for fresh 
varieties. The suckers are generally removed at pot¬ 
ting time, because the plants are thus dressed at once. 
Those rooted should be placed by themselves. All off¬ 
sets should be taken from florists’ flowers, whether 
rooted or not, so as to leave one head to the stem. 
Those rooted should be placed in small pots in propor¬ 
tion to their size, or two and three in a pot. Those not 
rooted should be placed, two or three inches apart, round 
the sides of a pot, in rich, sandy soil, and kept under a 
I hand-light, in a shady place, until they are rooted, when, 
according to strength, they may be potted separately in 
small pots; or, it will generally be preferable to have 
them in store pots all the winter, and shift them early 
in spring. 
By Seed .—In cases of nicety, the stamens should be 
removed from the mother flower before they open, so as 
to discharge the farina, and the pistil be fertilized by 
farina from the desired father. When this is done, the 
flowers should be kept dry, under glass, but with plenty 
of air. When the flower fades, and the seed-pod is 
j swelling, more air and exposure may be given. Cut off 
the seed-vessels as they become brown, about the be- 
; ginning of July, and place them in a dry, sunny place, 
on a sheet of paper, until they open. When this takes 
place, the seeds may be sown at once, on rich, light soil, 
j under a hand-light, or, better still, in a box that may be 
, protected, and easily moved under cover in winter. For 
seed from which good flowers may be expected, I would 
prefer sowing in February or March; as, in that case, 
the plants are a good size before they encounter the first 
winter. The seed, in either case, should not he covered 
more, hardly so much, as the eighth of an inch. Many 
of the most valuable seeds, because generally the 
smallest, are rotted and killed by too much covering. On 
this account, though many succeed by sowing in spring 
under a hand-light, or on a sheltered border, 1 would 
prefer sowing in pots, and placing them plunged in a 
gentle, sweet hotbed, and covering each pot with a 
square of glass, aud shading until the seedlings appeared, 
when light and air must, be gradually given. This woidd 
secure a more uniform vegetating of the seed. The 
preference in selecting the plants, should, as a general 
rule, be given to the weakest, but healthy. As soon as 
they can be easily handled, they should bo pricked out 
into a bed, about five inches apart, supplied with a 
frame, so as to be wintered there, aud many will show 
as much bloom as will show what they are the following 
year; when the good ones may be potted and placed 
with the florists’ flowers, and the others transferred to 
the border. 
Soil .—With the exception of the snow-water trick¬ 
ling through decaying vegetation and decomposed 
vegetable matter, the Auricula would receive little gross 
feeding upon its alpine heights, True, were we to imi¬ 
tate nature in this respect, we would see few Auriculas 
with foliage as large as little cabbages. But while cul¬ 
ture must have its manurial aids, it is very easy to over 
do the matter. The succulent Cabbage, stuffed with 
rank manure, is about as wholesome and good-flavoured 
as that which is to be found on the sea shore. The 
mixture of the mystical quackery, and the gorging a 
