January G. 
THE COTTAGE GARDENER. 
2G.‘5 I 
if in bloom. Syringings over-head in spring and 
summer will be of great importance, and tend to keep 
red spider and scale at a distance. 
Pruning. —This plant, when young, requires frequent 
stopping; when grown to a flowering state it should be 
pruned back when the blooming period is over. The 
greater number of equal-sized young shoots made in 
summer, and the better they are matured in autumn, 
the moi'e abundantly will you be supplied with bloom. 
Position and Temperature. —When pruned, the plant 
should be placed in a pot where it can be kept close and 
warm, or the same advantages given it in the green¬ 
house. Little water should be given at the roots until 
fresh shoots have broken, but the stems and the atmo¬ 
sphere must be kept moist by the syringe. As the 
shoots increase in length, more air must bo given, 
gradually at first, until the tops of the plant are fully 
exposed in August and September. It will be advisable 
to house, or shelter, in October; and in winter, if coming 
into bloom, the temperature at night should not be 
below 45°. If not in bloom, 5° less will suit it better 
than a dry heat from fires. In fine, sunny forenoons in 
^ winter a dash from the syringe will do it good. In the 
south of the island this plant has been found to stand 
against a conservative wall; north of London I have 
little doubt but it would answer against a glass-cased 
one, more especially if it was so managed as to flower 
about the months of April or October. There are 
other two species— E. j^ungens, very similar in habit, 
having likewise small orange pea-blossoms, sometimes 
called Dilln'iinia pungens and BaxterU, having yellow 
flowers, and more robust in habit. These latter may be 
treated in a similar manner, but they almost constantly 
produce their blossoms in early spring and summer. 
Euchilus obcoruatus. —This is another pea-blossomed 
plant, with small yellow-flowers, produced chiefly towards 
the points of short young shoots. The yellow in the 
bloom is contrasted with a purple keel. The principal 
characteristic in the plant is its blunt, curious, reversed 
; heart-sbaped leaves, and its upright mode of growth. 
In the main points of culture, that recommended for 
Euta.via may be followed. I will merely notice the dif¬ 
ference in some little points. It blooms chiefly in early 
summer. The cuttings may consist of the points of 
shoots, if side-shoots cannot be got; and after being 
' inserted, in May or June, for a few weeks, they will be 
benefited by a little bottom-beat. I have never heard 
of it doing much good, unless as a greenhouse pot-plant. 
It requires even then considerable attention. The soil 
should be three parts peat and one loam, well drained, 
and well opened with pieces of broken brick and char¬ 
coal, and a fair portion of silver sand. Stagnant mois¬ 
ture is its ruin. It should not be dashed witli heavy 
rains even in summer. A pit is, therefore, a better place 
for it than a position in tlio open air. The night tem¬ 
perature in winter should not bo much below 45°. Great 
care must be taken then not to sour or sodden the soil. 
In dull weather it will seldom want a visit from the 
water-pail. Pruning should take place when the flower¬ 
ing is over; but unless it be required to keep the jtlaut 
small, the pruning shoidd not be severe. It is more 
safe to grow on a young plant than to lop an old one. 
R. ITsu. 
THE AURICUL.\. 
This most elegant and highly-esteemed spring flower 
has not progressed so much as most other florists’ flowers, 
either in improved varieties, or in public favour; that is, 
the number of growers have not increased. Tho public, 
indeed, admire the flowers as much, or 7nore, than ever, 
when they see them exhibited; but there is not that 
eagerness about cultivating the Auricula as there is 
about Pelargoniums, Cinerarias, Carnations, and some 
other flowers: and why is this? Confessedly the An- ' 
ricula is behind none in beauty of form, elegance of 
colour, and neatness of habit, besides being sweetly ^ 
perfumed. The causes, no doubt, are a kind of fear 
that they are difficult to grow, slow to increase, easily lost, 
and rather high in price, especially the vei'y best kinds. I 
Now all these i-easons are, I think, unfounded, or, at , 
least, not more applicable to this deservedly-favourite i 
flower than to many other florists’ flowers. Carnations, j 
Picotees, Pansies, Ranunciduses, and Tulips, are equally 
difficult to keep, some of them as slow to increase, and 
the best quite as high in price. I consider it rather a 
stigma upon amateur florists that they neglect this 
spring-blooming, beautiful flower. It is true, though it 
is a native of the Alps of Europe, it will not bear our 
cold, foggy, changeable, damp winters, for it requires 
the steady, dry Alpine atmosphere of its native dwel¬ 
ling; but our persevering florists overcome greater 
difficulties in culture than this of managing the Auri¬ 
cula, so as to imitate the dry, pure air, and covering of 
snow, in the Alpine regions. I have been requested, 
by a new correspondent, to give a list of the best Auri¬ 
culas, with a few brief hints on their culture, and this 
request has drawn from me the above preliminary 
remai’ks, and I trust many of the readers of The Cot¬ 
tage Gardener will find the following useful; and 
some that have not hitherto turned their attention to 
this charming flower, may be induced to try to cultivate, 
at first, a small collection; and by way of encouraging 
such to make the attempt, I assure them they may 
procure four-and-twenty very good old kinds for TGs.— 
no very heart-breaking outlay. The only other article 
that is e.xpensive is a two-light bo.x to grow them in 
through the winter and through the blooming-season in 
spring; and this two-light frame, after that season is 
over, may be used either for cucumbers, or for propa¬ 
gating various kinds of flowers. The glass is cheap, 
and wood is not very dear, so that this frame will not 
be excessively expensive, and a new beginner, for a 
very few pounds, may make a fair start in Auricula 
culture; and if success attends his efforts, I will ven¬ 
ture to prophecy he will be perfectly satisfied with his 
small outlay—small in comparison to beginning to cul¬ 
tivate a decent bed of Carnations or Tulips. 
To make my instructions easy to remember and 
understand, I will divide Auricula culture into, 1st, 
Soil; 2nd, Summer treatment; 3rd, Winter treatment; 
4th, Propagation; 5th, Properties of a good Auricula; 
and lastly, a list of the best in their various classes. 
1st. Soil, or rather compost. Simple soils, such as 
heavy loam, light loam, bog, or peat, would not grow 
the Auricula to that perfection which is required in 
order to produce strong blooms finely formed and highly 
coloured. This every florist of any exi)erience is aware 
of, aud, therefore, he combines three or more kinds, and 
this mixture is properly enough called a cornpiost. For 
the Auricula, I am no advocate for a rich, stimulating 
compost, yet I am quite sure it requires oue, in a certain 
degree, enriched with something that may bo described 
as inildly encouraging, in order to produce strong 
growth, and, coiise(iucntly, fine bloom. Such stimu- 
latiug manures as night-soil, blood, sugar-baker’s scum, 
fowl’s dung, &c., that some writers recommend, require, 
in order to temper their highly-stimulating ])owers, so j 
long a time exposing to the air, with frequent turnings, | 
that when it is safe to use them, tho greater part of 
their enriching powers or qualities have eva])orated, and 
the residue is not much better than common earth, so 
that all this long preparation is time and expense 
thrown away. 'The compost I have used with the 
greatest success is much more simple, more easily pro¬ 
cured, and is sooner ready to use. It consists of loam 
procured from an upland pasture, or, in some districts, 
from a pasture near to the banks of a river; of this, the 
