THK COTTAGE GAKDENEE. 
January 20. 
j :30(i 
' in otlier words, when they are not exposed to cold, 
cutting, frosty winds. To prove tliis, if proof were 
necessary, I have seen Cinerarias with their leaves stiff 
' witli frost in a cold pit, where, of course, they were per¬ 
fectly still, recover from it by, as it were, naturally 
thawing in the dark, but had they been exposed to a 
wind while frozen, they would have been destroyed to 
a certainty ; and if such a tender soft foliaged plant as 
the Cineraria will bear a certain degree of frost if in a 
still atmosphere, there is no wonder that such plants as 
I shall in my next paper on this subject name, enduring 
I a greater amount of cold in a glass-covered non-heated 
! wall, because they are still, than they would if exposed 
to the cold frosty winds of the driving blasts of winter; 
and this quiet fact is important in cultivation, to a con¬ 
siderable extent,in the kitchen garden; such plants as 
Cauliflowers under a hand-light, as is well known, do 
not suffer from frost, however severe, because they are 
still; and in the flower garden, we might preserve many 
plants if protected by similar means from cutting winds. 
T. Appleby. 
{To he continued.) 
THE AURICULA. 
Autumn and Winter Treatment .—The autumn treat¬ 
ment may be considered to commence as soon as the 
bloom is over. The plants should then be placed upon 
a thick bed of coal-ashes, or on hoards, behind a hedge, 
or low 2 iorth-wall. In this situation they will be pro¬ 
tected from the hot sun, and will quietly grow. The 
attentions they require are regular supplies of water, 
not saturating showers from a rosed-pot, but just 
enough to keep them growing. In very wet weather, it 
will be desirable, where expense is no object, to protect 
them from heavy showers. I remember, when I was a 
boy, going to visit an ardent cultivator of the Auricula. 
Mr. .lohn Wright was his name, and he lived at a place 
called Marsh, about two miles from Huddersfield, in 
Yorkshire. He had a large and valuable collection, of 
which he was justly proud. To protect them from the 
heavy autumnal rains, he had the space they occupied 
covered with a sloping roof of oiled canvass, so con¬ 
trived as to roll up in tine weather, and so high from 
the ground that he could staud upright within it, and 
thus was able to attend to their comfort and well-being 
in all weathers. I was so struck with the complete 
shelter, neat arrangement, and extreme health of the 
plants, that I have, even at this distance of time (more 
than forty years), a lively recollection of the excellence 
of the plan, and the beautiful healthy appearance of the 
plants ; though now, alas ! both the owner and his plants 
have been passed away for many, many years; so long, 
that I question whether any inhabitant of that neigh¬ 
bourhood has any recollection of either that indefati¬ 
gable cultivator, or his fine collection of Auriculas and 
Polyanthuses. 
Such a shelter is by no means expensive. It might 
I be formed against a wall, about twelve feet high, with 
[ upright posts in front, and rafters of larch poles fixed to 
j the wall, and a covering of oiled canvass stretched over 
j them, and allowed to hang down a foot or two in front. 
! It should be at least nine feet wide, and as long as the 
number of plants may require. In the instance above, 
the plants were arranged on a sloping stage, such as we 
often see in old-fashioned lean-to greenhouses. This 
plan is commendable, because each plant receives its 
due share of light and attention; and the erection might 
be used, when the Auriculas do not require it, for various 
other plants requiring such a shelter. 
In this autumnal habitation the Auriculas should 
remain till the end of Septemher. About the beginning 
ol that month, is, in my opinion (borne out by practice), 
tbe best season for repotting tbe plants. It they are 
potted earlier, they make their growth, and often send 
up flower-stems in the early part of winter. This 
exhausts the energies of the plant, and the second ■ 
flower-stems produced in spring are much weakened 
thereby. Some week or ten days previous to the pottiug- 
day bring the compost under shelter to become mode¬ 
rately dry, but do not attempt to mix the difl'erent 
ingredients of the compost till they are all in that state. 
As soon as the compost is in a fit state for use, bring 
a portion of tbe plants into the potting-shed, or if the 
weather is line they may be potted on a bench in the 
open air. If the [)Ots are fresh from the pottery it will 
be advisable to dip them in water, allowing them to 
become dry again before using, but if they are old, they 
should he clean washed. Then have ready a sufficient 
quantity of clean, broken potsherds for di'ainage ; also 
a sufficient number of fresh tallies, if the old ones are 
made of wood. All these being in order, commence 
potting by turning out of tbe pot the first plant. 
Examine the roots, and cut away all that are dead or 
decaying; shake off the greater part of the old soil, and 
remove all rooted offsets, laying them on one side till 
tbe parent plant is potted. If the root-stock or stem | 
below the soil is too long, so as to elevate the plant too j 
much above the soil (some varieties are apt to elon¬ 
gate more than others), cut the bottom part off' with a ] 
sharp knife, and apply a little powdered chalk to heal | 
up the wound. This will allow the heart of the plant 
to be brought down nearer to the soil, and the part of 
the stem thus brought within the soil will throw out 
fresh roots and greatly encourage growth. Place over 
the drainage some of tbe turfy fibres of the loam, place 
a thin layer of soil upon it, and then hold the plant in 
the left hand, place it in tbe pot, and work in tbe 
compost amongst tbe roots, gradually filling the pot to j 
within half-an-inch of the top, then give the pot a smart 
stroke upon the bench to shake down the soil firm, and 
add a little more to fill up the pot to within a quarter- 
of-an-inch of the top. Press it gently down and closely 
to the stem all round, and the operation is complete. 
Before putting the plant out of the way, see to the 
j label or tally, and if a new one is required, place one to 
I it, and then set the plant aside; pot the offsets first, 
before touebing the next; place a tally to them, and ; 
then take another plant in hand, and so proceed till the 
whole are finished. The season of the year has now 
arrived when the Auricula should have a more southern 
situation. The sun’s beams will now be so moderated, 
that the plants are able to bear a fuller exposure to 
them. 1 now recommend the frame or stage to be 
placed in front of a west wall facing the east. In that 
aspect they may, if the weather is clear and warm, 
require a slight shading from the sun’s beams till they 
have made fresh shoots. The shadiug may then be 
discontinued. Here they may remain till the end of 
October, when they must be placed in their winter 
quarters; the treatment while there will be our next 
consideration. T. Appleby. 
{To be continued.) 
DESTRUCTION OF WEEDS. 
lx the eyes of a botanist, no class of plants arc 
recognized as “ weeds,” and, with some show of reason, 
he complains of the tyranny of cultivators who can 
see no beauty and no interest in anything but that 
limited number of species they are pleased to call the 
legitimate occupants of their soil; now, though wo 
have no wish to fan the flame of discord between the 
botanical and horticultural world, we would rather see 
the two united, which may easily be done without any 
great sacrifice on either side, especially in the case we 
