Fkbruary 3. 
THE COTTAGE GARDENER. 
343 
I 
5. The centre of the flower, or tube, shonlcl not exceed 
one-fourth of the diameter of the pip; the anthers,-or 
thrnin, should all bo even, a little raised above the 
petals. 
(). The eyo surrounding the centre should bo pure 
white, without blemish, quite circular and distinct. 
7. The ground colour: this part forms a circle between 
the eyo and the outer edge, and the richer and darker 
it is the better the flower will be. This ground colour 
should never break through the outer circle to the edge. 
8. Tho outer circle is the margin, and should be 
either of a clear green, clear grey, or clear white; and 
this ])art, in every petal, in every pip, should bo of the 
same colour according to its class. 
iJth and last. The plant should be strong, and healthy, 
and the foliage broad and plentiful, so as to cover the 
soil. 
The above arc the properties the florists have agreed 
to constitute a first-rate Auricula; and though there is 
no doubt such an assemblage of qualities are desirable, 
and are now and then seen complete in all ])arts, yet, I 
think, great allowance should be made at exhibitions, 
and the prizes given to flowers that most approximate 
to the properties, and a slight defect in any one property 
over-looked, provided the whole contour or form, or, as 
the French happily express it, the coup d'ceil, is as near 
perfection as possible. 
Disk.ases. —Unhappily, this beautiful flower is subject 
to a disease which is a kind of gangrene or cancer. It 
makes its ap])earance on the root-stem, underneath the 
soil. The indications of its pi’csence are, the leaves 
flag, and water does not restore them; afterwards they 
turn yellow, and have a sickly appearance; it then 
either droops on one side, or the canker strikes quite 
through the stem, spreads upwards, and tho plant dies; 
but if taken in time it may be saved. Take the plant 
out of the pot, and cut oil' with an unsparing hand all 
the cankered part till sound flesh appears; then anoint 
the cut part with chalk, re-pot in fresh compost, and 
place the plant or plants in a shady place, under a 
hand-light, till fresli roots are made, and the plant 
recovers its colour and health, and it is saved from a 
premature death. Should the whole collection have 
apjjearances of disease, then the general management 
is wrong, and there is nothing for it but an entire new 
])ottiug in fresh compost, with plenty of drainage, and 
half-an-inch of charcoal between it and the soil. This 
must be done let the time of year be when it may, for 
a month’s delay might carry off the whole stock. 
IxsKCTs.—Worms and snails I have already men¬ 
tioned; but sometimes the red spider and green fly 
make their appearance ; the former after long-continued 
dry weather in summer, and the latter in early spring, 
iqion the flower-buds, just before they begin to expand. 
The red spider must be got rid of by washing every 
loaf, on both sides, with a soft si)ongc dipjied in water 
impregnated with sulphur; and the green fly by two or 
three gentle smokings of tobacco, the frames to bo kept 
close for twelve hours after smoking; or, if there arc but 
a few, they may bo ipicked off on a camel-hair pencil, 
and crushed to death. 
1 have now gone through the entire course of culture 
for this charming spring flower, and shall conclude 
with a list of the best kinds, selected from various 
sources, both printed and written, as well as from my 
own notes and observations :— 
GREEN 
Ashton’s Contmodorc Kfipier 
„ Prince nf Wales 
Barlow's Kin<j 
Booth’s Freedom 
Beeston’s Apollo 
Crowshaw’s Lord Brotiyham 
EUOED. 
Dickson’s Dii/,-e of Wellini/lou 
„ Miitildii 
Faulkner’s ye Plus lllra 
Hepworth’s Pohin Hood 
Headley’s Ki)i(i James 
Heath’s Emerald 
Leigh's Col. Tai/lor 
Lighthody'sSlaroJ'Pethlehcm 
„ Lord Tji/ndoch 
Ollier's Lady Ann Wilbra- 
ham 
Page’s Champion 
I’earson’s liudajos 
GREY 
A.ich.Qx\ey'nAlpine Shepherdess 
Barlow's FJarl of Wilton 
„ Morn in;/ Star 
Buckley’s Surprise 
Chapman’s Sophia 
Clieetham’s Lancashire Hero 
] lean’s lieynlator 
Fletcher’s Ne plus Ultra 
„ Commerce 
WHITE 
Ashton’s nanny Lass 
Buckley’s Miss Ann 
Cheetlmm’sCaiintessof Wilton 
Clegg’s Crnci/ix 
Chilcott’s Brilliant 
Campbell’s Bobert Burns 
Heap’s Smiliny Beauty 
Ilepworth’s True Brito)i 
Berry’s Lord Primate 
„ Lord Ijce 
Bradshaw’s Tidy 
Barker's Nonsuch 
Chadwick’s Lady Frauhlin 
Clegg’s Blue B<mnct 
Dickson’s Ap<dla 
Corton’s Gold/inch. 
„ Stadtho/dcr 
Headley’s Royal Purple 
Kenyon’s Freedom 
I Polhill’s Hiyhlnnd Laddie 
j ,, Standard of Eni/land 
Waterhouse’s Shakespeare 
Smith’s Britannia 
I Warris’s Binchcr 
\ Wild’s Hiyhland Lass 
< Yates iMorris’ Green Hero 
EDGED. 
Grime’s Privateer 
Headley’s Stapleford Hero 
Hey’s Lovely Ann. 
Jackson's General Morilln 
Page’s Waterloo 
Sykes’ Complete 
Waterhouse’s Conqueror of 
Europe 
Warris’s Union 
EDGED. 
Hughes’ Pillar of Beauty 
Lee’s Briyht Venus 
Lightbody’s Fair Maid 
I Pott’s Rcyulator 
1 Sumerscale’s Cafherinn 
, Taylor’s Favorite 
„ Incomqmrable 
i Townson’s Lady Duncan 
SELES. 
Kayo’s .Tupiter 
Jjightbody’sA(/));W.f;///'C Blue 
Macfarlane’s Earl of Fife 
Mai'tin’s Eclipse 
Netherwood’s Othello 
Parker’s Jletropolitan 
Redman’s Metropolitan 
Smith’s Mrs. Smith 
Sturrock’s J/r.^. Sturnuis 
Whitaker’s 'J'rue Blue 
Wormersley’s Desdemona 
ALPINES. 
Crompton’s Blue Bony Up 
„ Oldham Hern 
Captain Fraser 
Kin;/ if the Alqis 
HeMor’s Jenny Lind (new) 
Partridge’s Villayn Maid 
Queen Vieloria 
AVillison’s Hannah 
,, Dan O'Conuell 
,, Climax 
„ Kiny 
„ Princess Royal 
T. x\rPLEBY. 
PRESERVATIVE WALLS. 
, (Continued from payc 3UG.) 
LIST OF PLANTS SUITABLE TO PLANT AGAINST TUE.-'I. 
Abelia Jhrihunda (Many-flowered Abclia).—A free, 
early-flowering plant, with rosy-purple blossoms, some¬ 
thing like a Fuchsia. Tho flowers are tubular, with a 
wide-spreading limb, and are very handsome. This is a 
genus of half-hardy shrubs, from Mexico and China. 
'Thcro are three more sjmeies, namely, A. riipestris, with 
pink and white tlovvers; A. trijlorci, pale red; and 
A. unijloru, white-, but tho first species is by far tho 
handsomest. Peat and loam is the conqiost that suits 
them best. 
AbiUilon striatum (Striped Abutilon).—'Though this 
plant is a native of the Brazils, and rather soft wooded, 
1 have known it to bear the severity of moderate winters 
totally unprotected. It is a fast grower, and requires 
plenty of room; flowers most of the summer months, 
and is very showy when in blossom. 
Acacia ctjfinis (Related Acacia).—Many of the species 
of this beautiful genus will live against a wall of this 
kind, but this one is the hardiest of all. There is a 
plant of it at the end of the Camellia tiouse, at the Pine 
Apple-place Nursery, that has stood four winters unpro¬ 
tected. 1 shall name a few others, that with a slight 
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