H70. ) 
MAXlPtTLATIOX OF ATJEICULAS AND POLVAXTHUBES.-CHOICE PLUMS. 
105 
of Zonal Pelargoniums at Twickenliam depends 
in a great measure on tlie thorough system 
observed. The plants may be said to be 
brought forward in five large batches. They 
are kept well watered and thoroughly cleaned 
out, and about once a week each plant is 
turned round, so that it ma}' not become 
drawn on one side. A good plant fit for 
market has five expanded trusses of bloom, with 
other's laden with buds. As they grow on, 
and become fit for market, they are gradually 
passed through the houses till they reach what 
is known as the finishing-house. This house, 
which contains an enormous c^uantity of plants, 
is a sight long to be remembered ; it is 200 
feet in length by 18 in width, and has a stage 
of twelve shelves at the back, with a commodi¬ 
ous level stage along the front.— R. Dean, 
Ealing. 
AIANIPULATION OF AURICULAS 
AND POLYANTHUSES. 
N page 90 of the Florist and 
P oMOLOGiST, Mr. E. Dean writes :— 
“ Exile was very fine, pure in colour, 
and flat and well-formed in pip ; a little 
manipulation had something to do with this, 
in all probability.” This reference to rnani- 
jnrlation leads me naturally to the cjuestion— 
an answer to which, I think, would be interest¬ 
ing to many young growers—as to how far 
the practice is admissible with the Auricula. 
As regards the Polyanthus, there ma}' be no 
objection to the use of artificial means for 
flattening the pips, but with the Auricula the 
glory and charm of its powdered meal is 
destroyed by any attempt at handling, and the 
effect of pressure to obtain flatness means utter 
ruin to a Grey or White-edged flower. At the 
National Auricula Show at Manchester on 
April 29, I noticed some specimens of Headly’s 
George Lightbody, which were marvels of 
flatness, but with a wretchedly dull, ironed 
look about them, the meal crushed down 
into the substance of the flower, having 
the appearance of a half-washed shirt-front 
from the hands of an untidy laundress, 
that was particularly unpleasant to look 
upon. In fact, the life and sparkling brilliance 
of this glorious flower were completely pressed 
out of it. I am quite of opinion that the re¬ 
sorting to artificial means for dressing florist 
flowers, where the natural beauties of the flowers 
are improved and set-off by the practice (such 
as the dressing of Carnations, Ac.), is perfectly 
legitimate and desirable ; but with the Auricula, 
the case is very different. Nature seems to 
have placed it in the front rank as a perfect 
flower in itself—plant and bloom may no more 
be separated than may man and wife—they 
form one. As Mr. Horner has so happily ex¬ 
pressed it, “ the Auricula puts on its best dress 
in the spring to grace the bloom, hence it is 
never shown as a cut flower.” It may be said 
to represent the Fine Arts in the flower way, 
and one should as soon think of using 
a scrubbing-brush to his delicate water¬ 
colour drawings as to resort to manipulation 
with the “ jewelry ” of his Auricula blooms. 
Therefore, as Nature has raised the barrier, 
“ Touch me not, or you spoil me,” I venture 
to think that any attempt to obtain one pro¬ 
perty, flatness, at the expense of another, 
purity, is not only folly, but should come 
within the clause in the exhibition schedule,— 
“ Any attempt at deception shall disqualify 
fhe flower for competition.” 
I have no desire whatever to wound the 
susceptibilities of any one in making these 
remarks, but write in the hope that they may 
elicit some information from some of our 
leading growers that will be useful and in¬ 
structive to us all.—T. L. C., Birlcenhead. 
CHOICE PLUxMS. 
[Plate 494.] 
lEW of the domestic fruits arc of so 
much service to the community as the 
Plum. It produces one of the most 
wholesome and delicious preserves, wdiich im¬ 
proves with keeping, and when cooked fresh 
from the tree, is always popular. In parts of 
Germany the plum forms ahuost the staple 
food of the country, and in the Babbles fro/n 
the Brunnens o_/'AT<ssrt«, a graphic word-picture 
is drawni of the lean German tailor devouring 
his delightful and invigorating repast of stewed 
plums. 
The Belle de Louvain, of which a figure 
(1) is here given, was received from Belgium 
many years since, but except from the fact that 
its name indicates its birth-place, I cannot find 
that it has any particular history. It is well 
named “ Belle de Louvain ” — albeit that 
Louvain abounds more with priests than belles, 
and the two are hardly compatible. The tree 
