162 
THE FLORIST AND POMOLOGIST, 
[ November, 
some advantage at an early stage, but tbe 
finest beads are produced in tbe “ unstopped ” 
stems. By successive sowings from early 
February to tbe end of March, tbe plant may 
easily be bad in flower from June to October. 
Tbe genus includes some thirty or more 
species, all American, with tbe exception of 
one in Northern Asia, tbe greater part being 
found in North America w r est of tbe Mississippi, 
and in tbe Andes. Tbe present species is a 
native of Texas, and is probably tbe finest of 
tbe genus, though tbe C. coccineci is but little 
inferior.—W. Thompson, Ipswich. 
NOTES ON THE AURICULA. 
CwON November tbe plants should be all in 
p their winter quarters, having previously 
been thoroughly cleared from dead and 
decaying leaves, and, as far as possible, from 
insect pests. If they have a tuft of stiff short 
leaves, and no signs of flower trusses, they will 
be all right for flowering well next season. It 
is very desirable to attend to tbe removal of 
tbe decaying leaves during tbe winter, as they 
are not infrequently tbe cause of tbe death of 
valuable plants. 
Slugs are at this time of tbe year very 
troublesome. Tbe best plan to destroy them 
is to scatter quick-lime thickly inside tbe 
frames, and then water it well. Tbe lime- 
water seems to be more destructive than dry 
lime, which they seem to be able to throw off 
their backs, and to march off unharmed. 
Caterpillars of two kinds, at least, feed upon 
tbe leaves of tbe Auricula, and make ugly 
marks. It is very necessary to keep a watch¬ 
ful eye over these, as an hour or two may see 
a valuable plant almost destroyed. Neither 
frost, lime, lime-water, nor tobacco-smoke seems 
to do much injury to these. 
There is another pest which has been much 
talked about, and has frightened many growers, 
viz., the Auricula Aphis (Trama auricula). 
It was freely noised abroad that, at least, one 
collection had been almost annihilated by it, 
scarcely a vestige remaining where once there 
had been fine healthy specimens. Many growers 
were much alarmed, and I know of one, at 
least, who will not even take his plants home 
again from exhibitions, in case some specimens 
of this terrible enemy may have found their 
way on to them. A little while ago, however, 
I visited some of the principal Northern 
growers, and I find that this woolly aphis is 
not at all uncommon. I saw plants very much 
covered with it; the insects were sitting thickly 
round the necks of them, and all down the 
roots, and we even found them abundant in 
the drainage ; but the most remarkable part 
of the matter is this, that none of the plants 
had received any appreciable injury. The 
growers, as a rule, said,—“ We would rather 
not have it, but w 7 e do not think the plants 
are injured by it.’’ One exceedingly flourishing 
plant was pointed out to me, and I was told 
that the roots were thickly infested by it. I 
noticed one plant flagging in the same col¬ 
lection, showing unmistakably that the roots 
were out of order—that plant had been 
doctored for the woolly aphis with fir-tree oil. 
One grower quaintly remarked that the insect 
lodged on the plants, but did not board there. 
The autumn bloom was the subject of con¬ 
versation with many of the growers, and no one 
seemed able to account for it. Some said late 
potting would prevent it; but this could not be 
a remedy, as I potted a large portion of our 
own collection as late as the end of July, and 
these are showing autumn bloom quite freely. 
Mr. Horner’s collection at Kirkby Malzeard, near 
Ripon, is in the most satisfactory condition of 
any I have yet seen. He has not one plant in 
fifty showing autumn bloom, and he potted 
almost the whole collection about the end of 
April and early in May. When at Kirkby I 
talked over the details of potting with. Mr. 
Horner, and he does not attach any import¬ 
ance to the time of potting. He pots at any 
time during the summer months, and even as 
late as September and October, and the plants 
all do much alike. There is scarcely any 
plant so accommodating in its nature as the 
Auricula, I potted on one occasion a number 
of plants as late as the end of October, and 
they were the best we had that year. I saw as 
much autumn bloom in a very cold district 
near Neweastle-on-Tyne, as on any in the more 
favoured districts of the South. I fancy the 
amount of water applied to the roots has 
more to do with it than anything else. The 
Auricula even in summer does not require 
much water; and if it is frequently applied, 
when the plants do not really need it, they 
are certain to be forced to bloom before their 
usual time. In Alpine regions the plants can- 
