132 
THF GARDENING WORLD. 
October 29, 1892. 
FLORICULTURE. 
The Auricula: New Varieties. 
The gods of the floral Olympus have spoken ; that 
is something gained. The cry of the small growers 
has reached them ; they express a benevolent sym¬ 
pathy, but they do not part. But I have succeeded 
in drawing an interesting paper from the Jupiter 
Optimus of the Auricula world, and we learn that 
new varieties die even in the hands of famous 
growers, and that some refuse to give increase. 
What would be the effect of beheading these obsti¬ 
nate ones, as Mr. J. Douglas reports he occasionally 
does to induce increase, and so by decapitation give 
a new lease of life for procreative purposes ? Is this 
successful only in the case of certain sorts ? 
I would not shut out the seedlings from competi¬ 
tion, but I would have classes for Auriculas in com¬ 
merce. Growers who are not successful raisers of seed¬ 
lings like theRev. F. D. Horner or Mr. James Douglas 
are placed at a great disadvantage in an open compe¬ 
tition by the former showing seedlings which they 
alone possess—seedlings of such high quality that the 
presence of two or three of them in a collection will 
determine an award. The exhibitor who depends 
upon sorts obtainable only in commerce is un¬ 
doubtedly placed at a great disadvantage. It is to 
encourage the growers of small collections that I 
would have classes from which seedlings not yet in 
commerce are excluded. It seems to me that at our 
Auricula shows two or three big growers sweep the 
board largely of the leading prizes by reason of their 
being able to show seedlings which no one else can 
secure ; and they seem to me to maintain a kind of 
Auricula monopoly—a sort of Auricula ring. 
A new green edge may be raised by oneand aplant 
is sent to one or two others, perhaps in exchange for 
other seedlings and they can exhibit it with the cer¬ 
tainty it will count high in the competition, and it is 
so. I do not censure the leading raisers for doing 
this ; but my contention is that it places a grower who 
can show a new seedling of high quality at a decided 
advantage, and if classes were provided for Auriculas 
in commerce and those that are not, there would be 
ample opportunity for comparison. That such a 
proposition should be objectionable to our leading 
seedling raisers is to be expected. It is the vested 
interest in Auricula culture rearing itself to oppose 
the general good. 
Mr. Horner hurls at my head a string of 
adjectives, but they are very harmless. Indeed our 
present practice seems to me to unduly exalt seed¬ 
lings by not only permitting them to be shown in col¬ 
lections with named varieties, but by giving them 
prizes as seedlings in classes from which named 
sorts equally good, and perhaps better in point of 
quality, are excluded. After the experience of las: 
year, when the seedlings were judged at different 
times by two or three different sets of judges with 
varying results, there is great danger of distinguish¬ 
ing seedlings of questionable qualitybyawarding them 
certificates. I am advocating a change that must be 
distasteful to some for obvious reasons. But I am 
very much mistaken if presently my views do not 
attract attention and gain a good deal of sympathy. 
The “ agricultural gentleman ” in the fable—Syn- 
Small-Grower—is to put his own shoulder to the 
wheel and raise seedlings. The gods have his 
homage and his entreaties, but they do not help. 
Some of us try our level best to enrich our collec¬ 
tions with seedlings, but they do not come. I think 
the " vile atmosphere of London”—I am quoting 
Jupiter—is dead against seed bearing. I have tried 
by careful crossing for several years to get a little 
seed, and the grains that reward my exertions take 
but a short time to count. Some of us are away all 
day, in my own case for two or three days together, 
and cannot catch the flowers for fertilisation just at 
the right time. A collection of Auriculas at that 
time want hourly attention, which the big growers 
can give with the assistance they can command—the 
small growers, who are the breadwinners of the 
family and have to be from home all day, are placed 
a: a great disadvantage in this respect. 
But the gods may render substantial help, though 
they declined to interfere in the fable when called 
upon. There is no evidence to prove that the 
"agricultural gentleman ” did net put his shoulder 
to the wheel and try his hardest to get it out of the 
rut before he appealed to the gods for assistance. 
The morals of fables are often neither pertinent nor 
just. If there are no spare offsets will they distribute 
a few grains of the seed they save ? Mr. Martin 
R. Smith, the President of the Carnation Society, 
has set them a good example. He distributes seeds 
of his choice strains of Carnations among those 
loving the flower, that they may partake in the 
fascinating pastime of raising seedlings from good 
seeds. The empty echo only of our first prayer to 
the gods has come back to us ; will the second avail 
on high ? And we wait the Celestial reply, but not, 
we hope, from the heathen Chinee, who was un¬ 
equalled for " ways that are dark and tricks that are 
plain.”— R. D. 
Following “ R. D.’s” article on this subject at p. ioo 
of The Gardening World of October 15th, a few 
remarks from me may not be out of place, premising 
that I do not intend promulgating any new theory in 
Auricula culture, but hoping it may be acceptable if 
only for the reason that it is " the manner of florists 
to read eagerly anything that concerns a favourite 
flower.” Vide the Rev. F. D. Horner in his intro¬ 
duction to the recently published " Carnation 
Manual.” 
The hduse referred to by " R. D.” is a lean-to 
structure, some 9 ft. long by 4 ft. wide, 5 ft. high in 
front and 6 ft. at ridge, with removable glass top 
lights front, side, and door—a veritable multurn in 
parvo. When all the side lights are removed and the 
top lights drawn down a few inches the contents of 
the house may be said to be practically out of doors. 
The aspect is due north-east, and gets no sun ; a 
staging covered with roofing slates runs down the 
front and one end of the interior, and will accommo¬ 
date about seven dozen specimen plants, about as 
many as time will permit me to look after properly. 
The plants have been located in their present 
quarters for about three or four months, during 
which period the top lights have not been removed ; 
the plants are very fine and dwarf, and only one 
plant out of a collection of six dozen has given me 
an autumn truss, and that a vigorous young Dr. 
Kidd. The woolly aphis is conspicuous by its absence 
and no sign of green-fly is to be discerned. 
But perhaps the reader may say, why take all this 
trouble? Why not place them out in frames during 
the summer exposed to all the elements ? Well, 
there is no reason why that should not be done, and 
in former years I have done so and no harm has 
befallen the plants, but by so doing the individual 
beauty and characteristics of the Auricula are lost, 
and, to my mind, such a distinctive feature is not to 
be lost for the sake of a little trouble. Again, the 
utility of such a house in rainy weather can be 
appreciated best by those who have used it, and I 
must say candidly I have no desire to go back to the 
old order of things. 
I may state, in reply to Mr. T. E. Henwood’s 
remarks, that I have no intention to leave the doors 
and sides open in a cold, biting east wind. I am a 
young beginner in Auricula culture, it is true, but I 
am sufficiently alive to the importance of not sub¬ 
jecting my plants to the effects of killing winds. We 
can claim to know something of elementary Auricula 
culture so far south as Southampton. 
My potting compost this year is noticeable for its 
heterodox character. A very strong yellow loam, 
mixed with about a third of very fine shell shingle 
and coarse silver sand. No leaf-soil and no manure 
in any form ; and to the absence of the two latter I 
attribute the utter disappearance of the woolly aphis. 
The roots take a little longer than usual to get into 
this, but when they do, they grow like thick whip¬ 
cord. I may add that such a compost needs not 
nearly so much watering as one of a lighter nature. 
I invariably go over my plants once a week, brush¬ 
ing off the dust from the leaves, covering up the 
new roots as they push through the surface soil, and 
generally doing the thousand and one needful re¬ 
quirements which no true florist would neglect. I 
remember reading an article by Mr. James Douglas 
some few years ago, describing a visit to the Rev. 
F. D. Horner. Therein he said that Mr. Horner 
carried a pointed stick, with which his hand con¬ 
tinually itched to stir the surface soil in the Auricula 
pots. This in itself is sufficient authority, but I also 
practise it, and so convinced am I of its beneficial 
results on the plants that too much stress cannot be 
placed on this important item in Auricula culture. 
Bearing on this particular subject, a paragraph from 
Dr. Fream’s work on " Soils and their Properties,” 
page 78, is particularly appropriate : 
" Hoeing and cultivating serve to loosen the upper 
layer of the soil. The capillary tubes through w’hich 
the soil water is conveyed are thereby enlarged, or 
their continuity is severed; the capillary action is 
thus hindered, and less water passes to the surface. 
At the same time more air enters, and the loosened 
top layer of soil transmits less heat to the soil beneath. 
The loosened surface acts, in fact, as a mulch, and 
tends to keep the under-soil cooler, whilst it prevents 
the water from reaching the surface, and thereby in 
a two-fold manner shields the rising moisture from 
loss by evaporation.” 
This work by Dr. Fream will well repay a careful 
study by brother-florists of any denomination. 
Unfortunately at Southampton I am alone in grow¬ 
ing the Auricula. My friends Nutt and Rebbick 
have not yet entered upon its culture ; but as South¬ 
ampton is an area in which the floral fever runs 
strongly when it commences, they may (justified by 
their success with the Carnation) take up the Auri¬ 
cula also. We may grow into a lusty Auricula 
family yet. I want a colleague or two in Auricula 
culture badly, so that we may talk about the flower 
and encourage each other by detailing experiences 
and hopes ; and it is only those who miss the value 
of such help that can understand fully what com¬ 
panionship in such matters means. 
" R D.” wonders where all the new varieties get 
to that are brought out year after year ; but perhaps 
a remark made to me by an eminent grower some 
time ago.will explain much. In course of conversa¬ 
tion I put the same question to him as " R.D.” asks, 
and he replied ” that raisers valued their reputation 
too well to send out varieties that were no improve¬ 
ment on those already in commerce.” 
Has anyone bloomed James Hannaford ? Yes! 
I saw two plants in bloom in Mr. Douglas’ collection 
at Ilford last spring. Doubtless Mr. Douglas would 
kindly say what he thinks of it. 
Can anyone say whether that pest, woolly aphis, 
is so prevalent in collections as it was a year or two 
ago ? “ Absence makes the love grow stronger,” 'tis 
said, but not in this case, I think. 
The following is a list of varieties I am growing ; 
not a formidable list in point of numbers, but in 
quality not to be denied : — 
Greens :—F. D. Horner, Prince of Greens, and 
Col. Taylor. 
Greys :—Geo. Lightbody, G. Rudd, Rachel, Mabel, 
and Marmion. 
Whites :—Acme, John Simonite, Mrs. Dodwell. 
Reliance, Conservative, Dr. Kidd, and Smiling 
Beauty. 
Selfs: —Mrs. Potts, Black Bess, and Heroine; 
and a few unbloomed seedlings crossed from these 
varieties.— J. T. Keen, Bevois Town, Southampton. 
[We think "R.D.,” when referring to the non-distri¬ 
bution of new varieties, had more particularly in his 
mind the new Auriculas which have been certificated 
in recent years. For the past ten years, at least, 
new varieties of show Auriculas have been certificated 
at almost every exhibition, but how few of them have 
found their way into commerce.—E d.] 
--- 
CORNUS SIBIRICA 
SPATHII. 
The embellishment of the garden and pleasure 
ground in recent years has been greatly aided by the 
use of variegated trees and shrubs, as well as those 
with handsome foliage of some other shade than 
green. They are mixed with the ordinary occupants 
of the shrubbery border, or planted singly or in large 
clumps or beds upon the grass, and the fine effect 
they produce by contrast with green foliage in 
the summer months is rendering them more and 
more popular every year. The subject of this notice 
is comparatively new, but recognised as a grand 
acquisition wherever it is known. The red stems are 
conspicuous in winter when the leaves have fallen, 
more especially where grown in a mass. The leaves 
are as large, or even larger, than those of C. stoloni- 
fera, generally known as C. alba in gardens and 
nurseries. Our illustration of the tip of a shoot will 
give a fair idea of the distribution of the variegation. 
The central portion of each leaf forms an irregularly 
shaped green blotch, sometimes of very small size, 
while all the rest is yellow, changing with age to a 
silvery-white. The large size of the leaves and the 
quantity in which they are produced gives the shrub 
