AURICULA. 
117 
wherein they are mod liable to contract a 
deftru£tive difeafe, which has fometimes 
been known to take place in fo extenfive 
and extreme a degree, as to fweep away 
the greateft part of a large colleUion in 
the courfe of a few months : nor has this 
occurred only in a {ingle inftance, it has 
happened to feveral very capital collec¬ 
tions, both in this country and abroad; 
but it feldom or never occurs in a cool 
and wet climate. 
It is almoft impoffible to flop the 
baneful influence and progrefs of this 
diftemper, when it has once taken pof- 
feflion, and more efpecially when it has 
been occafione.d by a defe6live or impro¬ 
per compoft, rather tending to increafe the 
diftemper than to affift nature in throwing 
it off: the fafeft method is to remove any 
plant that appears infefted, as foon as it 
is difcovered to be fo, to a part of the 
