288 THE FLORIST. | 
taking them up as soon as they are at all fit; get them well dried 
before storing them, and the drier the place the better, and excluded 
from air. It is a good plan to use lime dust among them, which will 
absorb a deal of moisture, and dry up the diseased parts. 
FLORISTS’ FLOWERS. 
Auriculas.—These will now remain.in their autumn quarters until 
the beginning of October. Care must be taken that green-fly does not 
get hold of them, and that they are kept clear of weeds and decayed 
leaves, though it -is not well to take off the latter until they are quite © 
yellow. Watering must depend very much on the state of the weather; 
they ought not to be kept too dry, nor do I think they should be exposed 
torain. Excess of moisture is, I think, the great foe of the Auricula. 
The present month is a good time to add to the stock any varieties not 
possessed. Chapman’s Maria and Sophia, Lightbody’s Richard Headly, 
Maclean’s Unique, Leigh’s Colonel Taylor, Cheetham’s Lancashire Hero, 
Martin’s Mrs. Sturrock, Spalding’s Blackbird, are sorts which are well 
worth adding, and which ought to be in every collection. Carnations 
and Picotees.—As soon as the layers have well rooted, they ought to 
be taken off and potted; the best plan is either to pot them singly or 
a pairina pot. I generally use the stuff in which they have been 
growing for this purpose—the strength is pretty well gone out of it, 
and one is quite sure no wireworms exist in it; others recommend 
simply loam and a little sand; but whatever is used, the object, it must 
be recollected, is not to grow them strongly during the winter but to 
keep them in sound health, making roots ready for next year’s growth. 
Dahlias—A very late and awkward season for these. There has 
been so much wet that they have run much-into wood, and have 
required considerable thinning out. Slugs, too, have been most active ; 
and those who did not dust them with lime in the early part of the 
season, have, I fear, suffered from their ravages. Should the weather 
continue fine there will be, if care be used ih disbudding, I should think 
some fine blooms, as the plants generally speaking are strong. Pansies. 
—Cuttings taken last month are about the best for growing in pots. 
As they become rooted, they should be either put into store beds or 
potted in thumbs. ‘The present cool summer has been a very good one ~ 
for their growth, though, like everything else, the blooms have suffered. 
Our Scotch raisers seem to have added some fine varieties to their lists. 
Pinks.—Rooted pipings should now be in store beds, to remain there 
until the first week in October, when they should be removed into the 
blooming beds... We hope shortly to figure something first rate, and 
to give a list of new ones which will merit a place in the most select 
collection. Pelargoniums will now be making their growth. Any not 
repotted ought to be done at once, as one great object is to get their 
erowth well forward by the winter. It is a great mistake to repot or 
change in February as some do; the sure result of this is to drive them _ 
into wood, and so to lose the bloom. The pots ought to be well filled 
with roots by November, and then, when they start for spring growth, 
it will be all for bloom. We shall have a word or two to say about 
new varieties here, too, next month, . 
