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AURICULA
Primula Auricula. Hardy perennial
Keen is the enthusiasm of the Auricula amateur. The only complaint we
ever heard about the flower is that its most devoted admirer cannot
endow it with perpetual youth and beauty.
It is well to bear in mind that seed from a worthless strain requires
just as much attention as that which is saved with all a florist's skill
from prize flowers. Some growers advocate sowing immediately the seed is
ripe, but this intensifies the irregular germination that characterises
seed of all the Primula species. Either February, March, or April may be
chosen, and we give preference to the end of February. Use six-inch
pots, and as there must be no doubt about drainage, nearly half-fill the
pots with crocks, cover with a good layer of rough fibrous loam mingled
with broken charcoal, and on the top a mixture of loam, decayed leaves,
and sharp sand. Press the soil firmly down; sow thinly and regularly,
putting the seeds in about half an inch apart; just cover them with fine
soil, and place the pots in a cool frame or greenhouse, with sheets of
glass over to prevent evaporation. Watering in the ordinary way is apt
to wash out the seeds, and it is therefore advisable to immerse the pots
in a vessel containing water until the soil has become saturated. Wait
patiently for the plants. When they show four or six leaves, prick out
into pans or boxes about two inches apart, and before the seedlings
touch each other transfer to small pots. The surface soil in the pots
may be lightly stirred occasionally to keep it free from moss. The
plants must never be allowed to go dry, but as winter approaches water
should be given more sparingly, and during sharp frosts it may be wise
to withhold it entirely. There really is no need of artificial heat, for
the Auricula is a mountaineer, and can endure both frost and snow. But
we prize its beauty so highly that frames and greenhouses are properly
employed for protecting it from wind, heavy rain, soot, dust, and all
the unkind assaults of a lowland atmosphere, to which it is unaccustomed
in a natural state. Still, the plants should be kept as nearly hardy as
possible.
The Auricula is a slow-growing plant, and although there will probably
be some flowers from seedlings in the second year, their value must not
be judged until the following season. To the trained eye of the florist
the Show Auriculas take precedence over the Alpine section; but for
general usefulness the Alpines hold the first place. They may be
fearlessly put into the open border, and especially the north border,
where, with scarcely any care at all, they will endure the winter, and
freely show their lovely flowers in spring.
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