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.