No. 7. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 275 



PAPERS READ BEFORE THE PENNSYLVANIA HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



GROWING PRIMULA CHINENSIS FOR EXHIBITION. 



By JOHN HOBSON, Gardener to Edward A. Schmidt, Radner, Pa. 



It is a well known fact that every plantsman has his favorites 

 amongst plants. He may grow a great variety and feel an interest 

 in all of them, but there is always a few that have greater attrac- 

 tion for, and that are certain to receive greater attention from the 

 grower. 



The primrose I have always thought to well deserve good treat- 

 ment. I hope I will not be considered egotistical when I say that 

 I am very proud of the fact that for upwards of a quarter of a cen- 

 tury I have been invariably successful, both as a grower and ex- 

 hibitor of this plant. 



My treatment is, to sow the seeds in March or April in pots or 

 pans half-filled with drainage in a compost of two parts leaf mould, 

 one part fibry loam, one part sand, the whole to be passed through 

 a fine sieve. After the pots are filled with the compost, they should 

 be watered and allowed to stand for a couple of hours. Then sow 

 the seed while the soil is damp, and cover lightly with sand. I pre- 

 fer putting the pots in a warm temperature until the seeds come up, 

 but after that grow them in a cool house. If we get pots of the 

 same size and cork the drainage holes, fill them with one-third 

 water, and place the seed pots setting in them, a more numerous 

 and even crop of plants will be the result. 



When the young plants have formed a couple of leaves, pot 

 singly in the same compost into two and a half inch pots and keep 

 them shaded for a few days until they become established. Then 

 they may be placed in a position where they will receive plenty of 

 light and air, but no strong sun. When the outside of the balls 

 show plenty of young roots, but before they become pot bound, we 

 re-pot into four-inch pots, and again, when these are well filled with 

 roots, v/e give a final shift into six-inch pots. 



Fine plants can be grown in pots of this size, but when the plants 



