Mat 15, 1902. 



The Weekly Florists^ Review. 



873 



House of Primulas at Sutton & Sons', Reading, England. 



the establishment of Messrs. Sutton & 

 Sons, kindly sent the Florists' Eeview 

 by that firm. 



A few lines on what came under my 

 notice during a visit in March to the 

 establishmeut of Sutton & Sons, says a 

 correspondent of the London Garden- 

 ers' Chronicle, may have an interest for 

 many readers of these pages. 



With double-flowered varieties of 

 primulas great progress has been made, 

 which rer.ders the plants of this section 

 more easy of cultivation as compared 

 with the older method pursued with the 

 ordinary double-flowering primula. No 

 fewer than six distinct varieties are now 

 in commerce. Added to this, a double- 

 flowered form of The Duchess has been 

 obtained which cannot fail to become 

 popular, possessing as it does the color 

 of that variety. 



Much progress, too, has been made 

 with the carnation flaked strain, in 

 which formerly there was so much more 

 white than purple; but now the flaking 

 is much more decided. The flowers of 

 this strain are especially telling by artifi- 

 cial light. The white-flowering forms 

 with dark leaf-stems are also found more 

 effective on the plants than those varie- 

 ties having green leaves and stems. The 

 deeply fringed flowers come in compact 

 trusses on short stems, and are freely 

 produced. The improved double scarlet 

 is now as rich in color as Crimson King, 

 wliich is one of the brightest of primu- 

 las. 



Among single-flowered forms there 

 were many handsome types observed, but 

 the one which struck me most was Pearl, 

 a variety that still holds its own. Twen- 

 ty-one years have elapsed since Sutton 

 introduced tliis variety, and it is still a 

 verv popular variety. The plant is of 

 robust growth, and the flowers come in 

 large trusses, making it a very effective 

 plant. 



Royal White is another favorite; 

 Snowdrift maintains its place for the 

 purity of the white flowers, even the 

 latest exhibit no tinge of any other 



color, and it is quite the earliest to flower 

 where early-flowering bright colored 

 primulas are valued ; the variety Beading 

 Scarlet is indispensable. Very fine are 

 the individual blooms of Beading Blue 

 and Cambridge Blue, which have but few 

 leaves, and the style of growth is very 

 efl'ective and the plants very dwarf, 

 and of remarkable freedom in flowering. 

 Kosy Queen, a fern-leaved variety, is de- 

 sirable, the habit good. The Duchess is 

 still as fine as when introduced in 1900, 

 and is perhaps the showiest primula, the 

 rosy-carmine center being so telling a 

 feature. 



The giant single-flowered forms, in a 

 variety of colors, are a distinct gain; 

 the magnificent flower-trusses and flow- 

 ers, some of the latter 3 inches in diame- 

 ter, render this type very valuable in 

 decorative work. Giant Pink, Giant 

 Crimson, and Eoyal White are desirable 

 forms, the first being especially effective. 



Star primulas have a future before 

 them, seeing what a great variety of 

 color has been obtained, and how useful 

 they are for cutting. No fewer than 

 seven distinct colors are oti'ered. White 

 Queen is especially free: Mont Blanc, 

 with dark fern-leaves, has become a very 

 popular variety. A primula having 

 flowers white, splashed with purple flakes, 

 is attractive; pink and salmon colors are 

 pleasing. Giant White produces flowers 

 fully 1% inches in diameter, remarkable 

 for great substance in the segments, 



ROSES. 



Seasonable Hints. 



Rose growers, like carnation growers, 

 are planting much earlier than in for- 

 mer years. The benefits derived froul 

 early planting are many. The young 

 stock gets the advantage of the best 

 growing season and has more time to 

 form a thrifty bush before taking a first 

 cut. Where a system of record keeping 

 is strictly enforced, the cut from houses 

 jilanted in May will show a vast supe- 

 riority, both in quality and quantity, over 

 those planted in July. Young stock in 



pots is also liable to sufi^er in hot weath- 

 er, even with the best of care. 



Repairing of benches takes up consid- 

 erable time which can be ill spared at 

 this season. After being repaired they 

 should be thoroughly washed by playing 

 the hose on them with suificient force to 

 remove all old soil from joints and crev- 

 ices, and then given a painting of hot 

 lime wash ; this helps to preserve the 

 wood and also destroys insects and their 

 eggs. The sash bars should also be 

 cleaned of all scum and dirt which has 

 accumulated during the winter. The old 

 soil should also be removed from under 

 the benches and everything made tidy 

 and clean. 



The bottom of the bench should then 

 be covered with straw or litter to keep 

 the soil from running till it gets settled, 

 and the soil spread evenly over the bench, 

 which should be filled flush with the side- 

 boards, keeping the rougher parts of the 

 sod near the bottom. Then mark the 

 distances the lines are to be apart along 

 the sideboards. Brides, Bridesmaids and 

 Meteors require at least one square foot 

 of space; many growers give even one 

 and one-quarter feet. Beauties require 

 one and one-half feet. Planting in diag- 

 onal lines, or what is termed staggering, 

 makes it easier to cultivate, syringe, 

 stake, etc., than if planted in straight 

 lines across the bench. 



To hasten the young stock along a 

 sprinkling of bone meal should bo spread 

 on the bench; 20 pounds to a bench lOOx 

 4% feet is quite plenty at this time. There 

 is no necessity for stirring it into the 

 soil, as sufficient will lodge around the 

 ball while planting, and the after stir- 

 ring of the surface and watering will 

 carry the rest deep enough for the young 

 roots to reach. The ball should be dis- 

 turbed as little as possible and planted 

 ,iust deep enough to cover it. A«ny ball 

 showing dryness should be dipped in a 

 pail of water before being planted, as it 

 is diftieult to thoroughly water it after it 

 is planted. Water each plant slowly 

 around the ball, taking care not to wet 

 the rest of the soil. Continue this indi- 



