98 THE FLOEIST AND POMOLOGIST. [May, 



combined with pure wliite, sulpliur, lilac, rose, rosy-red, magenta, purple, crim- 

 son, and various intervening shades of colour, all of them true Primroses, and 

 as early to flower as are the commonest kinds found in our hedge -rows. 



These new forms of the Primrose are not only perfectly hardy, but under 

 proper cultivation can be easily propagated. The greatest danger to the Primrose 

 arises from drought at the roots during the heat of summer ; but if the soil in which 

 they grow bo moist, then they bear solar heat with considerable impunity. In 

 the case of scarce kinds, it would be wise to grow them in pots for a year or two, 

 keeping them in a cool frame in the winter, or in the greenhouse when in bloom, 

 and then having them plunged in ashes, under a north wall, in the summer, and 

 kept well watered. 



In autumn, about the end of September, the plants should be carefully 

 divided, and be either repotted or planted out into beds, and they will get well 

 rooted, and throw up good heads of bloom early in the spring. In any after 

 cultivation, care should be always taken to keep the plants growing all the summer, 

 as that is the great secret of successful primrose culture. When the foliage is 

 burnt up by heat, the old crowns become stunted, the young ones cease to grow, 

 and the plants rapidly become smaller. Therefore, where possible, in hot weather 

 give a little shade, but never allow the . plants to suffer from the want of water, 

 — A. Dean, Bedfont. 



PICEA PINSAPO. 



C^J HE engraving at p. 67 and your remarks will, I hope, direct that attention 

 ^4^LJ) to this gem of Silver Firs which it so well deserves. It is one of the 



f hardiest of Conifers, and stands the west wind better than most others, and 

 as it grows late in the spring it rarely suffers from spring frosts, whilst P. 

 cephalonica, P. WebMana, and Abies Morinda often suffer severely. The tree 

 grows slowly at first, and is in general inclined to spread out into a compact bush, 

 when planted on poor soils without any preparation. The best mode of treating 

 trees like these, is to take out a good wide trench all around them, removing all 

 the bad soil to a considerable depth, and replacing it with frosh strong loam. Some 

 trees I treated in this way a few years ago, have very much improved since. This 

 Fir is also much improved and benefited by pruning when it is incHned to grow 

 compact and bushy; by well thinning out the smaller branches, the energies of the 

 plant are directed more to the leading shoot, which in consequence makes stronger 

 and more robust growth than when the tree is not pruned. This Fir likes a rich 

 strong soil. Before planting, if the soil be not naturally verj'' good, it should be 

 properly prepared ; when this has been done and careful attention is paid to the 

 pruning, the trees will in general make satisfactory progress. 



Many other Conifers are also much improved by taking out a trench all 

 around the trees (when the ground has not been properly prepared at planting 

 time), removing all the bad soil, and replacing it with good loam, as well as by 

 attention to judicious pruning. — M. Saul, Stourtoii, Yorkshire. 



