THE FLORAL WORLD AND GARDEN GUIDE. 165 



the only safe course is to immerse the pots in a vessel of water, and 

 allow them to remain until the whole of the ball has become tho- 

 roughly moistened, and the air-bubbles ceasiug to rise to the surface 

 will aftord a good indication of this being accomplished. Plants 

 that have become dust-dry should also be immersed in the same 

 manner. The state of the soil on the surface must not be implicitly 

 relied upon as affording an indication of the state of the soil lower 

 down. The surface soil generally becomes dry first, but frequently 

 owing to rains, syringing, or other cause, it will be found moist, 

 whilst; a few inches below the surface it will be quite dry. The 

 sound of the pot is perhaps the best test, for when the soil is 

 dry, it will have a ringing sound if rapped on the side with the 

 knuckles, whilst if wet, the sound will be dull and heavy. 



During periods of hot, dry weather, a light sprinkle overhead in 

 the evening will be beneficial to all the plants, with the exception of 

 the aphelexis and heaths. Camellias may have a more liberal 

 syringing than the other things. They also require more water at 

 the roots ; and if the drainage is in good order, and the plants in 

 perfect health, there will not be much danger of their having 

 too much, provided of course it is supplied within reasonable limits. 



One of the causes of camellias shedding their buds prematurely 

 is watering them irregularly ; or, to speak more plainly, saturating 

 them for two or three weeks, and then allowing them to suffer 

 from drought for several days. By careful watering during the 

 autumn and winter, the amateur will be taking the most effectual 

 steps for preventing the dropping of the buds, of which so much is 

 heard every autumn, and for this reason I would strongly recommend 

 a careful perusal of the foregoing remarks. 



PEIMULA CORTUSOIDES. 



BY J. E. SAUNDBES, ESQ. 



[jOTWITHSTANDINa all that has been said in praise of 

 the stately-growing Primula japonica,! question whether 

 it is equal to the lovely P. cortusoides amoina, and other 

 varieties of the species. Certainly it does not surpass 

 it in any respect, and as the varieties of both typical 

 forms are so remarkably distinct and beautiful, the best course will 

 be to grow a proportion of each. This year I have had glorious 

 masses of several of the varieties of Cortusoides, and as they were 

 so much' admired, it has struck me that a few words in reference to 

 them would prove useful to amateurs like myself. 



Primula cortusoides is quite hardy, and in suitable positions out 

 of doors, such as a shady ledge on the rockery, where it does not 

 suffer from drought, it grows rapidly, and produces a fine display of 

 flowers during the spring. The several varieties are also hardy, but, 

 owing to the large size of the flowers, they are not so suitable for 

 out-door culture, as the flowers are liable to injury from the rough 

 weather frequently experienced when in bloom. To have them in 



June. 



