104 THE FLORIST. 



CULTIVATION OF DOUBLE WHITE AND RED CHINESE 



PRIMROSES. 



These varieties are remarkably neat and ornamental dwarf early 

 winter and spring-flowering greenhouse perennials ; they are the most 

 useful of plants for greenhouse decoration, at a period of the year when 

 there is but little else in flower ; their large double white blossoms 

 sometimes rivalling the whiteness of the surrounding snow. I imagine 

 they are thought but little of, in consequence of their being rather 

 stuljborn things to cultivate ; but any person, by adopting the following 

 mode of treatment, may ensure success. These varieties are very readily 

 increased by the shoots or offsets. First prepare pots in size according 

 to the glasses and number of cuttings ; let them be three parts filled 

 with small pieces of broken flower-pots, over which place a little turfy 

 peat, which, with silver sand added, must reach to within three quarters 

 of an inch of the surface of the pot. The best cuttings are those taken 

 from the side shoots or offsets. They must be cut with a very sharp 

 knife, so that the incision is not left ragged, or the cutting will rot. 

 Insert them a quarter of an inch into the sand, water moderately, to 

 settle the sand about them, and place a bell glass over all to exclude the 

 air, then plunge the pot into a good bottom heat, of about 65°. Re- 

 move the bell glass every morning ; wipe it dry and replace it : thus 

 you will prevent them damping off. Give them, at the same time, a 

 sufficient quantity of water to keep them moist. 



When they have properly taken root, prepare mould for potting 

 them off The soil I have found best adapted for their healthy culture 

 is a compost of good loam, from rotted turves, leaf-mould, decomposed 

 cow-dung, turfy peat, and silver sand, of equal parts, beaten up together. 

 Fill one-fourth of a three-inch sized pot with pieces of broken pots, over 

 which place a thin layer of turfy peat, to prevent the soil from intruding 

 and obstructing the drainage ; pot them off into the pots prepared, and 

 on account of their possessing such fine Erica-Hke roots, they require to 

 be potted moderately firm. Give them water sufficient to soak through 

 the soil. Place them in a warm house upon a shelf free from drip, 

 where the atmosphere is rather moist around them, keeping them 

 shaded until they make a start ; then allow them to have a little air 

 when convenient, to keep them from being drawn up too weakly. Let 

 them remain in this position until the pots are filled with roots, keep- 

 ing the blossom picked off whenever it is visible. Then let them be 

 repotted into five-inch sized pots, with compost and drainage as before 

 described. Also continue to give them a medium quantity of water — 

 never allowing them to get thoroughly dry. Place them again upon 

 the same shelf Be careful to keep the burning sun from them, or they 

 will become stunted and never thrive. A free circulation of air will 

 also have great influence on them. Let them remain in this position 

 until the pots are again filled with roots. By this time they will have 

 become middling sized plants, and should be again repotted into seven- 

 inch sized pots ; for twice potting is better than the one-shift system, 

 but takes a little more time, which should be thought nothing of in 



