1869.] HARDY GENTIANS AND PRIMULAS. o7 



ceptable, for there is now so much to choose from in catalogues of vegetables, that 



the inexperienced become bewildered : — 



The varieties of Pea are very numerous, and most of them good. I would recommend 

 the amateur to grow the following : — Daniel O'Rourke, Champion of England, and Veitch's 

 Perfection. — Bean: Early Mazagan and Green Windsor. — Dwarf French Bean: China or 

 Robin's Egg, Dark Dun or Liver-coloured, and Negro Long-podded. — Runner Bean : Scarlet. 

 Beet: Pine-applo Short-topped. — Borecole : Dwarf Curled. — Broccoli: Snow's Winter, Dil- 

 cock's Bride, Champion, and Eclipse. — Brussels Sprouts : Imported. — Cabbage : Battersoa, 

 Nonpareil, Sprotboro, Wheeler's Imperial, and Red Dutch. — Carrot: Early Horn, James' 

 Scarlet or Intermediate, and Long Red Surrey. — Cauliflower : Walcheren. — Celery : White 

 Solid and Red Solid.— Cress : Curled. — Cucumber : Stockwood for ridges, and Sion House for 

 frame. — Endive : Green Curled. — Leek : Large Musselburgh. — Lettuce : Green and White 

 Paris Cos, Drumhead, Brown Dutch, and Hammersmith Hardy. — Melon : Bromham Hall, 

 Egyptian Green-flesh. — Mustard: Brown. — Onion : White Spanish, Brown Spanish, James' 

 Keeping, Deptford, and Tripoli. — Parsley: Best Curled. — Parsnip: Hollow-crowned, and the 

 Student. — Radish : Wood's Early Frame, Long Scarlet, and Red and White Turnip. — Savoy : 

 Dwarf Early Ulm, and Drumhead. — Spinach: Round, and Prickly or Winter. — Turnd? : 

 Snowball, and White Stone. — Vegetable Marrow : Cream-coloured, and Custard Marrow. — 

 Tomato : Large Red, and Orangefield. — Pot Herbs : Sweet Marjoram and Sweet Basil. — 

 Potato : Kidneys — Myatt's Prolific Ash-leaved, Lapstone, and Fluke ; Round — Dalmahoy, 

 Fortyfold, and York Regents. The above is a list of some of the best varieties of Vegetables, 

 though it by no means includes all the best. I have made it for the use of those who have 

 had little or no previous experience, to enable them to select from the general run of cata- 

 logues, and I feel certain they will not do wrong to consult it. 



The pruning of all Fruit-trees should now be brought to a close as soon as 

 possible ; Apricot, Peaches, Nectarines, and Plums are advancing fast in their 

 blooming buds, and will be early in flower if the weather continues mild. As 

 soon as the blossoms begin to expand, the trees must be protected. 



Stourton. M. Saul. 



ALPINE GENTIANS AND PRIMULAS. 



' OME few Alpine Plants are delicate or difficult to grow ; and amongst 

 the most beautiful and interesting of these are the Gentians, and certain 

 of the Primulas. There are those who will of course be ambitious to 

 succeed in cultivating them, but, in a general way, it would be better to 

 avoid, at first, all such difficult subjects, since a failure with them is apt to be 

 disheartening. I believe that a more liberal code of culture than is generally 

 pursued, is what is wanted for these more delicate kinds, and those which are 

 usually considered as almost uncultivable. The plants are often obtained in a 

 delicate and small state ; then they are, perhaps, kept in some out-of-the-way 

 frame, or put where they receive but chance attention ; or, perhaps, they go off 

 from some vicissitude, or fall a victim to slugs, which seem to relish their flavour, 

 considering how clean they eat off some kinds ; or if a little shaky about the 

 roots, are interred by earthworms, whose casts serve to clog up the drainage, and 

 thus render the pot uninhabitable. With strong and healthy young plants 

 to begin with, good and more liberal culture, and plunging in the open air in 

 beds of coal-ashes through the greater part of the year, I have no doubt that the 

 greater portion of those supposed to be unmanageable would soon flourish beauti- 

 fully. I have taken species of Primula, usually seen in a very leafy and poor 



