404 THE GARDENER. [Sept. 



Red and Golden Drop Plums are kept late with other things. "Wasps and birds 

 may yet be troublesome : guard against them. Lifting trees planted out to keep 

 them dwarf, pinching, and syringing, require special attention. M. T. 



NOTES ON DECORATIVE GREENHOUSE PLANTS. 

 The Chinese Primula. 



Among the many useful decorative greenhouse plants, the Chinese 

 Primula holds a prominent place ; and it is indispensable among the 

 dwarf section of flowering plants, not only on account of the time of year 

 at which it naturally flowers, but also for its floriferous qualities, and for 

 the long time which it continues in bloom. It is also one of the most 

 useful subjects for room decoration, as it stands such work better than 

 most plants, and is a very suitable plant for the breakfast-table, or for 

 a small dinner-table ; while for conservatory decoration, nothing looks 

 more beautiful than a wire stand filled with the scarlet and white 

 varieties mixed, and a few pots of Lobelia to hang over the edges of 

 the basket. 



The Chinese Primula has been wonderfully improved of late years, 

 both as regards colour, size, and substance of flower, some of the strains 

 sold by our leading seedsmen being wonderfully fine. 



The Chinese Primula has to be raised entirely from seed ; the time 

 of sowing will depend upon the time when they are wanted to bloom. 

 For autumn and winter flowering the seed should be sown in the begin- 

 ning of February ; a well-drained pan should be used with some roughish 

 soil over the crocks, two inches of the top being filled with leaf-mould 

 sifted, some peat-soil rubbed through a fine sieve, and a good dash of 

 silver sand added. Have the surface of the soil levelled, and then scatter 

 the seeds thinly ; shake a little of the soil over the seed through a fine 

 sieve, and water through a very fine rose ; then cover the pan with a 

 piece of glass, and set it where there will be a temperature of about 

 65° kept up : an early vinery suits very well. The young plants are 

 very impatient of too much moisture, so as soon as they are w T ell 

 brairded the glass must be tilted up at one side, and the pan set near the 

 light in an airy part of the house. The young plants must be pricked 

 off singly into thumb-pots as soon as they have made two rough leaves, 

 using the same compost with the addition of a small modicum of loam ; 

 set them in a warm pit, and shade slightly for a few days until they 

 get hold of the soil, when shading may be dispensed with. As soon 

 as the pots are moderately well filled with roots, shift into 4-inch pots, 

 using the soil in a somewhat rougher state, and about equal parts of 

 loam, peat, and leaf-mould, and a good quantity of silver sand, to keep 

 all open. The plants may soon require a little support, which may be 

 given by means of three little pieces of sticks thrust into the soil close 



