180 THE GARDENER. [April 



love around tbeir father's cottage-home ; enticing from the beer-shop many of its 

 victims, thereby giving a healthy tone to the mind and manners, as well as re- 

 flecting and noticing the wondrous power of God as displayed in the wonderful 

 construction, beautiful loveliness, brightness, and sweetness of flowerp. 



A Lover op Flowers. 

 M. C, Edinburgh, February 1871. 



THE TREATMENT OF HARDY PRIMULAS FOR INDOOR 

 DECORATION IN WINTER AND SPRING. 



Were it not for the practice of forcing spring and early -flowering 

 plants, our plant-houses, parlours, and drawing-rooms would be un- 

 cheered by many blossoms in the dull months of December, January, 

 and February. There are very few plants cultivated that bloom 

 naturally, say in a greenhouse or a room, in those months, and 

 those that — either naturally or by means of art — may be had in 

 flower then are peculiarly valuable. Fortunately there are a good many 

 hardy perennials, both bulbous and fibrous, which submit to forcing 

 freely; and there are not a few — such as the early-flowering Scillas — 

 which scarcely require the treatment implied in that term to bring 

 them into flower a good many weeks before their natural period. A 

 little gentle persuasion appears to be all that is needed to stir these 

 susceptible subjects into unnaturally early activity, if they are well 

 prepared and early established in pots beforehand. The object of 

 this paper is to draw attention to three species of Primula that are 

 most useful for indoor decoration in the dead of winter, but which are 

 not often seen so used, or for any purpose of decoration whatever. The 

 writer believes, therefore, that their value is not well known, and that 

 any addition to the number of plants that may be had in bloom in win- 

 ter and early spring will be welcomed by all who have to cater for floral 

 requirements during those seasons. The three species alluded to are 

 Primula denticulata, P. erosa, and P. amcena, the two former from the 

 Himalaya and Northern India, and the latter from the Caucasus. 

 There are many other species of spring-flowering Primulas which may 

 be found equally useful for winter decoration indoors, but I confine 

 my remarks to those named, as the treatment to be described will be 

 applicable to any others which may submit to the process of being 

 stirred by excitement into premature growth and inflorescence. Those 

 Primulas are very unlike anything else commonly employed for indoor 

 decoration in winter. They are pretty, modest things, not loudly claiming 

 attention, but quietly arresting it by their simplicity and grace and 

 soft colouring. 



My own circumstances compel me to grow them in small pots fitted 



