iSyi.] AUTUMN AND WINTER PLANTS. 163 



The Chinese Primula. — The many varieties of the above make 

 them interesting, especially when a good collection of the double sorts 

 are grown along with the single ones. The Fern-leaved varieties, when 

 in good health, are handsome even when not in flower. To have the 

 single varieties early in flower they should be sown in August, and when 

 fairly up and one pair of rough leaves formed, pot them singly into 

 large thumb-pots in a mixture of peat and silver sand, placing them in 

 a close frame for a few days until they take with the shift, when air 

 should be given on all favourable occasions. As the autumn draws on, 

 and there is any danger from frost apprehended, remove them to a 

 light airy shelf near the glass, where they may stand all winter, keep- 

 ing them rather dry than otherwise, but not letting them suffer for 

 want of water. Here they may stand until the end of ^larch, when 

 they will have filled the pots with roots : get a lot of 6 and 5 inch pots, 

 perfectly clean and well drained ; also a mixture of half peat and good 

 fibry loam, with a little cow-dung, which has been lying for some time, 

 put through a fine sieve, with some silver sand well mixed, and put 

 where it can be warmed to the same temperature as the house the plants 

 are growing in. As the potting goes on a little soot should be sprinkled 

 over the drainage, which is a good preventive against worms getting 

 into the pots when standing in their growing quarters. When finished, 

 place them in a cold frame where they can stand all the summer, keep 

 the lights close for a few days, giving air according to the state of the 

 weather, keeping them always close to the glass. When the pots are 

 filled with roots, a watering with manure-water twice a-week will be 

 beneficial to them. When the sun gets powerful, shade with a little 

 whiting and skim-milk mixed to the thickness of paint, adding as 

 much Brunswick-green as takes off the white appearance. As this is 

 applied to the glass, strike the surface gently with a soft brush before 

 it dries; when this is carefully done it has all the appearance of frosted 

 glass, and gives a fine subdued light to the plants. Here they may 

 stand all the summer, and will make fine plants ; and by keeping the 

 frame a little close in the day from August and shut up at nights, fine 

 heads of bloom soon begin to make their appearance, and continue 

 flowering until those sown in the spring succeed them. 



The Laurestinus. — This is a very useful plant when there is a great 

 quantity of cut flowers required : and to have it in flower at Christmas, 

 and standing in the conservatory among other things, it has a good effect. 

 It forces easily after the plants have had a season or two in the pots. 

 Standards on 18-inch stems are very effective; they should be plunged 

 out-doors as soon as done flowering, and attended to through the 

 summer with water. A. H. 



Thoresby Park Gardens. 



{To be continued.) 



