IRISH GARDENING 



VOLUME X 



No. 1 1 1 



Editor-C- F. Ball 



A MONTHLY JOURNAL DEVOTED TO THE 



ADVANCEMENT OF HORTICULTURE AND 



ARBORICULTURE IN IRELAND 



MAY 



'9'5 



Greenhouse Primulas* 



Bv T. W. Briscoe. 



Ok late years considerable improvement has been 

 made among the Primulas quoted above, and 

 few greenhouses are complete without a batch 

 of these charming plants during the winter 

 months. The colours are both varied and 

 ])leasing. and for the most part the plants are of 

 easy culture. Among the Chinese Prinuilas there 

 is great variety, and the following have all 

 come under my observation in the past season, 

 and can be well recommended : — Crimson King 

 is one of the darkest crimsons I have seen, and 

 remains in full beauty for quite a long time. 

 Giant White is excellent, as was also Reading 

 Blue ; but Reading Pink I did not admire, as 

 the flowers soon lost their colovir. P. stellata, 

 or the Star Primrose, is no doubt most popular, 

 and they i)lease many individuals who dislike 

 the stiff and somewhat formal type already 

 (J noted. They bloom profusely, and the tall 

 slender stems bring the flowers well above the 

 foliage. Coral Pink is a charming kind, the 

 reddish tinge in the stalks of the leaves being 

 an additional charm to many. Both the Light 

 Blue and Dark Blue are good, and the same 

 remark applies to TiOrd Ro))eits and Ruby. 

 There are many others of equal merit, and any 

 grower wo\ild do well to secin-e catalogties from 

 those firms who specialise in these delightful 

 plants. Where a fine yellow is required P. 

 Kewensis should be chosen, and it is a plant 

 that pays for generous treatment. When the 

 ])()ts are filled with roots, a sprinkling of Clay's 

 Fertilizer, or occasional applications of liquid 

 manure, is most helpful. P. malacoides must 

 not be forgotten, and to keep up a succession a 

 sprinkling of seed should be sown at intervals 

 of six weeks. 



P. obconica. — In the gardening press generall3' 

 letters appear in regard to the irritation caused 

 to some sensitive skins by the handling of this 



plant. No doubt many of the statements are 

 gross exaggerations, but the difficulty is easily 

 got over by using a pair of gloves or allowing 

 someone to repot them, &c., who is not affected. 

 They are so valuable for winter work that they 

 cannot very well be dispensed with. For general 

 purposes a reliable mixed strain is advised, but 

 they can be obtained in various shades such as 

 white, pink, crimson, lilac, and blue. The reds 

 are as a rule lacking in colour, and the most 

 that can be said for them is forms of good 

 magenta. 



Another pretty little plant is P. Forbesii, and 

 about fifty pots have been producing a pretty 

 display throughout the winter months. It is a 

 charming miniature, half-hardy species, with 

 rich rosy-mauve flowers with a yellow eye. 



All the Primulas mentioned are raised from 

 seeds, and a small sowing can be made at the 

 end of May, but the principal batch should be 

 sown in June oi- July, as I always think they are 

 more acceptable after the bulk of the Chrysan- 

 themums are passed. W^ell drained jiots or pans 

 may be used, and any light potting soil will 

 suffice, but the surface must be tine and even. 

 Only a very slight coveiing is needed, aiul each 

 pot "should "have a i)iece of glass i)lacetl over the 

 to]) until germination has taken ])lace. During 

 this period an ordinary greenhou.se temperature 

 will be sufficient, but care must be taken to 

 prevent the soil getting dry. Strong sunlight 

 must be avoided, but it is best to keej) the 

 young plants near to the glass. When large 

 enough each seedling should be placed in a 

 00 sized pot, and then arranged on a shady 

 shelf in a cool greenhouse. The soil should be 

 rather light, with a fair su])i)ly of good leaf 

 moukl. Directly they have filled these pots with 

 roots they must l)e moved into receptacles 5 

 and G inches in diameter, in which they will 



