IRISH GARDENING 



VOLUME XI 



No. 123 



Editor-J- W. Besant. 



A MONTHLY JOURNAL DEVOTED TO THE 



ADVANCEMENT OF HORTICULTURE AND 



ARBORICULTURE IN IRELAND 



MAY 

 1916 



Greenhouse Primulas^ 



Bv T. W. Briscoe. 



K. 



During recent years considerable improvement 

 has been made among all classes of Primula, 

 esiDecially those employed for producing a 

 display in our greenhouses throughout the 

 winter months. There is a wonderful variety 

 in regard to colour, and the plants possess a 

 vigorous constitu- 

 tion, providing a 

 few simple cultural 

 details are observ- 

 ed . T h e m o s t 

 popular at the pre- 

 sent time is un- 

 doubtedly P. stel- 

 lata, an elegant 

 strain introduced 

 by Messrs. Sutton 

 in 1895. The plants 

 are of graceful ha- 

 bit, are very free 

 flowering, and re- 

 nuiin in full beauty 

 for a consideraV)le 

 period. They last 

 well in a cut state, 

 and are valuable 

 for the dinner table 

 and dwellinghouse 

 decoration gener- 

 ally. 



Moreover, they 

 make charming 

 plants to stand in 

 bowls, &c. 



One of the best 

 I have grown is 

 Coral Pink. The 

 flowers, which are 



carried well above the foliage, are a pretty 

 shade of pink, while the reddish tinge 

 in the stalks of the leaves are an additional 

 charm to many. White Queen is another 

 gem, the pure white flowers showing off to 

 advantage against the dark green foliage. 

 Both the light blue and dark blue are good, and 

 with Ruby, a fine richly-coloured Star Primula, 

 a useful collection could be made. For those 



*i*,^ 



who only require a few plants, a good mixed 

 strain is offered by all the leading seed houses. 

 The various forms of Primula sinensis are 

 well known, and here again the improvement 

 is most marked. Any catalogue will give a 

 wide selection, but I have found the following 

 to give excellent 

 results: — G i a n t 

 White, The Duch- 

 ess, Crimson King, 

 a very dark crim- 

 son ; Reading, blue ; 

 Chelsea, rose ; Chel- 

 sea, scarlet, and 

 Lord Roberts. 

 Where a good 

 yellow Primula is 

 required, th.e hybrid 

 P. Kewensis should 

 be chosen, and it 

 should be sown in 

 March or April to 

 get fine plants. It 

 pays for generous 

 treatment, and 

 when the pots are 

 filled with roots 

 they may be fed 

 with liquid manure, 

 or some reliable 

 fertilizer. 



P. obconica. — This 

 Primula is well 

 known both on ac- 

 count of its decora- 

 tive qualities and 

 for the fact that 

 some sensitive skins 

 are given a kind of rash if they come in con- 

 tact with the plant. 



At a recent meeting of gardeners I was 

 assured that Homecea was an effective antidote. 

 They are most valuable for winter work, and 

 for general purposes a mixed strain is best, 

 although they can be procured in separate 

 colours, such as Fire King, blue, white, lilac, 

 and crimson. A sowing may be made in March 



