A. W. Hill 9 



Crook of Forde Abbey ^ blooms being said to show "distinct evidence 

 of fringing of the edges." It should be added that these plants were 

 supposed to be the result of crosses with P. sinensis but it will be seen 

 later that the evidence in support of this view is very slight. 



The next record comes from France, about two and a half years 

 later, a plant with fimbriated white flowers being exhibited by 

 Messrs Vilmorin in February 1896^, before the French Horticultural 

 Society. M. Mottet writes in reply to queries addressed to M. Ph. L. 

 de Vilmorin about this v&r. fimhriata: "The variety first appeared here 

 in 1896 in a large-flowering white strain, in the form of slight denticu- 

 lations on the edge of the petals. This was selected carefully and the 

 variety announced in our catalogue in the spring of 1897," he adds 

 that its origin had nothing to do with any seed or plants outside their 

 own stock. In the early autumn of 1897 a var. fimhriata was being 

 grown at Kew^ from seed obtained from Messrs Heinemann of Erfurt 

 (cf Plate I, fig. 3). 



The fimbriated variety was also produced independently at Kew 

 and the fringed character was attributed to the results of high cultiva- 

 tion. As the variety was not considered an improvement its cultivation 

 and selection at Kew were discontinued. In 1899 Messrs Vilmorin'' 

 were exhibiting this variety with rose-coloured flowers, and from thence 

 onwards a v&r. fimhriata was offered in most seedsmen's catalogues (cf 

 Plate I, figs. 15, 17; Plate II, fig. 80). Mr A. W. Sutton writes that the 

 fimbriated form appeared at Reading in 1901 and he adds " we do not, 

 however, catalogue this, as the fimbriation has the effect of making the 

 flowers look smaller." 



Double Flowers. 



One other striking floral variation in Primula obconica has yet to be 

 described, namely the occurrence of double flowers (Plate I, fig. 21). 

 This appears to have originated with Messrs Vilmorin and as far as can 

 be ascertained nowhere else. M. Mottet writing in Le Jardin^ early in 

 1901 mentions that the double variety was put in commerce in that 



' The Garden, 1893, Oct. 7, p. 327. 



2 Rev. Hon. 1896, p. 238 ; ibid. 1897, p. 141. 



3 The Garden, 1897, September 18, p. 227; Garten/lorn, 1897, 46, p. 143, text fig. 23. 

 ■• Rev. Hort. 1899, p. 169; see also The Garden. 1904, April 7, p. 304; Gard. Chron. 



1904, April 16, p. 244. 



5 Le Jardin, 1901, p. 89, fig. 52, see also Rer. Hort. 1901, p. 238, figs. 100, 101 ; 

 Journ. Hort. 1901, p. 14. In 1902 Sir Trevor Lawrence received an award of merit, R.H.S., 

 for a mauve-purple coloured semi-double var. of P. obconica, see Jotirn. Hort. 1902, 

 p. 548. 



