A. W. Hill 15 



daus votre opinion en vous disant que nous avons, depuis I'appai'ition 

 du Primula obcoaica, tente des hybridations avec un grand norabre de 

 Primeveres. Nous n'avons jamais reussi, efc les varietes que nous avons 

 mises au commerce, telles que Vesuve (a fleurs rouge carmin) et robtista, 

 ont e'te obtenues uniquement par voie de selection. 



" Nous connaissons d'autres horticulteurs qui ont tente de leur cote 

 des hybridations, mais egalement sans succes. Aussi ne croyons-nous 

 nullement a I'origine hybride signalee par I'horticulteur allemand qui 

 annonce le Primula obconica gigantea. 



"A ce propos, nous vous serions obliges de rappeler que le Primula 

 obconica robusta, que nous avons annonce I'an dernier et qui a ^te 

 obtenu par M. Choulet, chef des cultures florales du Pare de la Tete- 

 d'Or, presente absolumeut les memes caracteres que ceux qui sont 

 signales pour la variete gigantea, c'est-a-dire feuilles de consistance 

 ferme, fleurs de dimensions tres grandes (les plus grandes connues 

 5 centimetres de diametre) de couleur blanc lilace, ombelles enormes et 

 surtout tiges rigides, qui lui ont fait donner ce nom de robusta^." 



Whatever may be the explanation of some of the forms of P. ob- 

 conica which have been obtained, it is evident that numerous attempts 

 have been made to effect hybridisation with other species and that a 

 gi-eat deal of work has also been done on the lines of selection and 

 cross fertilisation of the best varieties. In the cases of the assumed 

 hybrids it is remarkable that the results, whatever species may have 

 been the pollen parent, are all strikingly similar and only a better form 

 of undoubted P. obconica has been obtained. Further the forms alleged 

 to have been produced b}' hybridisation can hardly be distinguished 

 from those produced by selection. In this connection also it is 

 worthy of note that in the only case on record where the pollen of 

 P. obconica was used the seedlings raised were purely of the type of the 

 female parent^ (P. Sieboldii cortusoides). The experiments in hybridi- 

 sation appear to have been made with proper care in many cases and 

 the conclusion seems to be suggested that the pollen may in some way 

 stimulate the development of the ovule without effecting hybridisation 

 The case of the orchid Zygopetalum Mackayi^ crossed with the pollen of 

 other genera but always yielding seedlings closely resembling the 

 female parent may perhaps be considered as a somewhat parallel case. 



It is true that Arend's gigantea strain shows a stoutness in the 

 leaves which is more marked than in the ordinary forms and there is 



1 Rev. Hon. 1906, p. 487. '- See p. 15, and Gard. Chron. 1897, p. 128. 



^ See Journ. E. Hort. Soc. xxi. 1897, pp. 476, 477 ; Orchid Review, vi. 1898, p. 19. 



