Jane 16, 1670. ] 



JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 



425 



Hyde Park and Kensington Gardens, those grand old Elms 

 which Col. Sibthorpe, though much laughed at, insisted on 

 including in our first great exhibition, and which gave it a 

 character none since has attained to ; and it is not a little 

 remarkable that while we have been praising, yea, perhaps, 

 overpraising the parks abont Paris, French people oan see 

 in ours charms we have been blind to, and envy us for the 

 cool umbrageous Bhelter of our fine trees. It cannot, indeed, 

 be denied that our parks were a disgrace to us for the manner 

 in which they were (not kept, but) neglected. But a new and 

 better state of things has been inaugurated ; our British rediles 

 have taken a hint from their French colleagues, and now 

 order and beauty are maintained. No one, I think, can look 

 at our parks, whether in spring or summer, and not admire the 

 great change that has taken place, inaugurated by the Hon. 

 William Cowper and carried on by his successors, and let us hope, 

 notwithstanding all that has been said, not to be discontinued 

 by Mr. Ayrton. Our people have not much in the way of 

 beauty for their eyes to rest upon, and it is to be hoped that 

 the best of all beauty, that of nature, may not be denied them. 



It would be unfair in mentioning these matters not to refer 

 to the subject of subtropical gardening. The most favourable 

 place to see this in Paris is the Pare de Monceaux, and the 

 warmer summers of France give an advantage to them which 

 we do not possess in such matters. But can the Pare de Mon- 

 ceaux be compared to Battersea? I think not. I think that 

 the marvellous achievements of Mr. Gibson are far beyond 

 anything there ; and after many years' acquaintance with both 

 capitals, I can honestly Bay that the subtropical department of 

 Battersea Park is the finest piece of gardening that has come 

 under my notice. 



But the boulevards beat us out of the field. Imagine what 

 Oxford Street — at any rate that portion of it from the Circus 

 to the Marble Arch— would be if planted. If instead of having 

 one of the finest thoroughfares in the world so abominably dis- 

 figured by stalls of bad vegetable?, stale fish, and every kind of 

 nnmentionable dainty, there were a shady avenue of trees, what 

 a glorious change it would be ! We have tried it on a small 

 scale near the Kensington Museum ; whoever did it deserves, 

 I will not say to be immortalised, but to be set np in one of 

 the trees, a spectacle for all the gamins who resort thither, for 

 having planted such a treo as the Lombardy Poplar, the only 

 one to which the epithet of ugly can be applied, and left out 

 the Plane and the Ailanthus, which experience has shown thrive 

 so admirably in the most crowded thoroughfares. However, 

 let us hope a better state of things may soon be inaugurated. 

 A master hand, Mr. MeKenzie, has been entrusted with the 

 planting of the Thames Bmbankment, and succeos there may 

 induce trials in other quarters. 



There is one other matter which deserves notice, aud that is 

 that so many of our smaller open spaces are private property, 

 affording no enjoyment to the general public, and too often re- 

 flecting but little credit on those who have their management. 

 If the cluster of squares in Bloomsbury, for example, were 

 open — if they were treated, some as the Square de Montholon, 

 and others as the Place Lonvois or the Place de St. Jacques, 

 I cannot think that the roughs would do them injury, while 

 they would afford a treat to many who have not the privilege 

 of living within the sacred precincts of the squares themselves. 

 The beautiful squares in Dublin are so treated; while under 

 private management they are also open to the public, and a 

 Rreat source of enjoyment they are. London can never be 

 Paris, the two cities are at the opposite poles ; but it is much 

 to be hoped that a little more of the taste that has characterised 

 Bo many of the alterations made in the French capital of late 

 years, might be copied with advantage in the streets and Equares 

 of our huge and sombre metropolis. — D., Deal. 



CHINESE PRIMULA CULTURE. 

 Thkoogh the energy and well-directed efforts of the hybri- 

 diser the Chinese Primula has of late years been so much im- 

 proved, that it is now more than ever worthy of cultivation, 

 and I find it one of the best of plants for the decoration of the 

 greenhouse and conservatory, or for the drawing-room 9nd 

 dining table, at any time from November to April. If the 

 puny, plain-edged flowers of years ago gave the grower any 

 satisfaction for his trouble, he will now, if he adopt a good 

 system of cultivation, be rewarded with some large, perfect- 

 Bhaped, high-coloured, fimbriated flowers of both the white 

 and red varieties. Until lately there was a scarcily of good 

 white Primulas, but now there is no difficulty in procuring 



from any respectable nurseryman a good strain of seed that 

 will produce 90 per cent, of thoroughly good flowers. A well- 

 grown Primula should have fleshy and well-expanded foliage 

 on stout and vigorous leafstalks, and the flowers should be set 

 well above the leaves. Such a plant is exceedingly attractive. 

 In order to secure these qualities the cultural system muEt be 

 good throughout, and its details well applied. 



Primulas being in especial request here, I always try to pro- 

 duce as perfect plants as I can, and if they will not do for the 

 exhibition table, they have at least been pronounced excellent 

 for the purpose for which they are intended. 



I generally grow about three hundred ; most of them become 

 large plants in 8-inch pots, and to those who like to take up 

 my plan, the following is my treatment. For the above num- 

 ber two different sowings are made — the first in February, 

 from which the plants are expected to bloom in September 

 and the following two months ; and the second, or principal 

 sowing, made in the last week in March. The plants obtained 

 from the latter sowing are grown so as to be in full bloom in 

 December, and onwards to the following May. 



I sow in a mixture of peat and sand finely sifted, and use 

 either shallow pans or pots half full of drainage. I raise the 

 plants in heat — a Cucumber or Melon bed is an excellent place 

 — and I keep the soil moderately moist and not exposed to the 

 sun. When the plants have produced two seed leaves and are 

 large enough to handle well I prick them out 1 inch apart in 

 well-drained pots or boxes, using a compost of the same 

 obaracter as that in the seed pans. I then return them to the 

 hotbed, and place them within 6 inches of the glaBS. When 

 they have made about four leaves they may be potted in small 

 GO-sized pots. I then return them to their former position. 

 Air must be carefully and judiciously admitted at this Btage. 



After the roots have mostly reached the sideB of the pots the 

 next shift may be into 5-inch pots, and when the plants have 

 established themselves in these I gradually increase the 

 amount of ventilation to prepare them for their new quarters, 

 which may be either in pits or common garden frames having 

 a west aspect. Let the pots stand on a coal-ash bottom. For 

 the first few weeks the plants will be too far from the glass, 

 but rather than rob them of their coal-ash bottom sink the 

 frame into the earth until the plantB are within a few inches 

 of the glass, of course afterwards elevating the frame as the 

 plants require it. If they are found to do well here, which I. 

 do not doubt, they may occupy these places up to October, or 

 until they are taken into the greenhouse ; but they must be 

 shifted into larger pots as they require it, and be allowed 

 plenty of room as they increase in pize. Grow them in an 

 intermediate temperature, and when air i3 admitted let it be 

 both at the back and front of the frames. 



After the plants have had their final potting, and if the 

 weather continues warm, the frames may be set upon bricks. 

 Air so admitted will be found to strengthen the foliage very 

 much ; with the same object in view the lights may be thrown 

 entirely off the frames for two or three hours in the mornings 

 of growing days. Never let a strong sun shine upon them 

 long at, a time, but it will be beneficial to let the plants have the 

 sun morning and evening, and a little air night and day. 



The next thing to be referred to is the soil. This muBt be 

 the very best the place affords. I prefer equal quantities of 

 rich tur'fv loam not very light, turfy peat, road sand, or what 

 some call drift sand, and leaf mould ; then may be added one- 

 fourth decomposed cow manure, and the same of silver sand 

 and small charcoal. Thoroughly mix the whole together with 

 the hands, and I think it will be found to suit the plants 

 admirably. 



I have now to soeak of watering, to which considerable im- 

 portance attaches, for I think it is a prime feature in the 

 enltivatian of the Primula. Water should be given in the 

 morning, though on some days the plants may require it at 

 night. Keep the soil in a moderately moist state, for if it is 

 allowed to become saturated with wet, and should happen to 

 be so when evaporation is Blow, the plants will turn sickly and 

 die off at the neck. I do not advise the application of manure 

 water, for I have found it produce the same bad result— my 

 reason for using the above rich compost. 



For general decorative purposes I haTe not found any sorts 

 so good as the common Primula sinensis firnbriata alba, and 

 sinensis firnbriata rubra. The white and red Fern-leaved 

 varieties have not such perfect flowers, nor such a compact 

 habit, but they are well worth growing for distinction. There 

 is also a Ralmon-coloured variety called firnbriata coccmea 

 nova, which appears too delicate to thrive under the same con- 



