May 1, 1878. ] 



JOURNAL OP HORTIGULTDBE AND COTTAGE GABDENER. 



351 



stem and invariable minimum produce of tlie pedestal type. 

 Including Prince Albert, the finest fruits in every respect are 

 produced by plants which at once show a vigorous formation, 

 and remain at a medium elevation from the socket. The 

 purple-tinted leaves of King Alfred I regard as no reliable 

 distinction. All varieties when exposed to sun and light are 

 of the same hue. It is to be regretted that Mr. Wright's state- 

 ments at page 218 are not corroborated by Mr. J. Foden. Mr. 

 Wright tell us, in the first place, that it is Prince Alfred, and 

 not Prince Albert, and refers to Mr. J. Foden for confirmation 

 of this, when Mr. J. Foden tell us, in the first place, that he 

 is not aware that there ever was a Pine Apple called Prince 

 Albert or Prince Alfred. Such being the case, how can he 

 agree with me that these two are the same, and they are only 

 Foden's Black Prince ? It is quite possible there may be a 

 Pine in cultivation which Mr. .J. Foden has never seen. I may 

 inform him that there are few of the principal Pine-growing 

 places in England or Scotland but possesses a variety named 

 Prince Albert. — J. M. C. 



DWARF HAEDY PLANTS SUITABLE AS EDGINGS 

 TO YOUNG SPECIMEN TEEES.— No. 2. 



Oxalis cornlculata rubra. — This is well adapted for edging 

 purposes, for although the plant dies down a considerable por- 

 tion of the year, its foliage is good all the summer months, 

 it is hardy, and accomodating enough for all purposes. Oxalis 

 Bowei I have never been able to make much of, but that, per- 

 haps, may have been from want of perseverance rather than 

 any defect in the plant, as when well grown it makes a lovely 

 bed. 



PruiifUa optima. — A pretty purple-flowering dwarf plant of 

 compact habit, and strongly to be recommended. It is also 

 accommodating in every sense of the word, for although not a 

 gross grower, it seems to thrive equally well in sun or shade, 

 in moist or dry situations, while its flowers are very pretty. 



Pansier. — In general I have not been able to flower these 

 well. Our hot summers seem to punish them so severely that 

 I cannot recommend them for duty in a dry situation ; laut in 

 a different situation most likely they would bloom well. 



Pink. — Having alluded to this under the head Diajithus, 

 notliing more need be Slid, only that on calcareous soils, where 

 it thrives so well, it cannot be planted too extensively, for both 

 the character of flower and habit of the plant alike fit it for 

 the front place in a class of this kind. 



Phlox verna and others. — This dwarf species with deep 

 rose-coloured blossoms makes a nice broad margin, and is 

 admirably suited for covering ground about a tree not branched 

 to the ground, as it is a spreading plant, and makes an excel- 

 lent carpet, more especially on a soil approaching to peat. 

 There are several varieties of it, but none better than that 

 which has flowers of a deep rosy-purple colour. Another 

 species, P. setacea or P. subulata, is widely different, but dwarf, 

 and equally eUgible. With it I have never been able to suc- 

 ceed well, nor have I managed P. prostrata well enough to be 

 able to recommend it. The tall kinds, of course, are not suit- 

 able for our present purpose. 



Pidmo7iaria officinali.^ raricfiata. — The blotching of the foUage 

 of this plant equals that of many of our exotic Begonias, and 

 looks well all the winter ; the plant is therefore of service for 

 winter decoration. It is of rather strong growth, and perhaps 

 occupies more room when full-grown than can often be allowed, 

 but being accommodating, it may be planted where other sub- 

 jects will not grow. 



Primroses. — I enter upon these with some misgivings, for 

 the whole family are such favourites that I fear I may be led 

 too far in my commendations ; moreover, they offer much 

 variety, and their flowering is spread over a great number of 

 months. Who is there, in traversing the shady lanes of a rural 

 district in March or April, but must admire the floral gems 

 that stud the hedgebanks ? and I am not sure that any of the 

 Primroses of our gardens are in reality more beautiful than the 

 wild one. At the same time our garden varieties have also 

 their especial claims to notice. 



Before mentioning two or three of the most prominent va- 

 rieties I may say that the Primrose in general hkes a some- 

 what moist situation, and one partially shaded in summer is 

 an advantage. This, I believe, holds good of all the family, 

 the Auricula, perhaps, excepted. We also find that division of 

 the plants every second or third year is advantageous. Single 

 robust-growing varieties need division oftener than the slower- 

 growing d<Mible kinds, and as this mode of propagation is the 



only certain way of insuring the continuance of the exact va- 

 rieties, it is well to practise it as early in the spring as con- 

 venient. Necessity has often compelled us to divide the plants 

 when they were in full bloom, which is not, perhaps, the best 

 time, but the plant is very accommodating in that way. Where 

 a rather shady piece of ground not too dry can be had as a 

 reserve or nursery, this plant may be extensively grown for 

 early spring gardening, and it can be transplanted with greater 

 ease than most things. It is also easily raised from seed, 

 which is often self-sown in unpromising places, and new va- 

 rieties are sometimes met with in such spots. A friend of 

 mine found a double yellow variety in a wood a long way from 

 any garden or cultivated ground, and brown and dark-coloured 

 varieties are not uncommon. If gardeners would take the 

 trouble to now and then plant a crimson or magenta-flowered 

 plant here and there amongst the wild Primroses, most likely 

 fresh cross-breds would be produced. I have often done this, 

 and hope to see some of the cross-breds by-and-by. I may 

 add that the crossing of the garden varieties certainly gives 

 us kinds partaking partly of the Polyanthus and Cowslip, 

 in conjunction with the Primrose, for it is not uncommon 

 to find plants having both single-flowering stems and also 

 well-formed umbels as in the Polyanthus, while the pendulous 

 habit of the Cowslip is also represented. Probably further 

 varieties will be produced when the new .Tapanese Primrose 

 shall have become more plentiful ; but as regards colour, our 

 home kinds give us all the colours that we have from the east ; 

 nevertheless, there is no doubt an important future before this 

 plant, and with such other species as P. cortusoides amuena 

 and P. erosa denticulata there is ample scope for hybridisation. 



Siiifile White Primrose. — I believe I have on more than one 

 occasion expressed an opinion that this is the most useful of 

 the family, coming into flower so much earlier than all others. 

 We have frequently had a good display of this variety in No- 

 vember, long before the wild Primrose or the other kinds 

 showed any signs of flowering. Its flowers are of a clear white, 

 too, and the plant is a most abundant bloomer. Some we 

 have in bloom at the time I write have done duty for quite 

 five months. I think the season we had them in most abun- 

 dance in autumn was 1871. A spurious variety of this kind 

 appears to be more prevalent than the true early-flowering one ; 

 and I also find that of seedUngs some of them come ^vitli a 

 creamy white tint instead of the pure colour, thus showing a 

 tendency to revert to the wild form. When once a stock of it 

 is obtained it is best to propagate it by division of the roots ; 

 and it is well not to be in too great a hurry in doing this, as 

 small plants rarely attain sufficient size in one year to allow 

 of their being divided with so much advantage as when left for 

 two years where they are growing. This remark, of course, 

 holds good of all kinds alike. 



Siiu/le Mauve Primrose— This, Uke the last, is a very free 

 bloomer, but is not by any means so early a bloomer, neither 

 does it look so well in the distance as the white. There are 

 several tints of this colour obtainable by seed, some of them 

 being much brighter than the original, and approaching to 

 magenta. 



Sinflle Crimson Primrose. — A variety of this I have had some 

 years occasionally covered with umbelled flowers hke the Poly- 

 anthus, while a great number of the flowers are on single 

 stems. It is of a pretty clear colour, and well deserving of 

 notice, more especially if hybridising be attempted, for it is 

 likely to impart a useful colour to the progeny. 



Sini/le Yellow of a deeper tint than the ivild Primrose. — I have 

 not been able to make much of this, and therefore cannot say 

 anything of it ; only if it could be made to grow as freely as 

 the first two named it would be an acquisition, as its flowers 

 are of a fine golden colour, but I fear it is miffy. 



Single Primroses of Other Tints. — As there is no limit to the 

 colours that possibly may be obtained by seed, I need only 

 say that promising seedlings with violet, crimson, magenta, 

 and other coloured flowers are now and then met with, with a 

 bluish-tinted hlac, the latter, no doubt, destined to be the 

 parent of a better class of blues. Mr. Divers, gardener at 

 Wierton, near Maidstone, has many promising seedhngs, and 

 has for years practised fertilising this family with the Poly- 

 anthus, CowsUp, and wild Primrose, and his seedlings at flow- 

 ering time are intoresting, and doubtless will hereafter be 

 found valuable. 



OxUp or Hose-in-Hose Primrnse.—l am only acquainted with 

 the yellow form of this, and it is exceedingly handsome, the 

 flower-stems being as long and as robust as the strongest- 

 growing Polyanthus, and the distinction between the two flow- 



