S04 



JOtTENAL OP HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE QABDENER. 



I Octobfr H, ISeS. 



TriBtan d'Acnnha, the mountains of N«w Zealand and Tai- 

 mania. and follows the Andes from Cape Horn to Naw Qrenada., 

 —{Ibid., t. 6799.) 



BioNONii pcRPCREA (Porple-flowersd BIgnonia). Nil. ord., 

 BignoniaceiD. Linn., Did;namia Angiospermia. — A masni- 

 fioent stove climber, native of Sonlh America, i'lowera lilai- 

 striped witb darker lilac.— (TJid., t. 5800.) 



CoTTi.KnoN Salzmanni (Salzmann's Cotyledon). iJat. ord., 

 Crassnlact';o. /.i>in.,OeoaadriaPentagjnia. — Native of Tangiera. 

 A most beautiful rock plant. "A maei of brilliant golden 

 blossoms relieved by red brown spots." Foliage brilliant green 

 with crimson tips. — (Ibid., t. 5801.) 



DiANTiius NEGLECirs AND Alpincs— " DianthoB negleetui is 

 one of the loveliest of the Diiinthus family. It combines the 

 dwarf sturdy character and fine form of the handsome but rather 

 faetidious Alpine Pink, with the vigorous constitution of tha 

 common or the Maiden Pink, and forms tufU which reiambl* 

 short wiry grass. The leaves are slightly glanooui, eonoave, 

 pointed, and, except in Vigoroua specimens, from half an inch 

 to an inch long, the lower ones on the stems being somewhat 

 longer. The llower-stems rise from 1 to 4 inches high, accord- 

 ing to the position and soil in which the plants are grown, are 

 freely produced, and each bears a solitary flower, or rarely two, 

 about an inch, or, in vigorous spocimeni, IJ inch across, and 

 of the purest, deepest, and most brilliant rose, the petaU being 

 quite level and firm-looking, with the outer margins slightly 

 notched. In a wild state, and in poor sandy earth on well 

 exposed rookwork, specimens may be seen in perfest bloom 

 and robust heallli at IJ inch high, and even less ; but at lower 

 altitudes and in a dec^jer soil, it is sometimes to be found 

 3, 4, or 5 inches high. In rich deep sandy soil in gardens it 

 will also attain this height, or a little more, perhaps at some 

 slight loss of neatness and compactness. It is surpassed by 

 no Alpine plant in vividness and purity of colour. It is so 

 dwarf in habit, and has flowers so large, that tntts of it might 

 at first sight be taken for the Alpine Pink, Dianthus alpinui, 

 but its narrow and sharply-pointed grass-like leaves immediately 

 distinguish it from that species. The colour is also more vivid 

 than in D. alpinus. It is happily very easily grown, unlike 

 some of the other .Alpine Dianthuses, flourishing freely in very 

 sandy loam, either in pots or on rockwork. It roots through 

 the bottoms of tho pots as freely as any weed, is perfectly hardy, 

 and a very gem either for chinks or level spots on rockwork, im 

 all parts of these islands. The fact that it is so very free 

 renders it useful for the front margins of mixed borders in flue 

 sandy soil, but when planted thus, it should bo surrounded by 

 a few stones half plunged in the ground, to prevent evaporation 

 and guard it from injury. It is a native of the highest A]p« of 

 Dauphiny and the Pyrenees, Switzerland, and Italy, and is easily 

 increased by division, and by seed. It was introduced to cultiva- 

 tion by Messrs. Backhouse, of York." — (Florist and Pomolouiit, 

 3 s. ii. 21T.) 



NOTES ON PRIMULAS. 



Primtila. — This is a very beautiful and interesting group of 

 hardy bordor and rock plants, which in bygone yecri was muth 

 admired and extensively cultivated in this country, but latterly 

 it has been entirely neglected, at least in the gardens of tlia 

 rich. It is rather astonishing that it should Be so ; Primulas 

 are so fragrant, so beautiful in colouring, and so neat in habit; 

 and the majority of the species, flowering as they do in spring 

 and early summer, present a character so desirable, that ou» 

 ■would think lovers of flowers, whether professional or amateur, 

 could not easily forget or forego it. There are signs, however, of 

 the old love being taken up again. Some beautiful varieties of 

 the Cowslip and Primrose are found very useful in the spring 

 flower garden, for which they are very fit; and the catalogues 

 of florists and seedsmen aro swelling with new species and va- 

 rieties, in addition to many old and well-known sorts. 



The majority of Primulas are very accommodating in cul- 

 tivation, aviapiing themselves to many kinds of soils and situ- 

 ations, but are most at home in sandy loams, deep and moist, 

 but well drained, and in moderately shady positions. Tliey 

 are easily propagated by seeds, cuttings, and division, the hit 

 being the simplest and easiest process where large increaj* ii 

 not an object. In laying in first stock, seed is the best and 

 cheapest way in the case of the varieties of P. Auricula, Prim- 

 rose, and Polyanlhu=, unless fine named sorts are wanted, when 

 they must, of course, be purchased in plants, and by name, the 

 same as nith other florists' flowers ; and the finer and more 

 rare species must be got in the same way, because seeds of 



these art not always procurable true in this country. For • 

 •onple of months or more after sowing, the plants do not r»- 

 f niro much room, and are liable to be destroyed by slug! and 

 ' other pests, whilst in the tender seedling state. A cold frame, 

 hand-lights, or glasses, should therefore, if possible, be devoted 

 to them, in which they will be more easily guarded against all 

 enemies than if they were in the open ground. If many torU 

 are to be sown, small pots should be used to sow in, and tbey 

 ihould be plunged in sand or coal ashes. The soil should be 

 sandy loam, peat, and well-decayed leaf mould, in equal pro- 

 portions, with plenty of sharp sand to keep the whole sweet 

 and open. Sow thinly, and keep the soil regularly moist tiU 

 the plants appear, when caution in watering nill require to be 

 exercised to prevent damping, to which Primulas are all rather 

 liable in their first stages from seed. As soon as the plants are 

 big enough to handle, ihey must be pricked-ont thinly in pans, 

 pots, or boxes, and returned to the frame, or set in a shady, 

 warm, sheltered place, and well attended to with water, taking 

 ears, however, not to allow the soil to become stagnant with too 

 frequent waterings, which would very soon be followed by sick- 

 ness and death to the plants. 



Primulas delight in moisture in the growing season; bnt a 

 {ood sound watering at intervals, not daily dribblets or sprink- 

 lings, is what they want. When the plants have made snffi- 

 eient roots and bulk of leaves they may be transferred to theii 

 permanent quarters, and well watered after planting, when they 

 will need little more attention for the season beyond keeping 

 them clean. It the seeds are sown in the end of March, the 

 plants, treated as above directed, will bloom the following 

 spring. In the case of getting up large quantities of Primroses 

 and Polyanthuses, for the purpose of planting out in woods 

 and such-like places, the foregoing directions would be troable- 

 some and expensive, as these are only meant for the more Tain- 

 able and rare species and varieties. The common varieties are 

 best sown on a warm border in the beginning of April, in beds, 

 broadcast or in drills, and, when fit to handle, planted-ont in 

 nursing lines in rich soil well manured with old hotbed dnng. 

 Cuttings are best put in in spring, when growth has fairly 

 begun ; the same soil as recommended for seeds is suitable for 

 cuttings. Division should be dono first after flowering is oyer, 

 unless large increase of particular sorts shonld be desired, or 

 when the plant is very weak, and would obviously be invigorated 

 by being divided immediately before flowering commences ; in 

 such cases everything shonld be done to prolong the growing 

 period, and all flowers removed as soon as they can be got 

 hold of. 



Under the name P. veris, Linnteus included the three forma 

 of Primula most common in this country — the Primrose, P. Tnl- 

 faris ; the Oilip, P. elatior; and the Cowslip, P. veris of 

 modern botaniats, being considered by him essentially the 

 same for the purposes of science. But to gardeners and florists 

 it ii convenient te distinguish between the three forms, which 

 are v7ell marked and pretty constant in cultivation, at least, 

 P. veriF, the Cowslip. The common flowerstalk in this form 

 rises considerably above the leaves, supporting an cmbel of 

 flowers ; and iu the single varieties, the corolla is small and 

 eup-shaped, features that are lost sight of in the double ra- 

 rieties, or florists' Polyanthuses. From this form there are 

 many varieties, some of which are most beautiful in their 

 season, and worthy a place among choice plants. The com- 

 moner single sorts are suitable for planting in woods, and on 

 banks, and about the edges of masses of shiubs. 



P. rulgarit. — The Primrose is distincuished from the Cowslip 

 by the flowerstalks having the appearance of springing directly 

 from the root, and bearing each only one (lower; there is, 

 however, a common footstalk so short as to be concealed by the 

 leaves. The corolla in the Primrose is larger than that of the 

 Cowslip, and flat. There are many very interesting and bean- 

 liful varieties of Primrose, both tingle and double; the single 

 varieties need not be enumerated, but are very useful for plant- 

 ing out in clumps or patches, as recommended for the »om- 

 moner forms of Cowslip. The best of the double varieties are 

 the flesh-coloured, the white, the sulphur, the lilac, the red, 

 the coppery, and the dark purple ; the last three are rare, and 

 diflicult to" procure. All are invaluable for the .spring flower 

 garden, for rockwork, and for many other purposes in the 

 kitchen and fruit gardens. 



In P. elaiior, the Oilip, the common flowerstalk is generally 

 shorter and stouter than that of the Cowslip, but is variable in 

 length and strength ; always, however, showing the umbel abore 

 the foliage, and the corolla is broader and flatter than that of 

 the Cowslip. This is the least constant form of the three, and 



