138 



J0X3KXAL OF HOBTICULTURE AND COTTAGE QARDENEB. 



[ February 2o. 1375. 



which experience shows to be most advantageous to its culture. 

 There is a similar deposit of soil on the west coast, in the 

 neighbourhood of Sonthport and Blackpool, but it is very 

 certain that the excessive rainfall renders it an unsoitable dis- 

 trict for extensive Potato culture. — Edwaed Luckhcbst. 



THE CULTURE OF THE CHINESE PKIMULA. 

 Being requested to communicate my mode of culture of this 

 indispensable winter-flowering plant, I with some hesitation 

 comply, feeling as I do less confidence in writing about the 

 plant than growing it. My plants, which commence to flower 

 in the autumn and continue all through the winter months, 

 are produced as follows : — 



In order to have strong blooming plants early the seed 

 should be sown not later than the second week in April. I 

 procure a clean seed pan and drain it well, and fill with 

 light sandy soil. The surface is made very level by the gentle 

 pressure of a smooth piece of wood. This is watered, and 

 a few hours after the seed is sown thinly and covered verv 

 slightly indeed with the finest of soU. The seed pan is then 

 covered with a square of glass and placed in a gentle bottom 

 heat. The soil is not watered for a few days, or until the 

 surface shows signs of becoming dry, and then the greatest 

 care is exercised, and water fully as warm as the soil is 

 given. The moment the seedlings appear the pan is brought 

 close to the glass, and the glass covering is propped up very 

 slightly, to be increased by degrees until totally dispensed 

 with. As soon as the seedlings can be ha- died they are pricked 

 out in pans of leaf mould and silver sand lA inch apart. 



When the plants grow and touch each other they are potted 

 singly in 3-inch pots, and are kept growing in a genial tempera- 

 ture. When these pots are filled with roots, yet before becom- 

 ing pot-bound, the plants are shifted into 6-inch pots ; these 

 are the blooming pots. The soU for this final shifting is com- 

 posed of good leaf mould three parts and thoroughly decayed 

 manure one part, to be well mixed with sharp sand. " I use no 

 loam, finding the plants flourish much better without it. The 

 plants are stiU grown in gentle heat until they become esta- 

 blished, and by that time the temperature will permit their 

 removal to a cool pit or frame. 



In the summer months they require abundance of air, and 

 are the better for a little shade" in bright weather. It is a good 

 plan to remove the lights entirely on clear nights in summer for 

 the benefit of the dews, which are very refreshing. Through- j 

 ont the season they are watered with great care, and excessive 

 moisture avoided. By this treatment splendid plants are 

 obtained, which will be a mass of bloom in November and 

 continue so for six months. 



I never pinch out the first flower buds, which is a common 

 but mistaken practice ; it is the first and prime source of 

 decay, which often becomes virulent and causes the death of 

 many plants when just reaching perfection. By never pinch- 

 ing out the first blooms I am seldom or never" troubled with 

 this common annoyance or disease. 



If sown earlier than the time named the plants are apt to 

 be coddled and be made tender unless plenty of house room is 

 provided, which is not always the case with those who grow 

 Primulas. My advice, therefore, is not to sow until towards 

 the end of April, and by the time the plants become large and 

 take up much room the cool frames are ready to receive them ; 

 the natural temperature will then permit of their removal 

 without any check, which at all times is most prejudicial. j 



Very early sowing to gain time is often a sure way to lose it, 

 on account of succeeding checks the plants receive, and which [ 

 caimot easily be avoided. By somewhat later sowieg the ' 

 plants have a better opportunity to grow without hindrance, | 

 when they will quickly make up for a few weeks in sprins, 

 which are seemingly lost, but not really so, as they are more < 

 than regained in the end by the healthy vigour of well-con- t 

 atitntioned plants with sturdy foliage and massive trusses of 

 bloom. — J. Chbistie. 



tension of orchards and market gardens in the neighbourhood 

 of towns. For land used by nurserymen for the growth of 

 trees, shrubs, &a., the returns for 1874 show an acreage of 

 9245 for England, 630 for Wales, and 1868 for Scotland. 



GRAPES. 

 As the planting season wUl soon be at hand for the above, 

 I would like to mention three sorts which I find receive but scant 

 favour with some. Mrs. Pince is with me a very fine Grape, 

 and grows large bunches and colours well ; the flavour, too, 

 is excellent. I think the main cause why many do not suc- 

 ceed with it is that they do not give air enough to it. The 

 next is a most delicious Grape, though according to gardeners' 

 notions a bad colour, being a reddish purple ; it is large in 

 berry, thin in skin, and carries a light bloom — I refer to ihe 

 Muscat Champion. The third is the Madresfield Court Mus- 

 cat, smaller than the foregoing, but a really good variety, and 

 is hardy, ripening without heat, and colouring beautifully. I 

 shall plant three more of this. I have pulled up all my Lady 

 Downes' in favour of Mrs. Pince, which I think far superior. 

 — Habeisos Welr, Weirleigh. 



Acres or Oechaees, Ncrseeizs, axd Market Gaedexs. 



In 187-1 the land returned as used also for orchards was 145,622 

 acres in England, 2994 in Wales, and 1910 in Scotland. The 

 separate returns for land used by market gardeners for the 

 growth of vegetables and other garden produce show in 1874 

 an acreage of 34,689 for England, 477 for Wales, and 2741 for 

 Scotland. An increased demand for fruit and vegetables is 

 stated by some of the collecting officers to have led to the ex- 



A VISIT TO MESSRS. VEITCH & SONS' 

 NURSERY, CHELSEA. 

 This is a right rojal establishment in the world of horticul- 

 ture ; replete with home plants of every class and for every 

 purpose, and rich in many rare plants of other lands, it is at 

 all times capable of affording interest to the visitor. For the 

 information of those who may have not jet seen this cele- 

 brated nursery it may be described as a town of glass, having 

 its streets, alleys, by-paths, and squares, conveniently arranged 

 for the well-being and comfort of its inhabitants, both of the 

 floral kingdom and also for the world of humanity. To attempt 

 to enumerate the glass structures would be superfluous, while 

 to describe the contents of each would, considering the space 

 at our disposal, be a sheer impossibility. We therefore confine 

 our notes to a few examples which were the most striking on 

 the day of our visit, beginning with the 



Camellias. — The principal collection of these is arranged in 

 broad borders along each side of a lofty glass structure about 

 100 feet in length. The path between this avenue of Camellias 

 is broad and well suited for promenade, which is in fact a walk 

 of great beauty at the present time. The largest plants are 

 planted-out and established in a soil of peat and loam, the 

 latter apparently predominating. They are in excellent healthy 

 with bright wood and glossy foliage, free alike from dust and 

 insects, jet covered with their thousands of beautiful blooms. 

 Many of these plants are from 8 to 10 feet in height and 6 to 

 8 feet through, well furnished from the ground, growing as 

 freely as Laurels, and blooming as profusely as Roses. There 

 are also some excellently-grown specimens in tubs, and smaller 

 but equally healthy plants in pots. 



The largest-sized bushes consist of the oldest varieties, and 

 many of these, it must be conceded, are not surpassed in 

 quality and effect by newer introductions. The old Alba plena, 

 for instance, is still one of the best, if not altogether so, of 

 the double pure whits varieties. The specimens of this fine 

 old sort tre v<ry teUing. A fine plant is also seen of Fim- 

 briata, with its beautifully serrated petals. In its way this 

 long-established favourite has stiU no eqaal. Amongst the 

 reds Imbrieata still holds its own by its easy growth, free- 

 flowering property, and good quality of its marbled blooms. 

 Mathotiana is not yet stirpassed by its velvety richness ; while 

 the single kinds, as Donckelarii, Congpicua, Tricolor, ifcc, are 

 still as showy as ever, and such sorts as Marchioness of Exeter, 

 Cup of Beauty, and Countess of Orkney will continue to be 

 good when many of their followers, newer varieties, may be 

 heard of no more. The individual blooms of new kinds may 

 be, and undoubtedly are, beautiful, but some of them are of 

 straggling habit, others of weakly growth, and some are shy 

 in blooming, which detracts from their general value. 



The few varieties we will now enumerate as amongst the 

 best seen in flower may be reUed on as possessing generel 

 excellence. Beginning with the whites we make bold to head 

 this list with Alba plena, seconded by fimbriata. Ochro- 

 leuca is a white-flowered of fine build, but old blooms occasion- 

 ally show a yellow eve. Mrs. Cope is a chaste aLd refined 

 flower, and the plant of compact habit; Jenny Liud is a per- 

 fect bloom, mostly of the purest white, smooth, and of fine sub- 



