NAT. ORDER. PRIMULACE^. 31 



the calyx is one-third of the lengtli of the tube of the corolla, bell- 

 shaped, toothed, mealy, also the scape ; the tube of the corolla 

 gradually widening upwards, not contracted at the neck ; the border 

 concave ; the segments emarginate, but not deeply, being cut only 

 partly to the neck ; the most common colors are yellow and red, but 

 it is sometimes found purple variegated, with a white eye powdered 

 with meal ; capsule spherical or nearly so, a little flat at the top, and 

 sprinkled with meal. It is a native of the mountains of Switzerland 

 and Austria, and flowers in April and May. 



Propagation and Culture. These beautiful plants are raised 

 without much difficulty, by proper care and management with respect 

 to the parting of the roots, and the planting them out in their due 

 season ; they succeed best in a strong soil, and some of them, as the 

 Primrose kinds, in a shady situation. 



Cultivation in the Polyanthus kinds. These are all capable of 

 being increased by seed, and the parting of the roots, the former 

 being the only method for obtaining new varieties, or a large supply 

 of plants. The seeds should be collected from such flowers as have 

 large upright stems, and which produce a large number of flowers 

 upon the stalk, being large, beautifully striped, open, flat, and not 

 pin-eyed, as from such seed a great variety of desirable sorts may 

 be expected ; care should be taken, however, that no bad or common 

 flowers stand near them, as they will be apt to debase them, by the 

 admixture of their farina. 



The seeds should be sown in boxes or large pots filled with 

 light rich mould. The proper season for this business is in the 

 autumn or the early part of spring ; but the former is the better, as 

 by sowing then the plants come up well the same year, and are 

 strong and fit to plant out the following spring, and are also fine 

 plants for flowering the second season. In the first season the sow- 

 ing should be performed as soon as possible after the seed becomes 

 well ripened, though some advise December as a good time ; but 

 when in the later, or the spring season, it may be done in February, 



