238 wmnow gardening. 



great advantage which the Primrose possesses over most winter flowering plants 

 is that it is rarely ever infested with green fly or other troublesome pests. 

 Primroses are propagated mainly by cuttings and seeds. Cuttings taken from the 

 side shoots in April will make vigorous plants by autumn. From June to Octo- 

 ber they should be kept from the hot sun, in a shady location, with but little 

 water. The soil should be largely composed of leaf mould. 



The single varieties are largely grown from seed which should be sown in April 

 or May, under a square of glass ; when four or five leaves are developed, plant 

 in small thumb pots, and shade for two or three days. During the summer 

 keep the pots in a shady location, but in the winter the nearer they are to the 

 glass the better and briij^hter will they flower. 



If any unusually fine flowers reward your care, they can be increased b}"- cut- 

 tings. The Primrose is a perennial ; the seed is usually sold in mixed colors, 

 but they can be recognized nearly as soon as the leaves appear, by the color of 

 the stems. No plant flowers more profusely, and sometimes five hundred florets 

 are gathered from one plant. 



* The Pansy. 



The Pansy never blooms so well as when the plant is small and well rooted, 

 for as it increases in size the blossoms become smaller, and, although abundant, 

 inferior. They can be cut back after spring flowering, and all the buds kept off* 

 until December, then they will bloom for the whole winter. If planted in boxes 

 in a conservatory or window, they make a fine show; indeed, there are few 

 plants more desirable for window gardening. 



They are most easily raised from seed, and it is well to purchase the most ex- 

 pensive varieties, so as to be certain of the finest flowers. 



Cuttings strike quickly, and are more sure of fine flowers, as they always re- 

 produce the parent plant. They should be cut about three inches long, and taken 

 from the points of the shoots, and cut off" directly under the joint. Strip ofl'the 

 lower leaves, and insert them in saucers of wet sand, pressing it closely around 

 the joint. Keep tumblers over them, and in six weeks they will be well rooted 

 and ready to transplant into small pots filled with the richest compost. 



Pansies are gross feeders, delighting in the richest soil you can prepare ; in 

 rotten tanbark, leaf manure, and cow manure, equal parts, they will bloom mag- 

 nificently. 



No plant is better adapted to house culture, as they can bear changes of atmos- 

 phere, and a good deal of water, while their bright faces are very attractive in 

 the gloomy wintry days. 



They can be increased by dividing the roots, and keeping them in the shadt- 

 for a week or ten days. If the amateur desires to save seed from her plants, 

 she should select the largest, brightest flowers, and cut off all other buds and 

 blossoms. As the seed pod matures it can be tied up in gauze to prevent tlip 

 seed from scattering, and when fully ripe, can be planted directly in sandy h^r. 

 When the seedlings flower those .should be rejected that are not very handsome. 



