436 REPORT OF THE CONFERENCE ON GENETICS. 
anthers are placed down in the tube, with the stigma protruding, no florist 
worthy of the name would allow such a variety any space in his garden. 
The anthers ought to fill the tube, with the stigma well down and invisible. 
The origin of the garden auriculas was fully discussed twenty years ago at 
a conference on the genus Primula held under the auspices of the Royal 
Horticultural Society, and as showing how difficult the subject is, many 
theories as to the original source of the auriculas were advanced, but no 
facts. The National Auricula Society’s exhibition was held at the same 
time, April 21, 1886, but no hybrids between the Alpine and garden or 
edged auricula were exhibited. Since that time I have raised many 
crosses between the two: they form very good garden plants for border 
culture; the centre is a pale yellow lightly mealed, and the meal extends 
less or more to the margin. 
The auricula has been cultivated in gardens for upwards of 800 
years, and we can trace its gradual improvement to the edged form 
through many years of patient cultivation. Leading botanists took part 
in the 1886 conference, and it was generally agreed that the origin of the 
edged auricula is Primula Auricula, and the origin of the Alpine auricula, 
P. pubescens ; but it has been pretty well proved by evidence obtained 
from specimens found in the Tyrol that P. pubescens is a hybrid between 
P. Auricula and P. hirsuta. The Alpine auricula has not been so long, 
nor can it be said that it has been so carefully, cultivated as the edged 
type. The late Mr. Charles Turner of Slough began the improvement of 
the Alpine auricula about fifty years ago. He had very poor material to 
work upon, but by careful crossing he succeeded in obtaining the type 
of auricula now in cultivation, which, of course, has been greatly improved 
in recent years. The National Auricula and Primula Society’s exhibi- 
tions have done much to stimulate cultivators to improve and grow to 
a high state of perfection these beautiful garden plants. It is pretty well 
known that the Alpine primulas are difficult subjects to cultivate and 
establish in our gardens, and the same difficulty was experienced 
300 years ago. An old author, Clusius, studied the Alpine flora of 
the Austrian and Styrian Alps, and attempted to cultivate the wild 
primulas of those districts; but two only responded to his efforts to 
establish them in his garden. These two were the P. Awricula and 
P. pubescens. I have grown the wild forms of, P. Awricula and varieties 
of it, such as P. Balbiswi. These cross freely with the garden auricula ; 
but no amateur would care to hark back to the original species, either as 
a pollen- or seed-bearer. It would be a most interesting subject for an 
amateur with plenty of spare time to investigate this subject. Some of 
the botanists who took part in the conference suggested that some species 
with purple flowers such as P. venusta might have been the parent of 
the purple, maroon and red-coloured auriculas, some are dark almost black 
selfs, but the edged flowers all have this rich dark ground colour, and it 
was not thought likely that these could be produced from yellow flowers ; 
but we all know how the common primrose has broken into quite as 
many colours as the self auricula, and the cowslips sport into colour - 
quite as freely ; but we have evidence that the dark-coloured auriculas 
have been obtained from the yellow P. Awricula, for I have frequently 
raised seedlings from dark red self-colours of various shades of yellow 
