316 THE PRINCIPLES OF FLORICULTURE 



stellata; Forbesii; obconica; malacoides; kewensis. Out- 

 door : Auricula; japonica; cortusoides; Polyantha; vul- 

 garis (Fig. 34). 



471. Botanical characters. This group of plants is 

 especially good for home use, as the species are easy of 

 culture and good for outdoor gardening as well as indoor. 

 They are cool-loving plants and are especially attractive 

 when in flower. Their season of bloom is long when grown 

 in the greenhouse. They embrace a wide range of colors, 

 especially in the species sinensis and Polyantha. 



Sinensis has been crossed and recrossed, the result being 

 many excellent strains. The flowers are showy, being pink, 

 lilac, purple, yellow, red and white. The plants are natu- 

 rally low herbs in their character of growth, with many 

 radical roots springing from near the base of the stem. 

 The flower-clusters rise from near the center of the plant, 

 and bear many flowers in whorls. 



Habitat. Primroses are natives of the North Temper- 

 ate zone; they are mostly Alpine plants of the colder 

 sections. Most of the indoor species are of Chinese origin. 



472. Propagation. Propagation is mostly from seeds, 

 which if sown in February and March furnish large plants 

 for flowering the next winter. It is wise to buy the best 

 strain of seeds, and they should be soaked for a few hours 

 before sowing. 



Always use clean pans, and place in the bottom a few 

 pieces of broken crock. Cover this to within one-half inch 

 of the top with finely sifted garden loam. The soil should 

 be uniform in density and not too compact. The seeds 

 are sown evenly and thinly, then pressed into the soil and 

 covered lightly with a mixture of one-half finely sifted loam 

 and one-half sand. They should be watered slowly, but 

 thoroughly, with a bulb spray. The pan should be covered 



