PRIMROSE FAMILY. 215 



flower of the former. I have never seen either of the lat- 

 ter sport in colors in the fields, but have by cultivation ; 

 their colors, even then, are dingy, and, I think, are no im- 

 provement on their natural hues. Primroses have the 

 ascendency in that particular, for we see them yellow, 

 white, red, crimson, and carmine ; there are also the dou- 

 ble yellow, white, dingy white, lilac, crimson, and car- 

 mine, all of which are magnificent. The double are 

 styled by botanists, monsters, being a sport of nature ; but 

 it strikes me if nature would sport more among her boun- 

 teous gifts in the flower department, we should feel grateful 

 for such monsters. 



The Primrose family can be easily propagated, by divid- 

 ing the roots in the spring, or fall. It must not be done 

 with a knife, but with the fingers, or with the end of a 

 budding knife of ivory or bone ; when divided, pot each 

 part that has root fibres, give them a gentle watering, and 

 set them in the shade. To propagate from seed, it will be 

 necessary to sow them in February, in a box or pan, with 

 a compost that will retain moisture; cover the seeds lightly, 

 and in six weeks they will be up ; be careful and not let 

 the sun shine on them after nine in the morning, or you 

 may lose the plants. The Primrose is considered hardy, 

 and is really so after the first season in this country. In 

 the summer this plant, like the Potyanthus, is subject to 

 be injured by the red spider. This insect can be easily 

 destroyed by soap suds, made of whale oil soap ; but so 

 long as you can keep the plants in a healthy, growing 

 state, there is no danger from them. The saccharine mat- 

 ter contained in the leaves, affords them nourishment as 

 the summer advances, which must be checked by water 



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