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HENDERSON'S HANDBOOK OF PLANTS. 



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ula. Parkinson, in 1629, enumerates twenty va- 

 rieties, which he says were the best, though 

 " many other varieties were to be found with 

 those who are curious conservers of these de- 

 lights of nature." The Alpine Auriculas, though 

 hardy in Britain, will not, however, endure the 

 rigor of our winters without protection, and as 

 much care is needed to protect them against the 

 sun as the cold. For out-of-door culture, they 

 should be planted in a rich, heavy soil on the 

 north side of a house, where there is but little 

 or no sun. On the approach of severe weather, 

 say December 1st, cover the plants with an in- 

 verted sod. With this care we have seen a large 

 bed, planted for more than thirty years, that 

 has never failed of producing enormous crops 

 of flowers, in every variety and shade of color 

 known to the species. Notwithstanding they 

 may be grown easily in this manner, the florists 

 usually grow them in pots in cold pits or in 

 the green-house kept cold, in somewhat near 

 the same manner as the Chinese Primrose, in 

 order that they may be better able to control 

 them, and protect by frames from storms, that 

 destroy the powdery bloom upon the surface of 

 the flower, its greatest feature of beauty; and also 

 to enhance its commercial value. The Auricula 

 is propagated by division of the root, or by cut- 

 ting off slips with a portion of the root attached ; 

 but a still better plan is to sow seeds in March, 

 which make fine flowering plants the next sea- 

 son. We use this method exclusively. The 

 Polyanthus, Primula vulgaris, is pretty generally 

 distributed throughout Europe. There are a 

 great number of varieties, from a delicate straw 

 color to dark maroon and pure white, with an 

 endless variety of shades and markings. The 

 species is perfectly hardy, and grows freely in j 

 garden soil, either in the shade or in exposed | 

 situations. Propagated by division or by seeds ! 

 sown in March. P. prcunitens or Sinensis, and i 

 its varieties, are extensively grown as plants for 

 pot-culture for the sitting-room or the green- I 

 house, as well as for use in winter for cut flow- i 

 ers. To get strong plants it is best to sow the ! 

 seeds about March or April; the English plan of 

 sowing in July or August will not answer well 

 in our hot, dry climate. The seeds should be 

 sown in shallow boxes, which may be two inches i 

 or so in depth; the soil used may be good fri- 

 able loam, which should be sifted fine and press- | 

 ed down nicely with a smooth board, so that it 

 is perfectly level; on this smooth level surface 

 of soil sow the seeds thickly, and press them 

 down into the soil, which will sink them level 

 with the smooth surface. Next take sphagnum ! 

 moss (dry refuse hops or leaf mould will also i 

 do, but moss is best) and rub it through a ! 

 sieve as fine as musquito-wire, and sift this pul- 

 verized moss over the seed just thick enough to , 

 cover the seeds up, which will be something ' 

 about the one-sixteenth part of an inch. This 

 covering is light, and, at the same time, its 

 spongy character keeps the seeds in the neces- 

 sary condition of moisture for germination. We 

 have found that this methocf for the sprout- 

 ing of all seeds that are difficult of germination 

 is excellent, so that if the seeds have any vital- 

 ity whatever, germination is certain. After the 

 Primulas have started to a full development of 

 the seed leaf, they are " pricked off" in the same 

 sort of shallow box that the seeds were started 

 in, at a distance of half an inch or so apart. If 

 this is not promptly done there is great danger 

 of the young plants being attacked by a species 



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of fungus, which is quickly fatal. In from 

 four to six weeks after the young Primulas 

 have been growing in these boxes they will be 

 of sufficient size to be placed in two and a half 

 inch pots; and by about this time the weather 

 will have become warm, and the plants should 

 be placed in the coolest place to be obtained 

 with partial shade. If the plants will remain 

 without shifting until September, do not shift 

 them, as our experience has shown that they 

 keep best through the hot summer months if 

 rather cramped for pot room. As soon as cool 

 weather conies in fall they begin to grow rapidly, 

 and if judiciously shifted into larger pots as the 

 balls become filled with roots, they will make 

 beautiful plants, from twelve to eighteen inches 

 in diameter, which will flower in profusion from 

 November to May. Although the double varie- 

 ties are also raised from seed, yet, like nearly all 

 double flowers, quite a proportion of the seed 

 saved from double flowers will come single; and 

 though many fine double flowers are thus pro- 

 duced, yet exact types can never be depended 

 on from seed, so that, as a rule, the double 

 kinds, particularly the Double White, which is 

 the kind most valued for winter flowers, are 

 grown exclusively from cuttings or by division. 

 This variety has a tendency to break into from 

 six to twelve crowns or shoots, and the simplest 

 way to divide these up is to fill up to the lower 

 leaves with moss, which quickly induces the 

 crowns or shoots to root into it, and when thus 

 well-rooted, the plant is pulled apart, and each 

 shoot or crown separately potted. This moss- 

 ing process for division may be done at any sea- 

 son, but it is safest during the spring or fall 

 months: say during April and May in spring, or 

 September and October in the fall. As the 

 Primrose is at all times impatient of heat and 

 disturbance of the roots, this division of the 

 plant had better be avoided during hot weather. 

 The first Double White Primrose was originated 

 by John Henderson, now of Flushing, L. I., but 

 of London in 1836, when the Double White was 

 raised. Mr. Henderson has furnished us the 

 following brief but interesting particulars in re- 

 gard to its origin: "I raised the Double White 

 Chinese Primrose in 1836, and exhibited it at 

 the Horticultural Society of London in Janu- 

 ary, 1837, and was awarded the Silver Banksian 

 Medal for it. It was raised in this way: In the 

 winter of 1835-6 we had a fine strain of fimbri- 

 ated Primulas ; and in order to preserve the 

 stock true, I selected the finest, and placed on a 

 shelf near the glass, and during the flowering 

 season constantly impregnated the flowers. The 

 seeds were sown in June, and among the seed- 

 lings were about eighteen plants that came with 

 double flowers, both purple and white, some 

 plain-edged, others fimbriated. The one select- 

 ed as the best is that still in cultivation, and 

 known as the Double White." A double purple, 

 in the same style as the white, was also raised by 

 Mr. Henderson, and is still grown. The Japan 

 Primrose, Primula Japonica, is a noble species of 

 recent introduction, bearing flowers of a deep 

 crimson rose, arranged in from three to six 

 whorls, of many flowers each, on a strong, 

 straight stem from one to two feet high. This 

 plant is a favorite in England, but is worthless 

 in our dry, hot climate. Of the genus J'rimul'i 

 this country furnishes but few species, and they 

 are of little interest to its flora. Dr. C. C. Parry 

 found a beautiful low-growing species in the 

 Rocky Mountains, with purple and yellow flow- 



