The Gardener's New Director. 251 



Primrofe. 



THE next flower I propbfe to treat of, is the Prim- 

 rofe. Of this there are two forts ; firft. the Prim- 

 rofey botanically called. Primula vens ; which has but 

 one flower, on a fmall fiender ftalk, unable often to fnp- 

 port itfelf. The other, the Polyr.nibus Primrofe, which 

 bears many flowers upon one large crt£t ll:alk ; it is call- 

 ed, Primula veris Polyantbos, becaufe of its having many 

 flowers upon one flalk. 



The varieties which are ohJained every year by the 

 porifls, who fave and fow their feeds, are very great, 

 and fome incomparable beauties happen often to reward 

 the trouble of fowing and cultivating them. As in this 

 article I have had great fuccefs, I fhall here give my 

 method of treating them, from the fowing, until they 

 flower. 



I gathered the feed from the mcfi: vigorous plants, 

 fuch as appeared well, and had the greateft number of 

 flowers upon one fl:em, obferving to water them very 

 often in dry weather, from the time that the flower fad- 

 ed, until they were quite ripe, which is generally about 

 the 25th of June-^ when their feed-veffels appear brov/n, 

 and ready to burfl:, and the feed falling from the huik, 

 they are to be looked over every day, that as little feed 

 as poflible may be loft. 



As foon as the feed is gathered, which is by pulling 

 off the bells that contain it, they are to be put into 

 fmall paper bags, for the more conveniently drying ; 

 when you are to have ready fome boxes, of a fix^ to 

 your pleafiire, but they muft be eight inches in the 

 clear ; to be filled with the following comport : To one 

 load of well-rotted cow-dung, or lea\'es of trees, take 

 half a load of fine white fand, and two of a fine hnzely 

 loam, taken from a paflure fome months before, and 

 ■which has had the grafs fward, or upper part, rotted 

 amongft the earth ; mix all well together, and fill your 

 boxes to the brim, or very near it, with this comport ; 

 then fliake the boxes, to make the eanli fettle, obferv- 



S 4 \ng 



