PRIMULA ST ELL AT A. 



Frimula stellata is another ad- 

 dition to our collection of prim- 

 roses It grows somewhat in the 

 style of the Baby primrose, but 

 the flowers are about three quarters of 

 an inch in diameter, and flower stalks 

 are about twenty inches high, very full 

 of bloom. The flowers are white, pink 

 and purple. 



Fraser says of it in Amercan Garden- 

 ing : " The culture is the same as for 

 the Chinese primrose : Sow the seeds 

 in March and when up keep near the 

 light as they are liable to draw and be 

 spindly, as the leaf stalks are not so 

 strong as in the regular Chinese sorts. 

 A six inch pot, well drained, is large 

 enough to flower in ; or, what is better, 

 a six-inch fern pan. I have grown all 

 my primulas in these pans of late years 

 and find them much better than pots, 

 as when the plants are full grown the 

 leaves hide the sides altogether, making 

 them nice for room decoration. 



Fig.* 1624. —Inflorescence of P. Stellata. 



Plow deep ! 

 Sow not thy precious seeds 

 Among the scarce uprooted weeds, 



Or thou shalt weep 

 To find thy crops all choked and dead, 

 And nought but thorns and tares instead. 



Then plow down deep, 

 The promise ringing in thy ears 

 That those who sow their seeds in tears 



In joy shall reap. 



— A. G. Evans. 



STRIKING CUTTINGS. 



We are too apt to select short cut- 

 tings for the' best success. I have found 

 those of sufficient length to bury two 

 buds or even more, allowing about three 

 to remain above the soil is best. The 

 decay of the leaves that absorb moisture 

 may be prevented by stirring, or by a 



porous soil. I failed in every attempt to 

 root carnations and roses, until I tried 

 this experiment, advised by some gar- 

 dener along in the seventies. The 

 water process does not give the satisfac- 

 tion of this method. For geraniums 

 almost any method works. They grow 

 as easily as cabbages. 



M. A. H. 



275 



