GENERAL REVIEW. 



sown on raised nursery beds in the spring in the open air (see 

 Auricula). Desirable seminal varieties or hybrids are only to 

 be multiplied by careful division, or by taking off the lateral 

 side-growths as cuttings. There is a wide field in this genus 

 for the intelligent hybridist, seeing that all the beautiful Indian, 

 Chinese, and Japanese species are quite as amenable to cultu- 

 ral skill as our native species, such as C. (acaulis) vulgaris, 

 C. veris, and C. elatior, whence the lovely crimson, purple, 

 maroon, golden, rose, lilac, and yellow varieties, not forgetting 

 the gold-laced forms and double varieties, have originated. 

 How or when the change was brought about we do not know 

 with any degree of certainty; but Parkinson (1629) and other 

 ancient florists speak admiringly and describe numerous forms 

 of Polyanthus and Auriculas, or " Bear's Ears," as they were 

 popularly termed by the older florists. Among the species 

 suited for hybridising are P. japonica, P. (Sieboldii) cortusoides 

 and its varieties, P. Parryi, P. sinensis, P. verticillata, P. pul- 

 cherrima (Backhouse), P. sikkimmensis, and many other of the 

 finer oriental species and forms. 



Mr J. Anderson-Henry has attempted the hybridisation of 

 several species of Primula ; but he was singularly unfortunate, 

 scarcely a single perfect seed having been obtained. Col. 

 Trevor Clarke, another skilful and intelligent hybridist, has 

 also made experiments with this genus, the results of which 

 were not encouraging. Some of the Indian species such as 

 P. sikkimmensis, P. Stuartii, and others seed very freely in 

 their native habitats : indeed, nearly all the species produce a 

 copious supply of fertile seeds ; and several white, lilac, and 

 rosy varieties of P. japonica, P. cortusoides, and P. sinensis 

 have been raised in our gardens. It would be interesting to 

 attempt the hybridisation of the whorl-flowered species, such 

 as P. verticillata, P. japonica, and 1 . sinensis, which shows an 

 inclination to become whorled in some of its forms : or is the 

 plant a hybrid obtained by the Chinese gardeners ? 



Primula intermedia is a garden hybrid with the habit of an 

 Auricula. It is the result of a cross effected between P. ciliata 

 and P. minima (see ' L'lllustration Horticole,' t. 482). 



Primroses of the P. vulgaris section have been much im- 

 proved of late years by Mr R. Dean of Ealing, who set to work 

 with P. vulgaris auriculaflora, a beautiful old variety of a rich 

 maroon - crimson colour; and from seedlings of this variety 

 crossed with each other, such forms as Rosy Morn, Violet 

 Gem, Violacea, Splendour, and others, have been produced, 

 and are characterised by large, rich, smooth-petalled flowers, 

 having a bright golden centre. 



