January The Passing of Winter 



Hardy Primulas. During recent years some very 

 beautiful hardy Primulas have been introduced, chiefly 

 from Western China, and now this genus is of the 

 greatest value from the gardener's point of view. 

 ^Fortunately most hardy Primulas are easy to grow 

 from seed, and everyone should give them a trial. If 

 seeds are sown now in the greenhouse or frame, or in 

 pots out of doors in April, the seedlings will have 

 become sturdy little plants by the autumn, and may 

 then be planted out where, during the following and 

 subsequent years, they are to bloom. All those to be 

 named will thrive in a somewhat shaded position, and 

 a compost of loam, leaf soil, and sand is suitable, though 

 for such as denticulata, cashmiriana, and frondosa 

 ordinary loamy soil will do. One of the most distinct 

 of these hardy Primulas is littoniana ; the flower 

 clusters towards the top of the stem are reddish at 

 first and finally purple, and the association of these 

 two shades produces a bizarre and striking effect. A 

 packet of mixed seeds of the Japanese Primrose (Primula 

 japonica) will yield flowers in many and various shades 

 of colour, from white to crimson ; Primula pulverulenta 

 is a closely allied form distinguished by white, mealy 

 stems ; both are remarkably handsome and are well 

 suited to a shady border of loamy or peaty soil. Primula 

 frondosa is a vigorous form of the bird's-eye Primrose 

 (Primula fariiiosa) itself not nearly so satisfactory 

 from the cultivator's point of view that will thrive 

 in moist soil in sunshine or shade ; it is a dainty plant 

 with whitish leaves and rose-coloured blooms. Primula 

 Forresti is a vigorous, yellow-blossomed sort. Primula 

 Beesiana, too, is of strong growth, and bears tall, erect 

 racemes of crimson purple flowers. Primula Bulleyana 

 is very fine, a tall, vigorous plant resembling Primula 

 japonica in growth and bearing orange-coloured blooms. 

 Others that present no difficulty to the amateur are 

 rosea, an exquisite Himalayan Primula with intense 



