84 THE FLOWER GARDEN COMPANION. 



that this variety requires shade, to grow it to perfection, in a 

 cultivated state. 



The Polyanthus which is an improved variety of the 

 English Primrose, and has been brought to that state of per- 

 fection as to render it a florist flower, differs from the Pri- 

 mula by forming a truss, or number of flowers, on one stem, 

 and hence the name Polyanthus. Florists decide on the per- 

 fection of this flower, by its having a strong and uniform stem, 

 which ought to be elastic and erect, showing the truss of 

 flowers well above the leaves of the plants. The footstalk 

 should be stiff, and of a proportionate size to the pips or 

 flowers, which should be five or more in number, that the 

 truss be close and compact. The pipe, tube, or inner part of 

 the petal, should rise above the impalement, be short, and 

 finish fluted in the eye; the antherse should cover the neck 

 of the tube ; this is the rose eye ; and what florists call a 

 thrum eye. When the style shows its stigma in the tube, 

 above the antherse, resembling a pin's head, it is then called 

 SL pin eye, and the flower is rejected. 



The tube should be round, of a bright yellow color, well 

 filled with anthers, bold and distinct. The eye should be 

 round, of a bright clear yellow, and distinct from the ground 

 or body color. The ground, or body color, should be of a 

 dark rich color, resembling velvet, and clear from spot or 

 blemish. The pips should be large, and of rich lively colors, 

 nearly all of one size, lie quite flat in the centre, and be as 

 free as possible from ridges or fluting, and as round as pos- 

 sible, to preserve their peculiar beautiful form, which is 

 circular, or wheel-shaped, excepting those small indentations 

 between each division of the limb, which divides it into five or 

 six heart-shaped segments. The edging, or lacing, should be 

 of a bright yellow, of the same color as the eye, and go per- 

 fectly round each petal, also, down the centre of each division 

 of the limb to the eye ; it should also be of an equal breadth 

 on each petal. 



Culture. The Polyanthus and Auricula require the same 



