I 



i68 ALPINE FLOWERS AND ROCK GARDENS. 



flower-lover can well afford to pass it over, but he may 

 like to grow some of the beautiful varieties of it which 

 are now available. There are both single and double. 

 Two of the former class are Harbinger, white ; and 

 Miss Massey, crimson. 



Of doubles, there are alba flore pleno, white ; Croussei 

 plena, purple or plum, edged white ; lilacina plena, 

 double lilac ; Cloth of Gold or lutea flore pleno, double 

 yellow ; rubra plena, double red ; and several others. 

 These are best propagated by division. Many flower 

 lovers will not care to grow the coloured Primroses 

 under names, but will prefer to raise a stock of plants 

 from seed of the splendid mixed strains which seedsmen 

 offer, and increase any special sorts that come in them 

 by division. Any selected variety thus procured may 

 be grown in the rock garden, but it is common to 

 make spring beds of the best mixtures. While these 

 beautiful hardy coloured Primroses luxuriate in a 

 moist soil and in a cool position they will grow well 

 on poor chalky ground if given water in dry weather. 

 Primula acaulis forms the subject of one of the coloured 

 plates. 



Aupcula is the yellow Alpine parent of the plants 

 which we grow under the generic name of Auriculas. 

 All Auriculas are Primulas. To deal with the culture 

 and varieties of florists* Auriculas would be outside 

 our present scope. They are a florists' flower, culti- 

 vated in pots in frames. But attention must be 

 called to the border Auriculas, which are well worthy 

 of being grown in spring beds with the best of the 

 Primroses. Beautiful lemon and pale yellow shades 



