14 



The Florists^ Review 



May 27, 1920. 



with finely sifted leaf-mold and sand. 

 Or a little sand alone is sifted over 

 the surface. Only enough, covering is 

 needed to conceal the seed from plain 

 view. Then the pans of seed are 

 sprinkled carefully, covered with glass 

 and kept moist and shady. The glass, 

 aiding in the retention of the moisture, 

 reduces the number of necessary water- 

 ings. When the seeds are well ger- 

 minated, the glass is removed. If, be- 

 fore sowing, the seed is soaked in water 

 for a few hours — one grower says twen- 

 ty-four hours — the germination will be 

 more uniform. 



The First Trajisplautings. 



The practice of growers differs con- 

 siderably with reference to the first one 

 or two transplantings of the seedlings. 

 Some growers leave the seedlings un- 

 disturbed for five or six weeks and then 

 transfer them directly from the seed 

 pans to 2-inch pots. After another five 

 or six weeks the little plants are moved 

 to 3-inch pots. One or two more shifts 

 follow, according to the intended size 

 of the flowering pots, which may vary 

 from 4-inch to 6-inch. 



Other growers believe that small flats 

 are preferable to pots for the first trans- 



give the plants a shift whenever they 

 need it, never allowing them to be- 

 come potbound and never checking their 

 development during the period of rapid 

 growth. 



In the successive repottings of the 

 primula, special care is needed in re- 

 gard to the depth of planting. The 

 crown should be even with the soil*. 

 Too deep planting will cause decay. Too 

 shallow planting will result in a tend- 

 ency to wabbling and tipping and may 

 necessitate the use of stakes. The aim 

 should be, without burying the crowns, 

 to pot the plants so they will stand 

 firmly upright. In other words, the base 

 of the plants should rest on the soil, but 

 should not be buried. 



The Soil and the Temperature. 



The compost for the first transplant- 

 ing is about the same as for the seed 

 pans. At each- successive repotting the 

 soil should be slightly heavier and 

 richer. Decayed cow manure and bone 

 meal are the favorite fertilizers for this 

 purpose. For the final potting, one 

 grower has recommended this as a good 

 compost: Three parts leaf -mold, two 

 parts finely chopped sod, one part sand, 

 one part well rotted cow manure and a 



Primula Malacoides Is Perhaps the Most Decorative of Its Family. 



planting, which in this case occurs two 

 or three weeks after sowing, or when 

 the seedlings have developed about 

 three leaves. The tiny plants are spaced 

 about one and one-half inches apart 

 each way in the flats. When the seed- 

 lings have developed about five leaves 

 they are moved to 2inch or 2iA-inch 

 pots. From that stage onward, the 

 treatment is similar to that described 

 in the preceding paragraph. 



Sliifts in Time Save Stunting. 



However greatly growers' ideas of 

 repotting may differ in detail, the guid- 

 ing principle is always the same — to 



liberal sprinkling of bone meal. An- 

 other grower uses this as his general 

 formula for primula compost: Two 

 parts loam, one part sifted cow manure 

 and one part leaf-mold. 



Thus far nothing has been said about 

 the needed temperature, aside from the 

 general statement that primulas prefer 

 a cool atmosphere. The germination of 

 the seed, however, is improved by a 

 moderately high temperature, perhaps 

 in the neighborhood of 60 degrees or 

 even somewhat higher. A little extra 

 heat may also be beneficial when the 

 seedlings are transferred from the seed 

 pans to the flats. Except in these two 



brief periods, coolness is one of tli., 

 |)rime requisites. 



Snmmering In Coldframes. 



During the summer — say from tlx^ 

 middle of June till the middle of Sep- 

 tember — the most congenial place for 

 primulas is a coldframe, with the gla-s 

 shaded and the sashes raised at botli 

 back anii front. If the frame is under 

 the shade of trees, so much the bettei. 

 Primulas require an abundance of watrr 

 in summer, as in all stages of thtir 

 growth. They may also be syringed 

 or gently sprayed daily, or even twice 

 daily, throughout the summer, but not 

 when in flower. If frames are not avail 

 able, the plants will thrive well durinj:^ 

 the summer on a bench in a shaded and 

 airy house. 



In mid-September, when the frame 

 summered plants are returned to the 

 house, they should be gradually accus- 

 tomed to full sunlight. For the first 

 few weeks after housing, the tempera- 

 ture may be as low as 45 degrees at 

 night and certainly should not be higher 

 than 50 degrees at night. The cool 

 atmosphere promotes a healthy, sturdy 

 growth, with a tendency to produce 

 strong flower spikes. As winter ad- 

 vances, the temperature may be gradu- 

 ally raised, but should not exceed 50 to 

 60 degrees at night. When the pots 

 are full of roots, weak liquid manure 

 may be applied once a week. The plants 

 should never be crowded. 



Bench-grown Primulas. 



Though the orthodox, well established 

 method of primula culture is to grow 

 them continuously in pots the whole 

 summer, as thus far described, yet ex- 

 cellent primulas are also produced by 

 growing them in a bench until they 

 are ready for the flowering pots. In- 

 deed, a grower of wide experience 

 states that some of the finest Primula 

 obconica he ever saw were grown in 

 benches in a cool greenhouse and lifted 

 and potted late in October. The plants, 

 he says, exceeded in size and vigor 

 the ordinary pot-grown ones and, as far 

 as compactness and finish were con 

 cerned, could not be distinguished, three 

 weeks after potting, from those that 

 had been pot-grown all summer. 



Some reader probably is ready to as1^. 

 "Which are the best varieties?" Now, 

 this article is not written for the par- 

 ticular benefit of specialists in the grow- 

 ing of primula seeds, but it is advisable 

 here, for the second time, to draw at- 

 tention to these specialists. In procur- 

 ing seeds or young plants, the first a"! 

 most important step — before undertak- 

 ing the selection of varieties — is to 

 choose an undoubtedly first-class strair. 

 produced by a well known, thoroughly 

 reliable grower or seedsman. Thon, 

 when the high quality of the strain 

 has been assured, the selection '^^ 

 separate varieties may be considered. 



Favorite Species in Commerce. 



Among the most popular of tl'O 

 species now in commerce are P. sinensis, 

 P. obconica, P.^kewensis, P. malacoil^"' 

 and P. flon'buhda. P. Forbeaii, the ba^y 

 primrose, is still sold in consideral'ic 

 quantities, but is less in favor thun 

 formerly, being partly superseded ''V 

 P. malacoides. In spite of any prejudi'^e 

 against obconica on account of its P"'' 

 sonous properties, it sells well — better 

 than sinensis. P. malacoides, thonijh 

 perhaps the most graceful and dccor-i- 

 tive of the family, is not the most suit- 



