ICabch 10, 1910. 



The Weekly Florists^ Review^ 



13 



ii? 



House Contaimos: Two Thousand Primula Obonica. 



Many of the flowers have shown remark- 

 able lasting qualities, remaining on the 

 plants for two months, though their rec- 

 ord in this respect, Mr. Schiller thinks, 

 may have been partly due to the lack of 

 sunshine during the present winter. 



One specimen from Mr. Schiller's col- 

 lection, a Primula obconica grandiflora, 

 is shown in the illustration. The flowers 

 on this plant were from one and a quar- 

 ter to one and a half inches in diameter, 

 and would probably have been consid- 

 erably larger, he says, if he had been 

 able to give the plants the most fa- 

 vorable sort of treatment. "But the 

 time and the space were always lacking, ' ' 

 he says, "and my special reason for 

 growing them was my desire to become 

 acquainted with all the new colors and 

 with the growth and general development 

 of the flowers. 



"The fringed strain of the grandi- 

 flora type is perfect," Mr. Schiller con- 

 tinues, "but the colors are not yet so va- 

 ried, though they will surely become so 

 in time. 



"The gigantea type, a production of 

 Mr. Arends, of Germany, has flowers of 

 extra large size. Many that I have meas- 

 ured at the establishment of a neighbor- 

 ing florist, whom I supplied with the 

 seed, have a diameter of one and seven- 

 eighths inches. The colors of this strain 

 are likewise distinct, but not numerous. 

 White is entirely missing so far, and the 

 fringed flowers are not so perfect as in 

 the grandiflora type. 



"Sowings made during March and 

 early AprU, or even later, can be had in 

 full bloom for Christmas, and no special 

 hurry is qeeded. Their greatest growth 

 takes place during the months of August, 

 September and October, when the nights 

 are cool and dewy." 



Fredonia, N. Y. — The J. H. Larder 

 noral Co. has been incorporated. 



THE FIRE QUEEN PRIMULA. 



Primula obonica is not as largely 

 grown in Great Britain as it is in Ger- 

 many, and new shades of this easily 

 grown half-hardy perennial will not ex- 

 cite as much interest as in that country, 

 says a writer in the Horticultural Ad- 

 vertiser (English), but everyone who has 

 appreciated the commercial value of this 

 primula will not be indifferent to the 

 progress recently made in its evoluflon. 



The novelty. Fire Queen, shown at the 

 Berlin International Exhibition by 

 George Arends, of Eonsdorf, near Elber- 

 feld, Germany, is the latest acquisition 

 among Primula obonica, and it deserves 

 the interest of any market grower mak- 

 ing a specialty of quick-growing, half- 

 hardy plants. 



I, myself, have never been an en- 

 thusiastic admirer of this kind of primula, 

 notwithstanding the popularity it enjoys 

 in Germany, considering, as I did, the 

 color as being capable of much improve- 

 ment, and seeing no possibility of a 

 sudden change into a bright, pure red or 

 crimson. My surprise was therefore com- 

 plete when I saw last summer a lot of 

 this novelty grown at the raiser 's nursery, 

 at Bonsdorf. Fire Queen originated in a 

 batch of seedlings of the Kermesina 

 strain, among which the raiser observed 

 a few plants showing a tendency to 

 salmon-red. If this novelty is not yet a 

 true scarlet, it is all that can be desired 

 as to purity, intensity and distinctness 

 of color, which may be classed as a sal- 

 mon-tinted carmine, quite distinct from 

 crimson or purple, and rather inclining 

 to orange-red. It may be compared to 

 Primula Chinensis Defiance. 



The growing qualities and the vigor o? 

 the flower trusses are nearly as perfect 

 as in other colors of the Bonsdorf strain, 

 the reputation of wuieh is generally 

 known. On the other hand, the size of 



the individual flower does not yet reach 

 that of the giant-flowering class, but it 

 would be asking too much to have at 

 once all qualities developed to the summit 

 of perfection in a novelty of this kind. 

 It will certainly take less trouble to se- 

 lect within a few years a large-flowering 

 strain out of this variety than has been 

 necessary to fix this new color. 



DISEASE ON PRIMULAS. 



Here are some primula leaves that are 

 affected with a disease, the like of which 

 I never have seen. Only a part of the 

 stock 18 thus far affected, but it is 

 spreading rapidly to the others. The 

 plants are growing in rich soil in a 

 temperature of 48 to 52 degrees. The 

 treatment has been identical with what I 

 have given in other seasons when I had 

 no trouble. Please tell me what the dis- 

 ease IS, and what should be done to over- 

 come it. Can I save the affected plants, 

 which now number several hundreds? 



P. P. 



An excess of water at the root, too 

 heavy feeding, or too rich soil will some- 

 times cause the foliage on Primula ob- 

 conica to blight, as yours have done. All 

 you can do is to separate any clean 

 plants. They may take the disease also, 

 even if this is done. Avoid heavy doses 

 of manure water, especially chemicals 

 Eemove affected foliage. Give the plants 

 a little shade from the direct rays of 

 the sun, and keep the foliage dry. Per- 

 haps you can use some of the affected 

 plants by making them up into pans, us- 

 ing one or two plants with the best foliage 

 around the outsides. The disease is not 

 uncommon on Primula obconica It 

 should have a cool house; 45 degrees at 

 night 18 ample. In a warm house it 

 soon goes to pieces. ^ „ 



