Primrose, Oxlip^ Consoslip, and Polyanthus, 409 



single flowers were somewhat smaller, and more deeply cor 

 loured, than those of the common primrose. After flowering 

 the root decayed, and the plant separated into several smaller 

 parts, which were transplanted, and have since flowered ; each 

 having both single and compound scapes. I may here ob- 

 serve, that plants with both single and compound scapes are 

 very common in this neighbourhood, similar to that figured in 

 the Flora Londinensis, which Dr. Hooker there styles the 

 oxlip, and Sir Jas. Smith, in the English Flora, considers to be 

 a variety of the primrose. 



I now collected the seed of some cowslips which were grow- 

 ing in a shady part of my garden, and sowed them in a similar 

 situation. From this seed I have raised several plants, varying* 

 very considerably in their character. One is a perfect prim- 

 rose; and all the rest approach, more or less, to the light- 

 coloured variety of Westhoe. ,l|Jof .ope has the decided 

 character of the common co^v^slip.^/ ,j^^^ ^^ 



I am not aware of any defect in t^e experiment from which 

 this result has been obtained; but if the utmost accuracy be 

 required by any one who may be still sceptical, I should re- 

 commend him to repeat the experiment, with the additional 

 precaution of protecting the cowslips to be seeded from the 

 approach of insects, that every possibility of the seedlings 

 being hybrids may be avoided. The seed should be sown in 

 a moist situation, and selected also from plants thus circunl- 

 stanced ; since it seems probable that such a combination of 

 circumstances is better adapted to secure the developement of 

 the characters of the primrose. The process which Mr. Her- 

 bert adopted, of highly manuring the cowslip from which his 

 seed was selected, may possibly be still more likely to insure 

 success. 



If any of your correspondents can be prevailed upon to 

 repeat these experiments in different parts of England, and 

 favour you with the results, whether successful or not, they 

 may do good service towards the final elucidation of this sub- 

 ject ; and should Mr. Herbert ever present the public with a 

 more detailed account of his own observations, he would confer 

 an invaluable benefit upon those who wish to prosecute the 

 enquiry. The best form for registering a series of such expe- 

 riments, for the convenience of reference and comparison, 

 would be, to class them numerically under different genera, 

 and throw the remarks and occasional observations under 

 separate heads, arranged as a table, being careful not to omit 

 the mention of all the failures or unsatisfactory results. 



I am. Sir, &c. 



J. S. Henslow« 



Vol. IIL — No. 15. e e 



