PRIMROSES AND AURICULAS 361 



pieces of sandstone. This is a precaution 

 ill cases, whether Prhnulas be in pots or in 

 the open ground. Propagation is effected by sowing seeds, or by dividing 

 the roots. All the species come readily from seed, if sown immediately 

 after ripening; but if kept for a few months it takes a long time to 

 germinate. The best compost for seed-pans consists of two parts leaf- 

 mould to one part loam, and a little sand. This should be filled in on a 

 good layer of broken crocks for drainage, the surface made firm and 

 even, watered, and a slight sprinkling of tine earth given after the seeds 

 have been scattered. Now cover the pan with a sheet of glass, and 

 place in a shady part of the greenhouse or warm frame. When the 

 seedlings appear the sheet-glass should be removed and the pan brought 

 more mto the light. As soon as large enough, the young plants should 

 be pricked out into other pans of similar soil, afterwards potting singly, 

 or hardening off" preparatory to planting out. P. sinensis and its 

 varieties require to be grown in pots in a frame or greenhouse. The 

 double varieties require an intermediate temperature. The garden 

 varieties do not come true from seed, and must be increased in early 

 spring by careful separation of the crowns and division of the rootstock. 

 Among the best species for pot-culture will be founri P.japonica 

 P. ohcovica, P. cortusoides var. Sieholdii, P. sinensis, P. sikkimensis, P. 

 Auricula, P. capitata, P. florihunda; all of which do well in a cold 

 house, better in fact than in the high temperatures to which amateurs 

 frequently subject them in heated greenhouses. They require protection 

 from frost in winter, but even at the flowering period these species 

 should not have a temperature higher than 55°. 



The culture of P. Auricida, and its many garden varieties and 

 hybrids, is a special department of horticulture into which the scope of 

 this work will not allow us to enter ; but we may briefly state that they 

 are divided into two main classes, Show and Alpines. The Alpines are 

 much hardier than the others, and are therefore chiefly grown outside. 

 The Show Auriculas are again divided into four sub-classes: Selfs, 

 Green-edged, Grey-edged, and White-edged. Aljnnes have flowers free 

 from powder, yellow or white in centre, with another colour paling off 

 towards the margin. Selfs have the corolla-tube yellow, the lobes of 

 some other colour without different edging or shading. The Edged 

 sections vary in apparent colouring of the edge of the flower in 

 proportion to the quantity of powder with which they are dusted; the 

 green-edged having little, the grey-edged more, and the white-edged 

 much more, so that it appears to be white. There are other points 

 insisted upon by Auricula specialists, in addition to the edges, but these 



