HORTICULTURAL JOURNAL. 207 



CHINESE PRIMROSE. 



Winter flowering plants are not too plentiful, at least such as 

 will bloom in the cool temperature of a greenhouse; we have many 

 tine winter flowering exotics, but they either require a hothouse 

 temperature to bloom freely, or are more difficift to manage during 

 summer; we are indebted to the Celestials for many of our most 

 valuable jwinter flowers, Azaleas, Camellias and among others that 

 beautiful little gem the Chinese primrose. They are all of hardy 

 and robust habit, and are thus within the reach of all, so far as 

 cultivation is concerned, a recommendation of much importance to 

 those amateurs who cannot devote much time to their collection. 

 It has often occurred to me when visiting amateurs' greenhouses, 

 that they would derive much more pleasure from their labors were 

 they more select in the choice of their plants, choosing those only 

 of known hardy and free blooming qualities, instead of aiming at 

 a varied assortment, often expensive, and rarely satisfactory. I 

 was more deeply impressed with this fact during a visit to an en- 

 thusiastic amateur last winter. On entering his greenhouse I was 

 struck with the gay and cheerful appearance it presented, and it 

 was only when about leaving that I observed the only plants in 

 flower were a few Camellias, two or three Cinnerarias, and a quan- 

 tity of Primulas of various colors, but these were so well arranged 

 and set off with a profusion of healthy foliage, and the Primroses 

 showing such fine rounded trusses, that I am confident not one 

 person in ten would have noticed this simplicity of its production. 



Athough this plant is very hardy, I am aware that many ama- 

 teurs are not so successful with it as they would wish. This, I pre- 

 sume, arises principally from its liability to decay if kept too damp 

 at root, either from using pots of a large size, or supplying water 

 too freely. Four and six inch pots will be found of ample size, 

 not that a plant will not grow in a pot three feet in diameter as 

 well as it would in one inches. The only difference would be that, 

 in the former, the plant would probably require water once a montb 

 and the latter daily. 



