158 
It is the Subftance of which Noy, 
Nov. 
~ their’ Tops ftand pointed Buttons. 
AM COUR PAE ACT: BOD. Y 
and. this is long, tubular, and mark’d with five — 
Ridges. It is form’d of a fingle Piece, and di- 
vided into five Points at the Finds 
The Body of the Flower confifts of a fingle 
Petal. ‘This is tubular at the Bafe; : 
minated on that Part by a {mall rounded Neck, 
whence it fpreads into five broad Segments, which 
are nip’d or wav’d at their Edges. 
The Flower being torn afunder, there appear 
the Filaments; thefe are five in Number, and 
‘they are contain’d within the tubular Part. 
In the Centre 
of thefe rifes the Style, which is a tingle, and ter- 
minated by around Top. . 
The Seed-vefiel is oblong, and the Seeds are 
{mall. 
Plant in the Linna@an Sy{tem: Declaring it 
ts ie sd 
CR eon 
 Primrofe ; 
one of the Pentandria Monogynia, ~~ 
Culture of the Poryantuous Primrose. 
Turkey is the native Country of the Polyanthous. 
and it there lives moft freely in a light 
rich Soil. cs | 
Tho’ a Native of a warmer Climate, it very 
well bears the Cold of ours, fo that it never need 
be taken out of the open Ground ; 
quires, by way of Compoft, is a frefh Earth, a 
little enrich’d by rotted Wood. 
Let a Quantity of good Mould be taken from 
under .the Turf in a dry fertile Pafture, and mix 
with it one third Part of the Earth from under a 
Wood-Pile : Let thefe be well blended together, 
and let them lie in a Heap, to mellow, and re- 
ceive the Influences of the Rains and Air. 
The common Way of Propagation, is, 
parting the Roots; but we fhall direct our Gar- 
dener to the better Method of raifing the Plant 
from Seeds; allowing only of the parting of the 
_ Roots, as Occafion may require afterwards. 
This is the Method to obtain new Varieties ; 
and raifing them from the fineft Kinds with all the 
Advantage of Culture, there will be every Year 
a Chance of having new and finer Flowers. 
To begin properly, let the Gardener truft no 
body for his Seeds, but fave them himfelf. 
Let him felect fuch as are ripen’d after the 
fineft Flowers, in his own or fome Friend’s Gar- 
den, in this Manner : 
Let him take fome Sticks in his Hand; and, 
examining the Polyanthus’s when in full Bloom, 
let them place down a Stick, as a Mark, at each, 
that has a fine Flower: The Properties for this 
Purpofe are the Strength of the Stalk, the Breadth 
and umber of their Pips, and their high ang 
jour. 
_ Thefe being mark’d, let thofe which grow 
among them, and are of a poorer Kind, be taken 
up and planted in fome other Place, left the Wind 
fhould bring the Duft from their Buttons into 
thefe finer Flowers. 
- From Time to Time let thefe be gently wa- 
: ter’d: let the Earth be ftir’d about them, and if 
Bees are bufy among them, let them be driven 
away, for they will bring the Dutt from one 
-Flower to another. 
and is ter- 
given them : 
On - 
and all it re- | 
by 
they make their Wax; and as they come loaded 
from a poor Flower, fome of it may fcatter into 
- arich one, and hurt the Seed 
The Flowering-Plants Beil thus. ftrengthen’d 
in their Growth, and all Annoyance kept from 
them, their Seeds will ge toward the Beginning 
of Fune. 
The two laft Weeks in May let no Water be 
it has ferv’d to fwell the Seeds ; but 
they_now have their due Bignefs, and fhould be 
left to harden. 
When they are ripe, the Seed-veffel will open : 
this is the Courfe of Nature for their Sowing, and 
let the Gardener. watch it. They do not all ripen 
. | together; but he muft gather them as they come. 
The Threads and Style fhew int Place of the | 
Once in two Days let him examine them, and 
carefully cut off fuch as are ripen’d. 
Let him take off thefe, with a Part of the main 
Stalk, and lay them upon a Shelf in a dry airy. 
‘Room, firft covering the Shelf with Paper, and 
| railing a Ledge upon the Edge of it, to prevent 
any of them from falling off, or any of the Seeds 
that drop from them. 
The Seeds muit not be fhook out of the Heads, 
but thefe laid at a Diftance from one another, to 
harden. No Way preferves them in their full Per- 
fection but this; as L have found by repeated 
Tryal. | ‘ 
"Tis thus Nature manages the Seeds of Plants: 
they ripen in their Capfules at the due Seafon, 
and no more Nourifhment is, after that, convey’d 
to them; but they continue there expos’d to the 
Air, tho?’ fhelter’d in a great Meafure from its 
Injuries ; and are by Degrees harden’d till the 
- Time of -{cattering them for their Growth, which © 
“the Winds then effect. This is the Courfe of 
Nature, and this Art fhould imitate. 
for that Purpofe, as much of the Compoft as will 
hill it within two Inches of the Rim. 
Mix up with fome of the Compoft, one third 
Part more of Earth from the Wood- Pile, and 
one fourth dry’d Cow-Dung rubb’d to. Pieces. 
Blend this very well, and f ed a Covering of this 
of half an Inch thick over the Earth in the Box. 
This being ready, fhake the Seeds out of their 
Capfules, and mix carefully with them as much 
Wood-athes, and as much midling Sand, wafh’d 
clean. 
Mix this well, and then fcatter it Over the Sur- 
face of the Earth in the Box. 
With the Remainder of the enrich’d Compoft, 
mix fome more Wood-Pile Earth; and having 
thus made it very light and fine, ff fome of it 
over the Seeds, covering them about a Quarter of 
an Inch. 
Give the Earth no Water ; but fet the Box in 
fome Part of the Garden, ice it may have the 
full Benefit of the Sun, and fome Shelter from 
very heavy Rains, 
Thus let it ftand during the coldeft Months ; 
but when the Spring comes on, let it be re~ 
moved 
