COM^IOX GARDEX FLOWEES. 



51 



t'ouiid that no more glass is needed to enclose the 

 same area with, a span-roof than was requii-ed in 

 a lean-to roof. As, however, the two angles must 

 necessarily meet much sooner when starting to- 

 wards each other than if one only travelled towards 

 a wall at the hack of the house perpendicular to 

 its hase, it follows that the highest portion of the 

 s^an-roof, that is its apex, would only be about half 

 the highest point of the lean-to roof at the summit 

 -of the back wall. This lowering of the roof and 

 bringing it closer to the plants, and placing the latter 

 all over the house almost at the same distance from 

 the light, is one of the gi-eatest merits of span and 

 •curvilinear-roofed houses. So marked, indeed, has 

 been the improvement in the cultivation of green- 

 house, stove, and other plants, since the general in- 

 troduction of span and other equally light roofs, 

 that the lean-to's are gradually disappearing, to the 

 decided gain of horticulture. 



Xevertheless, for certain purposes — such, for ex- 

 ample, as the cultivation of Ferns, Mosses, and several 

 foliage iDlants, especially among the latter being the 

 variegated Begonias of the Ilex section — lean-to 

 houses, with somewhat ponderous roofs, often pro- 

 duce better results with less trouble than the more 

 light modem houses. AVhile such Ferns as Tricho- 

 menes and Hymenophyllums, Todeas, or other filmy 

 Ferns, can only be grown in houses shaded fi'om 

 every direct ray of sunshine, and with even the entry 

 of strong light partially subdued. Not a few Ferns, 

 however, enjoy the light, and can bear a fair amount 

 of direct sunshine, not only without inj ury, but with 

 positive benefit. 



COMMON GAEDEN TLOWEES. 



Hardy Primulas. — Of these there is a large 

 and very interesting gTOup, some of them hybrids 

 of the Common Auricula, a large niunber of them 

 natives of the Alps of Switzerland, while some are 

 from Japan and the East Indies. There are a few 

 that can scarcely be denominated hardy, but they 

 are well worthy of gTeen-house cultiu-e. The cul- 

 tivated Auriculas and the cultivated Polyanthuses 

 are dealt with in a separate series of articles. 



AVe allude to the Common Primrose in passing 

 only for the pui'pose of saying that it is very com- 

 mon in woods, hedges, and pastures, and that even 

 in an uncultivated state it varies in producing 

 flowers : white, rose, blush, and brownish ; and these 

 are alike single and double. The Common Primrose 

 is Friniula culgaris^ or P. acaidis, and Primula is 

 the Latin for very early, and refers to the flowering 

 of the species during the opening season of the 



year. The name Primrose, as Parkinson observed, 

 was given " because it shows by its flowering the 

 new spring to be coming on, it being, as it were, the 

 fii-st ambassador thereof." It is truly an English 

 flower, and in no other coimtry will it grow so 

 abundantly. Equally abundant is the Common 

 Cowslip, Frlmida verls. It is common in England, 

 chiefly in a clayey or chalky soil ; it is rare in 

 Scotland, but foimd near Edinburgh and in Fife- 

 shire. Cowslip is the name the tlower has borne from 

 the earliest Anglo-Saxon times, and probably re- 

 ferred to the sweetness of its perfume. It has 

 been called the Palsywort, and for the same reason 

 that the French name is " Herbe de la Paralysie," 

 the flowers being considered efiicacious against 

 nervous disorders. Cowslip-wine is a wcU-knowai 

 country compound, and Pope refers to its supposed 

 quality when he prescribes in poetry, 



' ' for want of rest 



Lettuce aud Cowslip-wiue -probatuni est." 



The Oxlip is F. elatlor, and is the foundation of 

 our fine Fancy or Giant Polyanthuses. The 

 flowers resemble those of the CowsKp in form, but 

 are larger and paler in colour- ; while the flowers 

 grow in more numerous clusters also. It is com- 

 paratively a rare plant, frequenting bushy places, 

 and often difficult to reach when found in the 

 woods, on account of the thorny brushwood among 

 which it grows. Slight local variation is observable 

 in various jily-ces. 



The common form of Frlynuho Anricula, or it may 

 be improved varieties of it, is often found in this 

 country. It lives in a wild state on the high 

 moimtain ranges of Switzerland, France, Austria, 

 and the Caucasian chain, and has probally a mueh 

 wider distribution. Possessing a vigorous consti- 

 tution, and sporting into a goodly number of 

 varieties when raised from seeds, it attracted early 

 attention from lovers of flowers ; its more striking 

 variations were perpetuated and classified, and their 

 modern representatives are treated of imder the 

 head of Flokists' Flowers. There is a variety of 

 the Alpine Auricula tno^nci^ F. Aarlcula riiargliicii'. 

 This produces larger heads of fragrant yellow 

 flowers of a deep golden tint. The foliage is 

 thicky covered with a white farinous powder, and 

 margined with a narrow white band. The presence 

 of this powder on the leaves of some cultivated 

 Auriculas, and the entire absence of it on others, 

 is difiicult to accoimt foi'. There is an entire ab- 

 sence of it on the leaves of tlie green-edged section; 

 but in the cases of the grey edges, the wliite edges, 

 and the selfs, while it is thickly scattered over the 

 leaves in some varieties, it is not to be found on 

 others. 



