COMMON GARDEN FLOWEES. 



56 



rock-garden, planted in rich moist loam, or in pots in 

 sandy peat and loam. 



F. nivca, or nivalis of gardens, is the Snowy Prim- 

 rose, and resembles JP. ciliata in its dense clusters, 

 but the flowers are rather smaller, and pui-e white. 

 It is quite distinct in asj^ect from any other species 

 in cultivation ; happily, it is very easy of culture, 

 and may be gro^sTi in pots or in the open ground. It 

 flowers in April and May, is a native of the Alps, 

 and is by some supposed to be a variety of F. viscosa. 

 This is a charming subject when grown in pots, but 

 should be frequently divided, for it has a tendency, 

 in common with other species, to get somewhat naked 

 about the base of the shoots, and, as these protrude 

 rootlets, the whole plant is likely to go o&. if not 

 taken up and divided into as many pieces as pos- 

 sible. Every shoot will form a plant, inasmuch as 

 each is usually f ui^nished with little rootlets, which 

 take hold of fi-esh soil immediately. Many j^eople 

 keep plants of Primulas like this for years in the 

 centre of the same pot, whereas by dividing them, 

 and placing them down to the leaves in fi-esh soil, 

 much liner specimens may be obtained. 



F. Farriji is a very flne and distinct species, bear- 

 ing charming rosy-crimson flowers, but scarce, and 

 not easy to cultivate. 



F. pedcmonfana is a dwarf species in the wa}' of 

 F. ciliata, bearing deep lilac-colom-ed flowers, and 

 it is a native of the Alps. It is a chai-ming subject 

 for growing in pots. 



F. puhhcrrima and F. purpurea are both very fine 

 forms of F. denticuJata, or ver^' closely allied to it. 



F. rosea is a perfect little gem, and bears heads of 

 brilliant rosy-carmine flowers in early spring ; each 

 blossom is nearly an inch across ; the leaves are 

 smooth, and of a bright deep green. It does well 

 planted out in rich loam and j^eat in moist shaded 

 positions, and it does equally well in pots, in good 

 soil. It is one of the prettiest for general cultiva- 

 tion. It is a native of the East Indies. As it seeds 

 freely it is easy to raise seedlings, and some of the 

 varieties so obtained are finer than others. 



F. rosea grandifora is one of these selected seed- 

 lings.; the flower is larger, and of a deep crimson hue. 



F. scotica is the Scotch Bird's-eye Primrose, and 

 is one of the choicest little gems in the British flora. 

 Its rich purple flowers, with large yellowish eye, 

 open in the end of April. It is rather difiicult to 

 obtain, unless one has an opportunity of getting it 

 from its native localities in Scotland, in the counties 

 of Sutherland and Caithness, as well as in the 

 Orkney Isles, growing in damp pastures. It must 

 have perfect drainage, and be planted in a soil com- 

 posed of friable loam, mixed with sandy peat or a 

 little cocoa-fibre, and made perfectly firm. 



F. silcJum^nsis is the Himalayan Cowslip ; flowers 



large, and borne in loose, terminal, drooping clus- 

 ters, clear light yeUow in coloui', borne on naked 

 stalks twelve to eighteen inches high. It is a hand- 

 some plant -when well grown, but being of rather 

 tender character, should be cultivated in pots in a 

 grefen-house. 



F. spectahilis is a pretty rosy-flowered species of 

 dwarf growth, highly effective, and does well in 

 pots in a cold frame. 



F. verticil iat a is a half-hardy species requiring 

 green-house cultiu-e, a species with a free habit of 

 growth, and handsome incaled foliage, producing 

 large whorls of pale yellow, half tubular-shaped 

 flowers. It should be grown in pots. 



F. viscosa is the Viscid Primrose, from the Alj)S and 

 Pyrenees. It is the lovely little Primrose that tra- 

 vellers who ^dsit the Alps in early summer see open- 

 ing its clear rosy-purple flowers at various altitudes.. 

 It is well adapted for rock work, on which it" may 

 be gi'own in any position, in light peaty soil, or 

 spongy loam, with about one-half of its bulk of fine 

 sand, provided its roots are kept moist during the 

 diy season. 



F. Wulfeniana is allied to F. calycina, and is an 

 excellent companion to it. 



Lastly we have to treat of two new species of com- 

 paratively recent introduction, which, though simple 

 in character, are yet exquisitely charming. One is 

 F. Jlorihnnda, a dwarf, half-hardy evergreen foi-m^ 

 presenting the general aspect of F. verticiliata, but 

 smaller. It forms tufts of spreading coarsely-toothed 

 leaves, and numerous erect scapes four to six inches 

 high, bearing w^horls of clear chrome-yellow flowers, 

 a quarter to half an inch in diameter. It blooms 

 with marvellous freedom, and for a great portion of 

 the, year, and it seeds pretty freely; so it is not diffi- 

 cult to obtain seedlings. Quite tiny plants bloom,- 

 when the tufts of leaves are barely two inches in 

 diameter. It should have pot-cultui'e in a gi-een- 

 house. This gem is a native of the Western Hima- 

 layas from Kumaon to Cashmere. 



The other is F. obconica, or poculiformis, an ever- 

 gi^een species from China, of free robust habit ; the 

 leaves large, roundish, and light vivid green ; flowers 

 an inch or more across, of a delicate lilac, and under 

 glass almost white colour, borne in clusters on stiff, 

 erect stems. It is a very persistent bloomer, flowering 

 almost all the year round, and when gi-own in pots 

 makes an excellent green-house plant ; it is half- 

 hardy, and impatient of cold and undue moisture. 



Slugs are very injurious to Primulas and other 

 plants when grown on rockwork, and such places ; 

 and if they find their way into a cold frame, they 

 will prey upon the hearts of the plants, doing great 

 injury in a small space of time. They should be 

 diligently sought for and ruthlessly destroyed. 



