THE GREENHOUSE AND ITS FLOWERS. 



247 



such (Inns as 

 Sutton, Carter, 

 Laing, Veitch, 

 or Kelway, one 

 111 a v easily 

 choo s e those 

 kinds likely to 

 please most 

 loversof flowers. 

 The big flowers 

 are less free 

 than the smaller 

 a n (1 n e a 1 e r 

 blooms, which 

 make a braver 

 display. The 

 following rules 

 will serve for 

 the cultivation 

 of the Petunias 

 from seed. 

 When growing 

 for pots, sow the 

 seed late in 

 January, in a 

 shallow pan or 

 pot, sowing very 



thinly on quite an even soil surface. Cover lightly 

 with silver sand, and use for the general compost 

 a soil made up ol loam one part, double the quantity 

 of well-decayed leaf mould, and sufficient sharp silver 

 sand to lighten it thoroughly. Place the pan or 

 pot in a temperature of 6odeg., sprinkle the surface 

 lightly with water, or the seeds will be washed 

 out, and when large and strong enough prick oul into 

 other pans, transferring from these some time in April in 

 60 pots, potting on in the usual way, as the pots become 

 lull of roots, until the 48 si/e is reached. Il is 

 necessary to give slight shade after repottings, 1ml do not 

 coddle the plants in any way, and. when well established, 

 the greenhouse will suit them, giving plenty of air at all 

 times. 



Pleroma. —This is a beautiful class of small-growing 

 shrubs, principally natives ol the Andean region ol South 

 America. The flowers ol most are large, and of a purple 

 or violet colour, but the plants are difficull to grow, 

 need a shady position, and a soil prmcip.Uly composed of 

 sandy peat. 



Pllimbag'O. — The light porcelain blue flowers of 1'. capensis 

 are always greatly admired, whether the plant lie trained 

 to the roof or pillars of a greenhouse, grown as a bush 

 therein, or planted out of doors during the summer, for all 

 of which purposes it is well adapted. The Plumbago 

 more fully described in the chapter upon Climbers. 



Primula, Chinese. — No greenhouse is complete without 

 the beautiful Chinese Primulas, or Primroses, raised from 

 Primula prcenitens, and a witness to the wonderful skill of 

 the hybridist. For many years the hybridist or raiser of 

 new forms has been striving to produce a race in w Inch the 

 flower stems are sturdy and borne well above the leaves, 

 the individual blooms large, robust, and of tine colour. 

 All this has been obtained, in truth it seems difficult to 

 surpass the splendid acquisitions already secured, but of 

 late years the double-flowered group has undergone a 

 great change. This is a charming race, w ith infinitely 

 greater freedom and vigour, and more easily cultivated than 

 the double forms raised by the late Mr. Gilbert, which 

 were always troublesome to manage. The newer forms 

 are perfectly double, little rosettes, as varied in colour 

 almost as the single kinds, rose, heliotrope, white, pink, 

 and deep purple-blue, as near to blue as one can w ell get, 

 but a true blue, of the same beautiful colour as the Gentian 

 of the Alps, has yet to be raised. Nothing displays the 

 perseverance of the raiser more than obtaining this purple- 

 blue shade. One remembers the first departure, a slaty, 

 none too pleasant shade, but improvement came, until a 

 remarkable and effective colour has been obtained by 

 diligent selection. As in the case of the Persian Cyclamens, 



PETUNIA. 



n o v a r i e I :i 1 

 names are given. 

 For these one 

 must refer the 

 reader to the 

 catalogues of 

 those who make 

 the Chinese 

 Primula a speci 

 ality, Sutton, 

 Veitch, Carter. 

 C a n n e 1 1 , and 

 others. 'I In- way 

 to raise ( Chinese 

 Primulas is by 

 seed, and to 

 secure a succes- 

 sion ol flowers 

 make two sow- 

 ings, one in June 

 and a second a 

 m out h later, 

 w ith, if desired, 

 still another in 

 July. Sow in 

 t h e following 

 compost : two 



parts turfy loam, one of leaf mould, and one of well- 

 decayed cow manure, adding a dash of sharp sand to keep 

 the whole open. This compost should be passed through 

 a fine sieve or riddle, placing the coarser parts at the 

 bottom of the pan, which should be fairly well drained. 

 Make the surface perfectly level and firm, water well 

 through a fine rose, and sow the seed very thinly. Some 

 do not cover the seeds, bill a very light dusting ol dry 

 cocoa-nut fibre refuse, shaken over the pan and allowed 

 lo fall through a line sieve held I It. or 2l"t. above, is an 

 excellent covering. A sheet ol glass should be placed over 

 tile pan, anil the whole kept dark in a greenhouse 

 temperature upon a cool bottom. As the seed germinates, 

 light and air may be gradually admitted, but no direct 

 sunshine. F rom the lirsl avoid watering as far as possible, 

 and yet be careful the roots never suffer from want of 

 moisture. For this purpose a cool bottom that is moist 

 without being actually wet. such as a cool frame or pit 

 in a partially shaded position, is mm h the best alter the 

 seedlings are potted off. This should be done as soon as 

 they can be handled, using a small pot known as 

 <; thumb." Keep them as close to the glass as possible, 

 and shilt on into sin. or 5',in. pots directly roots emerge 

 through the drainage hole. After potting, give one good 

 sprinkling, shading and keeping close for a few days until 

 the)' have recovered from root disturbance. If a hot sun 

 he permitted to touch them just alter repotting, or they are 

 allowed to become dry at any time, irreparable mischief 

 will he done. They may stay in the cool frame or pit 

 until the end of September, when they should be brought 

 into a temperature of 5odeg. to 6odeg. Stand upon a 

 cool bottom close to the glass. It is a good plan to make 

 a shallow tray of the shelf they occupy, and have a layer 

 of 1 in. or so of cocoa-nut fibre in this; this will pre- 

 vent sudden drought, perhaps the most fatal item in 

 their culture. 



In potting, be careful not to soil the foliage in any 

 way. Once made dirty, it is impossible to cleanse such 

 downy and sticky leaves; besides this, the foliage is 

 handsome in itself, and the removal of even one or 

 two leaves often makes an uneven-looking plant. An 

 excellent compost is made of the same materials as recom- 

 mended for the other shifts. 



Other Primulas may be grown in pots also, and the 

 true Auricula (P. Auricula), though, of course, quite hardy, 

 is very pretty under glass, whilst excellent for the green- 

 house or frame is P. cortusoides Sieboldi, a native of 

 Japan, and represented by a large number of varieties, all 

 of which are pleasing to see in the greenhouse about 

 April. This kind is described in the hardy plant chapters 

 under the heading of Primula, bo further reference to it is 



