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THE GARDENERS- MAGAZINE. 



April 6, 1912. 



Red Mossy Saxifrages 



these an ever-increasing number 



eons 



about the plant. 



Such is an endeavour 



-to choose from 



of 



and it is impossi „ 



a choice from among them. I pon the 

 u liole I tJiink, S. bathommsis i,s the hm^t 

 at present offered, although 1 could choase 

 a dozen almost, and say that they are 

 lovely enough for anybody. It makes 

 , ;,ri)^ts of lovely green foliage covered lu 

 spring with fine red flowers. S. Khei 

 superba is such a dainty thing and so dis- 

 tinct, as being a larger grower that it 

 ninot well be passed by, altliough not one 

 oi the " novelties." It has fine flowers, 

 opening deep rose and passing off almost 

 white. _ 



S. oppositifolia.. 



WoiHlrrliillv haidy, and, vide the hand- 

 books t K.ni ■■\NnrtluM n and Arctic regions, 

 S o|n);,sitilolii. hi.s niu<l, to commend it 

 whri. (orisHl.T v.TV low-^iduing and 

 t nTlv-Nin.'iMliti- rn. ktoils. TluMc is scarcely 

 ,:,„1 to tlh' vMii. tics of this species, and 

 the I'viviH iwi lo: III. are especially interest- 

 ing. In ilu' matl.T of colour S. iippositi- 



" dea°r charmers " present themselves, ^mong a vast number some of the saxitrages 

 1 it is impossible to give ^satisfaction in j-^ , i^.^ satisfaction as possibly tne 



^' " most l>eautiful plants of the ^clasB^^^^^^^^^ 



everybody should grow. 



THE CARDINAL FLOWER. 



The herbacet^us lobelia cardinalis ranks 

 as one of the best subjects of a half-hardy 

 character for summer bedding. Ihe erect 

 stems attain a height of about two feet, 

 and the exceedingly bright scarlet flowers 

 are borne in profusion on terminal spikes. 

 Given good cultivation, the flowers con- 

 tinue to open from the month of July 

 into late in tlie autumn if the weather 



remains open. 



Not the least of this plant's good quali- 

 ties is the ease with which it can be win- 

 tered All that is necessary is to lift with 

 a good ball of soil on the approach of 

 autumn frosts, and pack thickly in boxes 

 for storing in a fairly dry place in a cool 



A beautiful 



saxifrage, with 



nurseries 



SAXIFRAGA WALLACEI. 



piire white flowers. From 

 of Messrs. T. S. Ware, Lim., 



a photograph 

 Feltham. 



taken in the 



folia splendens gives a deep shad** of pur- 

 plish-rose that is unusually attractive. 



S. primuloides. 



It wo-uld hardly do to confine our twelve 

 to one or two sections of the great genus, 

 and one would eonimend a dainty, easily 

 grown one, of the London Pride section — 

 S. primuloides— as choice and beautiful. 

 It is only six inches high, and has neat 

 little rosettes of leathery leaves and small 

 pink flowers. It likes shade, and is all the 

 more valuable on that account. 



S. caesia.. 



We must not omit at least one represen- 

 tative of the nioi-e minute silvery saxi- 

 frages, and for the purpose in view 1 should 

 include S. csesia, a charming one wliich 

 makes densely-packed silveiy rosettes of 

 miniature size, these being crowned in the 

 flowering time with, little spikes of white 

 flowers, borne in an airy manner above the 

 rosettes. It is a limt^lover, and likes a 

 half-«hady plaee, doinu- better, perhaps, on 

 the moraine than on the rockery, but not 

 difficTilt to grow in the latter in loam, 

 leaf-soil^ made firm, and sand, with some 



greenhouse until early in February, when 

 they should be put in an early fruit house 

 and be kept moist to induce them to pro- 

 duce new shoots. When these latter are two 

 or ilirt^o ijiches in height carefully divide 

 tiie plants. Put them singly in small pots, 

 using a compost of equal parts loam 

 and leaf-soil, adding a little sand, wood 

 ashes, and decayed manure. Place in a 

 warm house or mild propagating frame, 

 and water with tepid water. When it is 

 seen that they are taking to the new soil 

 place on a shelf in the greenhouse for a 

 few days, and finally in a cold frame. 

 8hift into large 60's or 48's as needed. 



When once the young plants are well 

 rooted avoid coddling them, and admit 

 plenty of air to the frame on all favour- 

 able occasions. Except in warm dis- 

 tricts it is not safe to plant these lobelias 

 out until tlie end of May, so that it will 

 be seen there is ample time to produce 

 strong robust plants before then. 



This and similar lobelias are most eflFec- 

 tive when massed in beds, or in colonies on 

 the margins of shrubberies. As dot plants 

 about the borders their true beauty is not 

 seen to advantage. H. T. Martin. 



PRIMULAS AT FOREST HILL. 



Over a period ot many years we Iiave made 

 an annual pilgrimage to Messrs. James 

 carter and Co. d nurseries at tiouston Koaa, 

 i'orcst HUl, to see tluii tirms stocKs oi 

 Ciimese primulas, and, after due considera- 

 tion, we leei quite saie in raying tliat n-ever 

 have we seen xne plants so tiueiy grown or so 

 tipiendidiy tlowerea as on tne occasion ol a 

 recent visit. One is compeiied to acknow- 

 ledge the great beauty and usetulness of 

 priniuias wiien they are presented m such 

 nne condition, and. ^een in large blocks oi a 

 variety. Moreover, it is only wlieu cieen in 

 this tasliion that the considerable difference 

 in habit and size of flower between certain 

 varieties i>s fully understood. 



The Messrs. Carter have achieved a hig;h 

 reputation for Chinese primulas, and their 

 long years of work in improving habit, in- 

 creasing the number of flowers, adding to the 

 size oi the blooms^ and giving purity and 

 brilliance to the colouring, has resulted in a 

 series of varieties second to none. And still 

 the work goes on. It is not many years since 

 we saw three plants only of Bouquet, the 

 splendid white variety witn foliaceous calyx; 

 this IS now largely represented, and is very 

 pcpular for its extremely compact habit. 

 Now there is another new white, cioon to be 

 sent out, and it is remarkable for the 

 breadth and substance of its blooms and the 

 wonderful purity of it^ whiteness. Several 

 new blue varieties have been evolved, and in 

 due course will be tixed and distributed; 

 there is also an interesting set of cross-bred 

 seedlings, several of which give promise of a 



successiui future. 



It is interesting to watch the work ot ler- 

 tiiisation at this season. Fine as they are, 

 these primulas are not grown merely to be 

 looked at and admired, but for the produc- 

 tion of seeds to supply an ever-increasing 

 detrand. According to the weather the 

 plants are dealt with once a fortnight or 

 once a week from mid-February to ^he end 

 of April, every flower being pollinated by 

 means of skilful fingers and a camel-hair 

 brush. Each variety and each block ot a 

 variety has its own brush, and this brusn 

 is never used for any other variety, and bO 

 the stocks are kept perfectly true. in^ 

 giant strains are shy seeders as comparea 

 with the older type, and one seed vesseMMU 

 contain ten or twelve seeds as against irom 

 twelve to twenty in the capsule ot an oiaer 

 form. This means that the giants must oe 

 grown more largely to provide the nece6sa^ 

 seeds, and it also means an increase in pnc^. 



AH the varieties offered by Messrs. 

 Carter and Co. in their handsome alogue 

 are of high merit, and the range of coloure 

 is sufficiently wide to accommodate^aii ta«i«. 

 For those who like the colour, ^if^l^^'T 

 genta is particularly striking, but tora* 

 Giant White, the lovely blush Princess May. 

 the old vivid Vermilion, King Edward ViU<* 

 a superb white. Crimson King, ^ose (jue^^ 

 and Elaine can hardly fail to please the mos. 

 fastidious primula lover. ^ 



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A capital race ot »tar primulas t,ab 1^ 

 evolved at Forest Hill /the flowers larger au^ 

 more rounded than in most strains, 

 plants as free-flowerinor and quite as ^ 

 ful. In this set the colours are li ac ^■ 

 salmon, pink, crimson (with S^W^^n^^^^y^ 

 carmine, scarlet, and blush. ^ 

 varieties the firm has a goodly <set, o^" . <,{ 

 Scarlet, unusually double, and ri 

 Wales, 'double ro.se, and the new deep ^ 

 variety with oak-leaf loliage are ^^"^^ jg^iv 

 cially fine forms. The latter is P^f\\7froni 

 free 'flowering; indeed it suffers a ^ a 

 its own good qualities, for it it 

 little less and carried its flower ^ 

 higher it would be still «if and Co. 



When firms Uke Messrs. J . ^^"f ' j-eat e^" 

 take &o great pains and incur « ^t,. oi 



k not 



^rocK, nign germinating pov\ei,^^^^^.|^ ^^^^ 

 fine colouring, and new shades, xn . 

 only redounds to their own cremx ^ ^^^^^-^ 

 to their business, but creates a hi»'i , th^ 

 of excellence for others to aim at, « .^^ ^v^d 

 particular subject considered ' p^jture ^'S" 

 throughout the country, '"jVXrpri^e- 



ndod 



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