CHINESE PRIMULAS. 



109 



very large and massive flowers, are the latest to bloom, and they 

 seldom produce so many flowers to a plant as the earlier varieties. 



So much has been said from time to time as to the details 

 connected with the cultivation of the Chinese Primula that I 

 think it would be superfluous for me to add anything here, 

 although it may be interesting to quote the cultivation adopted 

 by Mr. Thos. Upton, of Alton Gardens, in 1833, from which we 

 shall see what changes have taken place in culture alone. 



Mr. Upton says : " The following is the method of culture 

 we pursue : In the month of October we make cuttings of all 

 our old plants, taking them off a little above the surface of the 

 soil. We then fill with a rich prepared compost various-sized pots, 

 according to the size of the cuttings ; in each pot we plant one 

 cutting, and put a little white sand around it ; then, with a fine 

 perforated rose, we give them a little water in order to settle the 

 mould. Afterwards we remove them to a close frame, and 

 plunge them in a little bottom heat, admitting no air until they 

 begin to grow. As soon as they show flower we remove them to 

 the greenhouse, where they are greatly admired. The old root 

 may also be plunged in a little heat, which will sometimes make 

 it shoot vigorously and produce abundance of cuttings. Under 

 this treatment we have a plant of the white-flowering species 

 (which is by no means very common) that produced 97 fine 

 flowers from seven flower-stems. They also produce abundance 

 of seed, by which they are easily raised." 



From this quotation we see that the custom of growers has 

 entirely changed, and whereas Mr. Upton grew almost exclusively 

 from cuttings, now it is found so very much easier and less ex- 

 pensive to grow from seed that cuttings are seldom made. 



Cross-Fertilisation. 



A great deal might be said under this head, but I have already 

 exceeded the time usually allotted to readers of papers, and I 

 must confine myself to a few general remarks. 



In the first place, hybridists do not all work with the same 

 object in view, and consequently their methods are different. 



If the aim be to produce a race with moss- curled foliage, 

 parents would be naturally chosen with leaves showing some 

 tendency in this direction. 



