others, and obligingly communicated to us by 
John \Yilliams, Esq. of Pitmaston. They have 
been cultivated through several generations, and 
the dark one has all the beauty and character of 
the Polyanthus ; whilst the lighter-coloured one 
has advanced towards the Oxlip. 
The opinion that the Cowslip, Oxlip, and the 
Primrose, are but varieties of the same plant is, 
we are aware, objected to by many botanists, but 
the evidence in its support is irrefragible. The 
Messrs. Garaway and Mayes, of the Durdam Down 
Nursery, inform us that they have raised all three 
from seeds saved from their best Polyanthuses; 
which has convinced them of the tmth of this 
apparent inconsistency. Professor Henslow's state- 
ment is more decisive even than the above, for he 
asserts that he has had “ several independent 
testimonies to the fact of Cowslip roots changing 
into Primroses ; ” and we are ready to admit that 
evidence could not emanate from a more careful 
and scrutinizing observer than Professor Henslow. 
The cultivation of Polyanthuses is not always 
successful under the direction of the amateur gar- 
dener. They should be planted in fresh loamy 
soil, at the foot of a wall or hedge, of northern 
aspect, so as to be shaded from the midday sun. 
If the situation be rather damp, so much the 
better. As they advance in growth, early in the 
summer, about an inch of soil should be added to 
the surface of the bed. Here most of the double 
varieties of Primrose also will flourish ; but none 
flourish in a light dry soil, fully exposed, in smn- 
mer, to the rays of the sun. 
