34 
THE ELOEAL WOELD AND GAEDEN GUIDE. 
cultivation. We have lately seen fifteen varieties in flower at the 
Hale Farm Nurseries, Tottenham, where hardy flowers obtain better 
attention and are grown in greater quantity and variety than in any 
other nurseries in the country. 
The whole of these are beautiful, and form a most interesting 
collection, and any amateur might be proud to possess them as 
adornments of a half-shaded border, where they could stand for years 
undisturbed to attain to full development. But particularly lovely 
are the double crimson, the double white, the double lilac, aud the 
double yellow. The flowers of these are perfect rosettes, which are 
set amidst the bright-green wrinkled leaves in a manner which 
we must be permitted to describe as “ artistic,” although it is the 
work of an Almighty hand, and the flowers belong more especially 
to the garden that the Lord hath planted. The single varieties are 
less captivating when inspected closely, for their flowers have not 
the exquisite finish of form which characterizes the double ones ; 
hut they make amends by the profusion of their flowers and the con- 
sequent bold display of colour. Amongst the twenty, there are two 
that must have pre-eminence for richness of colour and their pecu- 
liar fitness to be employed as bedding plants in the spring-garden. 
One of these is called Lilacina, the colour being a lovely shade of mauvy 
lilac. The other is Lady Madeline Taylour, here figured, the whole 
stock of which is in the possession of Mr. Cannell, nurseryman, of 
Station Road, Woolwich, who is now offering it for sale for the first 
time. 
A group of beds near the windows of the house might be charm- 
ingly dressed with these hardy primulas as bedders, for they could 
all be transplanted to a shady part of the kitchen-garden when their 
flowering was over, to make room for the usual summer bedders. 
As we have named two as particularly beautiful, we must add that, 
as in furnishing a group of beds, two colours will not be suflBcient, 
the following may he added v^ith safety, as they flower profusely 
Single white, single yellow, single rose, and single purple. The 
double-flowering varieties are not adapted for bedding, but as hardy 
border flowers they are of the highest value ; and those who love 
this class of plants should secure all the sorts there are in the market. 
As to cultivation, it may be said they need none. A rather 
heavy, damp soil and a partially shaded situation are conditions 
favourable to their proper development. They will never make much 
progress in a hot, dry soil, or in a position peculiarly exposed to the 
meridian sun. The best season for transplanting and dividing them 
is the month of September ; but they may be removed and divided 
any time, if they are handled with care, and have a little watching 
afterwards, until they have recovered from the operation. S. H. 
