328 
PRIMULA INVOLUCRATA. 
should be selected, or they will be liable to 
get dried and injured by the sun. They 
should be potted into larger pots in loamy 
compost, once or twice during the summer, 
and require of course to be regularly watered. 
During this time, all the strongest shoots 
should be stopped when they have grown two 
or three inches ; and, by this means, the 
plants will in the one season, if otherwise 
carefully attended, form neat bushy plants, 
and will produce, according to their individual 
size, a proportionate quantity of bloom in the 
following spring. 
If small plants are constantly required, it 
will only be to repeat this process annually, 
keeping the plants for one or two years, or 
more, as long as may be desired, and then 
planting them out in the flower-garden for the 
summer, leaving them to their fate. If larger 
plants are desired, all that is necessary is to 
■>hift the plants once or twice annually into 
arger pots, and they will make a correspond- 
ng advance in size. Of whatever size they 
ire, if the strong shoots are properly and con- 
inually pruned back at the points while 
/oung, they will be furnished all over from 
top to bottom with small twigs, all or nearly 
all of which will produce flowers. 
Planted out in a conservatory, where they 
attain larger size than in pots, they are objects 
of great beauty, for their colour is a peculiarly 
rich and lively yellow : they also furnish 
flowers for cutting in abundance, which is an 
object of some importance, where bouquets are 
in much request. G. bracteolata, from its 
looser habit, and larger size, is better adapted 
than the others for planting out in a con- 
servatory. The others are better grown in 
pots till they attain some stature, before they 
are planted out. 
Probably a hybrid between G. rhodopnoeo 
and bracteolata would be superior to any 
thing we have at present ; it would be so, if to 
the close habit, and delicious odour of the 
former, it added the larger clusters of flowers 
peculiar to the latter. There are none other 
than yellow flowered species introduced, so 
that there is no opportunity afforded for inter- 
mixing colours by the process of hybridizing. 
PRIMULA INVOLUCRATA. 
(Wallich.) 
THE RUFFED PKUrROSE. 
In this little primrose, we have a neat and 
desirable hardy alpine plant, which produces 
its white sweet-scented flowers from March 
to May, and sometimes even a second time 
during the growing season. 
When at rest, — for, like all other plants 
with which we are acquainted, a season of re- 
pose is essential to it, — it consists of a large egg- 
shaped bulb-like crown, similar to that pro- 
duced by some other kinds of Primula, and also 
by the Pinguiculas, and some other plants. 
Early in the spring, a tuft of leaves is thrown 
up, which are smooth, shining, long-stalked, 
obtusely ovate, and wavy ; they are of much 
the colour and texture of those of Pilewort. The 
leaves are almost immediately succeeded by the 
scape, or flower-stem, which rises about six 
inches high, and bears about four white flowers, 
surrounded by an in volucre, which has the pecu- 
liarity of having its leaflets extended down- 
wards into a sheath, as is observed in the flow- 
ers of the Thrift, (Armeria vulgaris.) The 
flowers are slightly yellow when they firstopen, 
and in dying off acquire a tinge of blush. 
Primula involucrala. 
Seeds of this plant were received by the 
Horticultural Society from the North of India, 
where it was found at an elevation of 11,500 
feet, and growing in the neighbourhood of 
water. 
The plant grows freely in any light loamy 
soil ; and while growing seems to require to 
be somewhat liberally supplied with moisture. 
In the winter, on the other hand, or when 
they are at rest, there is danger of the bulb- 
like crowns perishing from an accumulation of 
dampness ; so that during that stage it is ne- 
cessary to keep the plants comparatively dry. 
It is this point that must determine the 
mode of cultivation adopted in this country. 
Though, doubtless, hardy enough to bear the 
cold of our winters, they would be liable to 
suffer from too much moisture, if fully exposed, 
unless it were on some very dry piece of rock- 
work. It will, therefore, probably be desirable to 
place the plants in pots during winter, and set 
