PLANTS WORTH GROWING i8i 
the hardy Primulas that it is utterly impossible to 
compress into the space of a few paragraphs any 
descriptive survey that would be worthy of the 
flowers, or any cultural details that would be of 
real service to the reader. Of European species and 
their garden varieties there are sufficient to fill this 
volume, whilst the Chinese and Japanese groups are 
worthy of another volume. To collect and establish 
under congenial conditions a thoroughly represen- 
tative collection of Primulas, would provide occupa- 
tion for years and require a garden of considerable 
extent with varying aspects, exposures, and soils. 
Some of the choicest will tax the skill of experts, 
but happily there are many very beautiful Primulas 
that will thrive in any ordinary garden soil and ask 
for nothing more than firm planting and plenty of 
water to keep them in robust health. 
The Polyanthus, the Oxlip, and the common 
Primrose and its blue varieties may well be the 
starting-point for the novice, and then denticulata, 
cortusioides, Sieboldii, Japonica and all its hybrid 
offshoots may be taken in hand. The introduction 
of new species from China not only added directly 
to the wealth of beauty in the Primula family, but 
provided valuable material with which hybridists 
have achieved highly gratifying results. The hybrids 
of Cockburniana, Pulverulenta and a number of 
others are gems of the first water, and we could fain 
wish space permitted an exhaustive treatise on the 
distinctive features and cultural requirements of all 
