January 25, 1883. ] JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 77 
further ripening practised than what I have attempted to explain. 
—J. Lyne, Belvedere , Wimbledon. 
'AN HOUR AT READING. 
It is scarcely necessary to say that the central feature of the 
capital of Berkshire is to horticulturists the great establishment 
of Messrs. Sutton & Sons, but it is not this remarkable building 
and its marvellous completeness that is to be described now, but 
only a less imposing but very valuable adjunct—the trial grounds 
of the firm. These are situated about a mile from the market 
place, and it is within a walled enclosure that trials of bulbs, 
annuals, and various kinds of popular flowering plants are con¬ 
ducted yearly with the object of testing their merits, and 
wherever it is possible raising new and improved varieties. There 
is necessarily little of interest outside at this period of the year, 
but in spring and early summer the bulb ground and plantation 
of hardy Stocks, of which there is a great variety, will be worthy 
of inspection, At present the houses are the great points of at¬ 
traction, and especially those containing Primulas and Cyclamens. 
It may be useful to notice the character of the structures. 
They are neither lofty nor architecturally ornate, but plain, 
serviceable, and admirably adapted for the purpose for which 
they were constructed. With such houses as these plant culture 
is easy, and at a comparatively small outlay similar examples 
might be erected with advantage in gardens large and small over 
the length and breadth of the land. 
They are plain low-span roofs with brick sides, rather flat roofs, 
the angles not exceeding 30°, and high side stages, so that such 
plants as Primulas and Cyclamens now, and Cinerarias, Begonias, 
and Gloxinias later in the season, are brought near the glass, and 
are thus kept sturdy and in better condition than it is possible to 
produce them in many far more costly erections with which gar¬ 
deners are often troubled and owners disappointed. 
With means such as is here afforded and the skilled culture 
which is so abundantly manifest, results are produced of which it 
is impossible to speak too highly, and the gentle hint that “ neither 
strained praise nor making the best of what is provided is agree¬ 
able,” savoured of a tinge of humour almost approaching irony, 
for it is a simple fact that the Primulas and the Cyclamens were 
magnificent a week or two ago, and they are doubtless splendid 
still, alike in variety, diversity, and culture. 
Sturdiness with vigour, quality of bloom with substance, purity 
and brightness of colours, are the prominent characteristics of the 
plants and flowers. Cross-fertilisation is reduced to a system, 
every individual cross having been registered for years and its 
effects chronicled, so that the question of raising new forms is in 
a very great measure removed from the category of guesswork, 
and the results can be and are in a very great measure antici¬ 
pated ; and the fact, for fact it no doubt is, appears to be fully 
recognised that high culture is not only essential for pourtraying 
the full beauty of the flowers, but is equally so in the production 
of seed of strong germinating power. It is believed that just 
as a w 7 eak cutting is typical of the future plant, so it is with seed : 
hence the practice is adopted of growing the plants so well. 
To describe all the varieties of Primulas were impossible, for 
there are at the least fifty quite dissimilar, but only a few of these 
are kept separate. One side of a house filled with Ruby King, 
and the opposite stage with Pearl, showed to advantage the glow¬ 
ing richness of the one and the spotless purity of the other. The 
first named must have high culture, as a check of any kind, and 
especially to the roots, predisposes to a “ dumpy ” habit; but grown 
as it can be grown, and is grown “at home,” massive pyramids 
of flowers are produced. Too early sowing, starving in small 
pots, and high potting, are mistakes to be avoided. If once the 
collar of the plants gets hard above the soil the sap vessels are 
inevitably contracted, and a vigorous growth is hopeless. Sow in 
April or early May, grow without a moment’s check throughout, 
and Ruby King will prove itself worthy of the certificate that it 
won so well. Its companion, the Pearl, is of free growth, and 
there is no difficulty whatever in having it in fine condition. It 
has the great merit of expanding its flowers in the centre of the 
truss (not producing them in whorls, with flowers outside and buds 
in the centre), which is no small advantage for market and 
decorative purposes. 
Another white demands special notice, although it is perhaps 
not yet in commerce. It is named Snowdrift, and a more appro¬ 
priate name could not be suggested. It is so pure that the flowers 
actually retain their purity when the petals shrivel. They may 
be likened to stout note paper when fresh, to tissue when faded. 
But if Pearl is so pure why is Snowdrift needed ? The plants 
afford a very good answer. The latter variety flowers quite a 
month sooner than the former, the plants of this averaging at the 
least a hundred flowers when the others have not more than half 
a dozen expanded, thus a natural succession is afforded ; and 
besides, the early or autumn form is Fern-leaved, and the other is 
not, and they are therefore distinct in character as well as in the 
time of flowering. 
Another Fern-leaved variety, very distinct and charming as 
seen cn masse and so well grown, is Suttons’ Rosy Queen. It has 
very short leaves, and the rosy salmon flowers show to great ad¬ 
vantage. Like the Ruby King it evidently needs good culture to 
bring out its full beauty. Of the same type is Reading Pink, a 
remarkably fine variety that succeeds the other, deeper in colour, 
and a favourite with all who see it. A cross between Chiswick 
Red and Ruby Queen has produced, as might be expected, a very 
richly coloured variety ; but is yet scarce, and will be seen to 
better advantage another year. So will the new blue Primula, 
which is not yet named. It is quite distinct, and wherever the 
colour is as developed as in a houseful of young plants here, 
Suttons’ Blue will make its mark. It is curious, almost extra¬ 
ordinary, as was intimated by Mr. Henelow—as he was reported 
in his last lecture at the Royal Horticultural Society’s meeting— 
that when a distinct break is made in a genus that several ex¬ 
amples are likely to occur in the same season. The parent plant 
was raised by a gardener from a packet of Suttons’ hybrids, 
which are sold in mixture, and was sent to the firm ; and it is 
again singular to observe that the seedlings resultant from this 
plant produced about a dozen plants with pure white flowers, the 
rest—about a hundred or so—being what may be fairly termed 
blue, the margins of some of the segments having a wire of violet. 
It appears to seed as freely as the others, and is treasured as 
“ something good.” 
Another house contains plants from all the strains, so far as 
could be obtained, in existence, but these cannot be noticed. The 
task at the best would be invidious, and the space it would occupy 
not profitably utilised. Then there are double Primulas, or in 
effect double, but when closely examined the organs of fructifica¬ 
tion are existent, as in Carnations. These doubles are highly 
effective, and it is a matter of surprise that more space is not 
accorded them in the new catalogue of the firm. They certainly 
merit it, one of them, Prince Arthur, being especially fine. 
Yet another house is devoted to Primulas—the curiosity house. 
There are extraordinary forms here, but their characters are not 
yet fully developed—crested varieties, like tufts of Saxifragas, 
yellow-flowered varieties, velvety maroons of the hardy Polyan¬ 
thus colour, striped and margined and spotted sorts, and plants 
with foliage and leafstalks so strong that, as an observer remarked 
‘ a cat might jump on them and do no injury.” It will be inter¬ 
esting to watch the results of the experiments that will be the 
outcome of this novel collection. 
Leaving this maze of Primulas, just a word must be devoted to 
the Cyclamens. These fill two or three houses, producing a sheet 
of flowers, which, however effective they are as viewed col¬ 
lectively in separate blocks of colour, each plant will bear the 
closest examination, for every one is good. It is indeed seldom 
that Cyclamens are seen so healthy, floriferous, and fine. The 
masses of flowers rising like a bouquet a few inches above the 
foliage need nothing to support them, so sturdy are their stems. 
A night temperature of about 50° is afforded them now, and in 
this the flowers expand freely and maintain their freshness for a 
long time. In the named varieties grown in quantity all colours 
are represented—at least, all Cyclamen colours, from swan-like 
white, blush, the various tints of rose, deepening to pink, purple, 
and glowing crimson, the varieties of the giganteum type being of 
great size, but the blooms not quite so freely produced as the 
others. The plants now so fine were raised from seed sown just 
over a year ago, and thousands of others are now coming through 
the soil for producing a similar display next winter and spring. 
A steady unchecked growth induced by a cool stove temperature, 
with moisture to keep them moving and air and light to keep 
them vigorous, are the essentials of culture ; but it must be ob¬ 
served that such plants can seldom be produced in mixed houses. 
To have Cyclamens in the finest possible condition separate 
structures are desirable, and if not indispensable, are decidedly 
advantageous. 
Eventually the houses now so gay will be not less effectively 
furnished. The Cineraria season is at hand, and plants are as 
well grown as is possible for making it a gay one. Then follow 
the Calceolarias, which will be gorgeous in May, the plants having 
for some time been in the 8 and 9-inch pots in which they will 
flower. They are grown in low span-roofed frames from which 
frost is excluded, but means are adopted for preventing dry heated 
air from the pipes coming in contact with the plants, which are 
grown on a flooring of ashes kept moist. Insects are not destroyed, 
for the simple reason that light fumigations periodically afforded 
