January 3,1896. 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
11 
temperatore, air being admitted at all times excepting in very severe 
weather. The plants are kept there until the end of May or early in 
June, and are then shifted into TJ-inch pots, inside measurement, for 
flowering. The pots are only three parts filled with soil at first to 
allow of top-dressing, which I shall refer to presently. This is a most 
important point in Primula culture, quite opposite to what is generally 
practised, as when we see the plants on the surface of the soil on a 
level with the rim of the pot, and with short sticks round the plants 
to keep them steady, a practice altogether abandoned by the Birmingham 
growers. 
The plants are then placed near the glass in a cold frame, the frame 
being so mounted that air can be freely admitted at top 
and bottom ; in fact, the lights are never closed. The plants 
remain there until some time in September, according to the 
weather, but are never watered until really needed, strictly 
avoiding too much moisture and providing ample drainage. 
Syringing is not resorted to, and the plants want very little 
attention during the summer, just growing them as hardy 
as possible, and that the foliage is not injured. In very 
sunny weather a light shading is employed and an abundance 
of air afforded. 
The plants are top-dressed early in August, filling 
the pots nearly to the rim. This serves two purposes— 
encouraging the formation of surface roots from the base of 
the stems, and steadying the plant so that sticks are un¬ 
necessary. Burying the base of the plant in this way may 
seem to be an odd practice to some, but 1 may as well say 
here—try it. 
The plants intended for exhibition, or as fine specimens, 
are placed in a well-ventilated, light span-roofed house in 
September, the lights opening on both sides, as well as the 
house being provided with top ventilation, air being constantly 
admitted, except when very severe frost is experienced. Heat 
is turned on if the weather is very damp, but air still remains, 
and of course a little heat is afforded in very frosty weather, 
but when Primulas are grown hardy, as I have indicated, a 
little frost does not seem to hurt them. Under such treat¬ 
ment the plants make steady progress, producing large stout 
foliage of unusual thickness, and of a good colour, clean, 
and free from any blemish on the margin, as is so often seen. 
But to have perfectly well grown symmetrical specimens the 
foliage must be carefully pegged down so as to allow free 
play to the trusses of flower buds, as they will then rise 
freely, the buds thus unimpeded by the foliage becoming 
large and well formed, the mass of bloom being also easily 
trained with scarcely any trouble so as to form a pyramidal 
head of flowers. 
The soil used is good turfy loam, leaf soil, and thoroughly 
decayed cow or stable manure in equal parts, kept as rough 
as possible for the purpose, and about a Sl-size potful of 
Clay’s fertiliser or guano mixed with 6 bushels of the compost, 
adding a sprinkling of old crushed mortar and sand, so that 
the soil may be kept open and porous to allow the water to 
pass readily away. The roots like the old mortar, and water¬ 
logged plants very soon go wrong. The pots are well drained, 
and the crocks slightly covered with moss, thus keeping the 
drainage quite free from the soil. The pots are quite clean 
when used. No liquid manure is given in the early stages 
of growth, not until the plants push up their flower trusses, 
then a little guano or Clay’s fertiliser is dissolved to form a 
weak solution. Such manures are never used in the dust 
state, as that leads to a clogging of the soil. 
With this treatment Mr. Herbert, year after year, secures 
superb specimen plants 2^ feet through, and from 18 to 20 inches 
above the pots. They bloom in October, and through the winter 
from seed sown in August of the previous year, perfect pictures of 
health and admirable culture, the flowers ranging from 2 to 3 inches 
in diameter. 
At the late Chrysanthemum show in the Birmingham Town Hall Mr. 
Herbert had in his winning twelves some fine seedlings now being 
circulated, which will bring him fame as a raiser, such as Princess 
May, Duke of York, Fairy Queen, and Monti Blanc, all very beautiful. 
Her Majesty is also a grand flower. The Birmingham standard enforces 
size, form, and great substance in the flower, freedom of bloom, and 
robust habit in the plant. The example figured is from a photograph. 
—William Dean, 
INTERVIEWING A NOTED GRAPE GROWER- 
In my communication on page 578 last week I gave the 
credentials that entitle Mr. J. J. C-aven to the above description, 
but I ought to have said be won the prizes there named at Trentham. 
Passing from the subjects before mentioned I asked Mr. Craven 
what he had to say about the depth of Yine borders ? He replied ; 
“ I think 2 feet 9 inches ample, as a rule, with about a foot of 
drainage. In light soils if borders are made of less depth, especially 
inside, they dry too quickly, but cultivators should be guided by 
local conditions. I work to no hard and fast rule. Borders should 
never be sunk to the ground level, but raised partly above it, 
especially in low damp positions. When so made they are warmer 
and promote more vigorous root action.” 
What do you consider a good compost ? “ Good loam, lime 
rubble, charcoal and bonemeal mixed in proportion to the quality of 
the loam is very good, but not too much charcoal as it is apt to go 
sour. I do not believe in employing wood ashes in making borders, 
on account of the danger of fungus arising from small twigs not 
thoroughly burnt or charred. I have had bad experience of fungus 
attributable to that cause, and would prefer to use it as a top- 
dresiing. Spent Mushroom beds and leaf soil I would not employ 
for the same reason. Vines should be planted 4 feet apart to 
obtain the best results, spreading the roots out as far as 
practicable, and not planting with the ball of roots nearly entire.” 
We next touched upon the pinching or stopping of youn 
