May 3,188«. ] 
JOURXAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
361 
little conceit taken out of him, an l left with his former remark em¬ 
phasised, “I never saw so much in the time in all my life!”— 
A Londoner. 
ACACIAS. 
Your illustration of A. cultriformis, page 301, and the bountiful 
supplies of flowers we have had from our plants of late, induces me to 
write most favourably of this useful class of spring flowering green¬ 
house plants. It is impossible to over-estimate their value for green¬ 
house and conservatory decoration in March and April. They are all 
yellow, but that is not a defect, as they differ in shade, some 
being very pale, others of the deepest gold. Their habit of growth is 
excellent, and they flower in the greatest profusion. Plants so small 
as to be confined to 6-inch pots produce large quantities of flower, and 
large bushes, particularly those that are planted out in beds or 
borders, bear armfuls, or, I might almost say, cartloads of flowers. A 
backward spring may retard many flowers in cool houses, but no 
severe weather will prevent the Acacias exj^anding. 
■ The habit of many is very graceful; the foliage is an agreeable green, 
and they are therefore well adapted to become permanent occupants 
of the greenhouse or conservatory. When planted out they do not 
flower all the year round, or anything like it, but no one could say 
they were unsightly when not in flower, and I am greatly in favour of 
their being planted out. When once establishe t they will not only 
bear any amount of cutting when in flower, but the branches taken off 
in spring will be replaced by many more before the season is over. I do 
not approve of old scraggy plants being turned out of pots because 
they are not doing well with the hope of improving them, as this is 
certainly not giving them a chance to make a good beginning, but if 
healthy young plants are placed out at this season they will soon make 
rapid progress. Soil composed of three parts loam, one of peat, and a 
liberal dash of sand suits them in both beds and pots. Plants growing 
above perfect drainage succeed better than when drainage is deficient. 
We never shade our plants, but give them copious supplies of water 
when making their young wood.—-M. M. 
JOTTINGS. 
In a busy horticultural life memoranda accumulate with 
surprising rapidity, and to relieve one’s memory, or to permit the 
cancelling of congested note-books, a few paragraphs will be 
occasionally contributed under the above heading. Some will 
touch on small matters, and their chief object will be to serve as 
hints to those Who have the time or opportunities to elaborate them, 
or to record observations and items that can scarcely be classed 
under any other special title. 
PRIMROSES. 
We had to wait rather longer than usual this season for onr 
display of Primroses, but they have amply satisfied us for the 
delay, and are stiU in most floriferous condition. These and the 
Violets always seem to be the most welcome of the early flowers, 
and neither required any political associations to increise their 
popularity. Primroses in particular, even the common varieties, 
possess such fresh distinctive charms that they commend themselves 
to all garden-lovers, and now there are so many varied and brightly 
coloured forms they constitute quite a large group of useful plants. 
My collection is small, but it is increasing, and it probably affords 
me as much pleasure as many that are more extensive. About two 
years ago I obtained some plants of Mr. Gilbert's beautiful white 
Primrose named Harbinger, and with them formed a bed near the 
house, where they have for the past fortnight been crowded with 
large flowers. They flowered very well last season, and some seed 
was ripened from which nearly 200 plants were raised. These have 
all flowered in the present season, and include some interesting 
variations, though, strangely enough, only three out of all the 
number have come like the parent—namely, with white flowers. 
The flowers from which the seed was obtained was carefully self- 
fertilised, as the idea was to procure a larger stock of such a 
valuable variety as Harbinger undoubtedly is when true. The 
other seedlings are all delicate yellow Primroses of a very fine type, 
except three, which are of a rich crimson shade, the flowers well 
formed and inclining to the Polyanthus habit, as also do some of 
the yeUow varieties. The majority of the latter were planted out, 
and are fully equal to Harbinger in all its good points except the 
colour; the flowers are If inch in diameter, of good shape, very 
freely produced, and the plants strong. Harbinger and the crimson 
seedlings have now been crossed, and I shall expect to secure a still 
more varied progeny. I do not know the history of Harbinger, but 
it seems to have been selected from Primroses of the Polyanthus 
type, and the seedlings show a rather interesting reversion to the 
original stock in one generation. 
Enormous quantities of Primroses were brought into the metro¬ 
polis for Primrose Day, and it would be impossible to estim.ate how 
many thousands of bunches were sold on that day, but the following 
facts will give some idea of the demand. At the Crystal Palace. 
Sydenham, a Primrose Fete avas held, and Mr. W. G. Ue.ad employed 
in a very tasteful arrangement upwards of 14,003 bunches. These 
were disposed in an undulating bank 00 yards long by 2 or 3 yards 
wide, with 5000 bunches of other flowers, 150 pots of Daffodils, 
and 300 British Ferns in pots specially forced for the purpose. The 
majority of the Primroses sold in the market at early morning at 
very small prices, but subsequently as much as 2s. 6d. per dozen 
was realised. 
NARCISSUS TRIANDRUS ALBU3. 
Under the name of Narcissus calathinus this charming plant has 
been repeatedly noticed in the past two years, and it avas grown as 
such in the Royal Gardens, Kew. It has, however, since been 
found that the name is incorrect, and that the true N. calathinus is 
much scarcer. As N. triandrus albus (fig. 45) it is, however, equally 
worthy of cultivation, and it is one of the best of the smaller 
flowered Narcissi for pots. I have an example in flower now that 
shows the characters of the plant admirably. A 32-sized pot con¬ 
tains about fourteen bulbs, each bearing a scape with from one to 
three flowers, the total being thirty-two elegant creamy white 
slightly drooping flowers. They have been expanding for the past 
fortnight, and will last for at least another week, as they are not all 
fully open yet. Several of the scapes have three flowers each, but 
in Messrs. Baker and Burbidge’s work on the Narcissus it is figured 
with four flowers to a scape. The plants have been in an unheated 
house all the winter, but were placed out of doors in a sunny posi¬ 
tion last summer to ripen the bulbs, with the result that they have 
flowered much more strongly this season than last. 
COVENT GARDEN MARKET ON MAY DAY. 
The different seasons have their special attractions in the 
Covent Garden Flower Market, but scarcely a better time than the 
present could be chosen for an early morning visit. On May _lst 
the market was particularly full and busy, plants and flowers being 
apparently in strong demand. Amongst the plants Marguerites in 
48 and 32-size pots were remarkably numerous, fine graceful little 
bushes well flowered, and especially valuable for decorative pur¬ 
poses and window boxes. Pelargoniums, both Zona's and the 
decorative or regal varieties, contributed a wealth of colour. 
Cinerarias also afforded some rich tints, with Fuchsias, Spiraeas in 
thousands, capital dwarf Hydrangeas with large heads of pink 
flowers, Deutzias, Heaths, and Rhodanthes. The last named, par¬ 
ticularly the white variety, are great favourites, and grown as the 
plants are in frames they have not the drawn thin appearance so 
frequently seen in gardens. Forced plants of Lilium candidum, 
with the pure L. longiflorum, also occupied a con'^iderable space on 
