270 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND G011AGE GARDENER. 
[ September 24, 1885. 
P. aucheri, Jaub and Spach. —A very rare and little known 
Primula. The flowers are produced in whorls, as in our well-known 
P. verticillata, about a dozen in each whorl, lovely purple, and sur¬ 
rounded by leaf-like bracts with sharp serratures ; the sepals are 
narrow and pointed, much shorter than the long slender tube ; leaves 
lanceolate, gradually tapering to the petiole, reticulated with notched 
margins, and alternate only on the shrubby stems. It flowers in May. 
P. Auricula, L. —The Bear’s Ear or Canary-bird Primrose—the 
latter name being very characteristic of the typical plant—is, next to 
our own native Primrose, perhaps the best known in gardens of all 
European kinds. P. Auricula has until lately been considered the sole 
parent of all the curious and beautiful Show, Fancy, and Alpine 
Auriculas grown in gardens at the present day ; and judging from 
general appearances, the long-held impression carries considerable 
weight with it, even after Prof. Kernel’s paper. Prof. Kerner, after 
a long and careful study of the subject, attributes the origin of the 
garden Auricula to P. pubescens of Jacq., a species the type of which 
has hitherto been very little known in gardens, and certainly has 
never been in general cultivation. It was first gathered by Clusius of 
old in the Tyrol, and at that time introduced, little or nothing being 
heard of it again until found by Prof. Kerner in 18G7 on the Inns¬ 
bruck Hills. For such a conclusion Kerner must have had strong 
reasons, but we are rather inclined to the belief, all things con¬ 
sidered, that P. Auricula has played a very prominent part in the history 
of garden Auriculas if not in their origin. Mr. Baker says, “ It seems 
to me quite impossible to take a walk through any Auricula show, with 
this Primula pubescens in memory, without feeling that Prof. Kerner s 
paper is very far from having exhausted the whole subject. My own 
view is that a very large proportion of our garden Auriculas are 
nearer to P. Auricula than they are to P. pubescens, and that the 
garden Auricula of the present day is the product of a complicated 
series of intercrossings, of which P. Auricula has been the main 
groundwork, and into which P. Balbisii, P. venusta, and P. pubescens 
have also entered.” Let us bear in mind that P. venusta is P. Auricula 
x P. carniolica. P. Balbisii is nothing more than a variety of 
P. Auricula ; and P. pubescens. according to Kerner’s own showing, is 
6uperauriculaxhirsuta, and it will not be hard to understand the 
justice of Mr. Baker’s remarks. Prof. Kerner, however, proves one 
thing conclusively— i e , the tale that the Auricula of the Alps changes 
its colour under cultivation ; but when he says that the dusty English 
Auricula is the produce of P. pubescens fertilised with P. Palinuri, the 
latter reminding one more of a Cabbage than a Primrose, we confess 
to be drawn back to our starting point, P. Auricula. This subject will 
no doubt be thoroughly threshed out at the Conference, where every 
facility will be given for a fair judgment on seeing the various races of 
Auriculas, both mealy and Alpine, staged side by side with those said 
to have played a prominent part in their origin. As far back as 
1629 Parkinson enumerates no less than twenty varieties of Auricula, 
and for want of better names were known as Great White, Lesser 
White, and so on, a violent contrast to the high state of perfection of 
these days. Auriculas at the present time are more popular, and 
are held in higher esteem by the public than they have been at any 
other time in their history, and deservedly so, for no plant shows the 
skill of the cultivator and the importance of careful selection more 
strikingly than the Auricula. Auriculas are divided into two great 
groups, with mealy and unmealed centres, and termed respectively 
Show and Alpine varieties. 
P. Auricula, the type according to Obrist, has no smell whatever 
in a wild state, although its fragrance is one of its chief attractions 
under cultivation. It varies according to the locality in which it is 
found growing, sometimes being found with the leaves quite green or 
only slightly mealy, and at other places they are completely covered 
with a fine powder The leaves are fleshy, succulent, nearly obovate 
in outline, with almost entire or deeply serrated margins, generally 
about 2 inches long ; the flowers are produced on stalks from 3 to 
6 inches long, in umbels, generally from six to twelve-flowered, 
but Stein says often more than fifty ; they vary in colour from light 
to dark golden yellow. It is extremely easy to grow, and will do 
almost as well in the ordinary garden border as in the rockery, pro¬ 
viding the soil is well drained and not too heavy (this will apply to all 
the Alpine section). We succeed best with it, however, on a stony 
bank having a west exposure, and where it receives plenty of water 
all through the summer months. The Alpine varieties do exceedingly 
well on the rockery, and a pretty show they make in the early spring 
with their ever-welcome flowers, ranging in colour from red through 
all the shades of purple, violet, yellow, &c., some being self-coloured, 
others having variously tinted throats or eyes. They are natives of 
jhe Alps of Central Europe, from Dauphine to Transylvania.—D. 
(To be continued.) 
WHINHAM’rf INDUSTRY GOOSEBERRY. 
On pages 252 and 253 of last week’s Journal you gave a description 
»n d plate cf the above, but not a correct account of i s origin. It was 
raised at Morpeth in Northumberland by the late Mr. Robert Whinham, 
nurseryman, &c., about forty-two years ago. Mr. Whinham left Morpeth 
for America about fifty-five years ago, but not being successful he re¬ 
turned to Norfolk ten years later, his family keeping the nurseries on 
during his absence. He succeeded in raising the above about 1843, and 
being personally acquainted with him I saw it growing and bearing 
about 1847. He sent it out, but only in a small way, about 1850 at Is. 
eacb, but it made little progress for some years, though now there is 
about 90 per cent, of it growing in this neighbourhood. I myself have 
four acres of it, about 4000 bushes. It is not uncommon to pull a net- 
basket, 56 lbs., off a bnsh eight years old ; in fact, I have pulled 84 lbs. 
off a bush. Mr. Whinham died at Morpeth about twenty-five years ago at 
eighty years of age, having, with the exception of the ten years he was in 
America, lived all his life at Morpeth, so it is impossible it could have 
been raised in Lancashire. It is of a very robust constitution, making 
a bush in half the time of almost any other variety of Gooseberry. I have 
some two years old now that have made shoots 30 inches long this season, 
dry as it has been.—G. C. 
We learn that the official report of the Committee of 
the Orchid Conference, held at the Royal Horticultural Society’s 
Gardens at South Kensington on the 12th and 13th of May, 1885, will be 
issued in October next. This report in book form of octavo size, and con¬ 
taining about 150 pages, will be distributed to all Fellows of the Society as 
a number of the Journal, and it will embrace :—1, A report of the pro¬ 
ceedings at the Conference, including a paper read by Mr. H. J. Veitch, 
F.L.S., on the Hybridisation of Orchids, with illustrations, and a paper by 
Mr. James O’Brien on the cultivation of Orchids. 2, Botanical and 
horticultural reports by Henry N. Ridley, Esq., B.A., F.L.S., Natural 
History Museum, South Kensington, and F. W. Burbidge, Esq., F.L.S., 
Trinity College Gardens, Dublin. 3, An alphabetical list of tho genera of 
Orchids. 4, A catalogue of exhibitors and exhibits. 
- Fungus on Sweet Williams. —This season we have had a 
number of plants of Sweet Williams infested with a dark fuDgus which 
occurs in abundant patches on the foliage. Dr. M. C. Cooke determines 
this to be Puccinia Dianthi, a not uncommon fuDgus, but peculiar in this 
case, as it only attacked the plants from one packet of seed, the other 
plants in the garden and quite near them having escaped injury. 
- A new edition of Mr. A. Graham’s Guide to Hampton Court 
has just been issued, and contains in the sixty pages much interesting and 
useful information respecting the Palace and Gardens. The first part is 
devoted to general particulars and history of the Palace, the second dealing 
with the horticultural features. In the latter a list of bedding plants is 
given, with hints upon their culture and propagation, a number of tasteful 
diagrams of beds with methods of planting accompanying this portion, a 
descrip ivelist of the beds at Hampton Court for the present season being 
also given. The Guide can be obtained direct from Mr. Graham, post 
free one shilling. 
-Mr. J. W. Mills, Minterne, sends the following note on Potato 
Produce :—Having planted sixteen eyes I took from two Potatoes 
weighing half a pound (The Flounder), the produce from the above was 
75 lbs., all sound and good when taken up. The largest Potato weighed 
2 lbs., six of the largest 9 lbs. They were laid exposed to the air, and are 
now turned green. Some few of them have taken the disease since being 
lifted. 
-- “ W. D.” considers that “ Pears in Pots should, in our uncertain 
climate, have more general attention, and this is apparent when 
looking at 300 well grown Pears in pots at Harefield Grove just now- 
Buerre Clairgeau is very fine, and Buerre de l’Assomption, Doyermd du 
Comice, Pitmaston Duchesse d’Angoullme, Louise Bonne of Jersey, Marie 
Louise d’Uccle, Buerrd d’Amanlis, and Beurrd Superfin are fruiting 
freely with fine clean fruits, and are varieties for amateurs to start 
with.” 
- “ T. H.” sends us an extremely handsome bloom of Chrysan¬ 
themum Madame C. Desgranges, which in size, substance, and purity 
is equally as fine as Elaine. The bloom sent was 5| inches in diameter 
with broad, pure white florets, and Mr. N, Dayis has also sent us some 
nearly as large. 
