October 8, 1888. ] 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
311 
aids to the successful culture of all plants in winter. Shading is 
generally very beneficial in summer, but it is injurious in late 
autumn and winter. Remove every particle of it from the glass 
now. 
The weather is not very suitable for repairing and painting in 
October, but leakages are productive of much evil and must be 
stopped. Fireplaces, pipes, and boilers must be in the best of 
working order. Flues may not have been used since last spring. 
They are seldom cleaned when done with, and it is not until a 
frosty night comes and someone goes to light a fire that it is dis¬ 
covered that the smoke channel is full of soot and leaking. The 
flue ought to be cleaned out from end to end before frost comes, a 
fire put on, and the joints tested, any damage repaired, and the 
whole dried before it is really wanted. 
Few plants require so much water at the root or in the atmo¬ 
sphere in winter as during the longer days, and the gradual with¬ 
holding of it should begin at once. We find our Pine Apple plants 
in houses rather deficient of heat keep very much fresher on the 
dry side than when too moist, and often our finest successional 
plants do not receive any water from a can or syringe from October 
until February. Many are astonished that our Orange trees, &c., 
keep so green in an unheated house during the winter, but we 
attribute this to careful watering. Prepare winter protectors. If 
the mats a’ e worn buy new ones, but do not use them just as they 
come to hand, but tie the ends neatly, and they will last as long 
again. If straw is scarce save the best of it which is thrown out 
from the stable, dry it, and store it away for use. Wild Fern or 
bracken is very useful. Wherever it can be conveniently had cut 
it largely and stack it. It may be used for throwing over glass 
lights in the time of severe frost. It ought to be cut before it 
begins to wither, as when too far advanced much of it crumbles 
away, and nothing but the stems remain. 
Store herbs and roots in quantity. Parsley is as good for 
flavouring in a dried state as when green, and as much of it dies off 
in cold weather gather and dry it largely. Onions should be dried 
and cleaned in a cool airy shed, and then stored in a dry room. 
Carrots and Beetroot may both be drawn, put into an open shed for 
a few days to dry, then store under ashes or sand in a cool shed or 
cellar. If Turnips are not likely to remain good much longer store 
them in a heap under cover. The Swedish and the yellow Turnips 
will bear some frost, but the white and purple sorts may become 
pulpy if left out. Parsnips are very hardy, and need only be 
stored to last over a period of severe frost. Clear away all dead 
leaves from winter greens, such as Cauliflower, Broccoli, Brussels 
Sprouts, &c. Some may think that dead leaves will afford protec¬ 
tion, but they more often cause decay, and are unhealthy. Fruit 
trees do not need any special preparation for winter. Well-ripened 
wood will enable them to pass through the most severe weather 
without injury. Keep Vines, especially those on which fruit is 
hanging, free from decaying leaves and berries. Atmospheric 
moisture must be avoided and frost excluded.—A Kitchen Gar¬ 
dener. 
THE PRIMULA.. 
(.Continued from page 270.) 
P. auricitlata, Lam .—Although an extremely free-growing 
and profuse-flowering species, this is unfortunately rarely met with 
in gardens ; and where we do find the name it is generally repre¬ 
sented by P. luteola, a plant entirely different in ali its characters. 
P. auriculata is nearly allied to P. farinosa, and this may account in a 
measure for its being sometimes called P. megellanica, Duby , which is 
a synonym of P. farinosa. The present plant (fig. 49) is, however, 
quite free from powder, the under side of the leaves being the same 
as the upper, quite green. They are as long again as P. farinosa, 
broader, and more erect. It grows from a few inches to a foot in 
height, with a clean stout scape, carrying a large head of closely 
packed flowers, varying from bright rose to rose and lilac-tinted, as 
large as a sixpence ; leaves slightly denticulate, broad lance-shaped, 
bright shiny green, and with a prominent whitish midrib showing 
its whole length. It requires a shady cool place, on the rockery 
north-western aspect preferred, where it flowers freely and proves 
perfectly hardy. A variety called rubra has been lately introduced 
by Max Leichtlin of Baden-Baden, which promises to be a great 
acquisition. They are readily increased by the offsets or by seed. 
Native of Caucasian Alp3, Olympia, Bithynia, &c. Syn., P. longi- 
folia, Cart. Bot Mag. 
P. Balbisii, f.ehrn .—There seem to be two forms in cultivation, 
nearly allied to P. Auricula, and of which the type is considered a 
variety by many botanists. From experience in cultivating the 
plant I am inclined to keep up the separate specific name, as it 
differs widely from P. Auricula in a garden sense, and in a living 
state, whatever it may appear on comparison of dried specimens. 
It will be found a more difficult plant to cultivate than P. Auricula, 
and great attention must be given to it during the winter, as it is 
liable to damp off when over-supplied with water. It is at the 
same time very impatient of drought. The compost I employ 
consists of three parts limestone, the other part being a mixture of 
loam and finely chopped sphagnum. It forms a thick fleshy root- 
stock, and care must be taken in wedging the stones round the 
collar not to injure it. Plenty of water is required during the 
growing season, but at other times must be kept rather dry. The 
plant seems to like a half-shady position, a west aspect being pre¬ 
ferable. Although not often met with in the Alps, though not by 
any means rare, it is also found in Styria, and also between there 
and Indicarien. Obrist says it grows in Indicarien in the very deep 
regions, though not very plentifully. In habit it resembles P. Au¬ 
ricula. The leaves are, however, smaller and rounder on the culti¬ 
vated plants. The glossy foliage is also a distinguishing feature, 
as well as their leaves being quite free from meal dust, which is 
one of the characters of the other. The flowers are large, shining 
golden yellow, with a hairy throat, and having no perfume. It is 
one of the rare plants of the Baldo, Villarsa, and the Alps of 
Southern Tyrol. It flowers May and June. Syn., P. ciliata, Mo- 
retti, non Shrank,- P. Auricula var., Spr. P. Balbisii seems to be 
the one extreme, P. Auricula the other, with P. similis, Stein , and 
P. Obristi, Stein, intervening ; crosses between the two, the one 
sub and the other super-Balbisii x Auricula of Stein in both cases. 
P. bellunensis, Venzo. — One of the most recently introduced 
of the new Primulas from the neighbourhood of Belluno, a large 
town in the government of Venice. It is said to be a distinct 
species, which I doubt very much, as it has a near affinity to P. Bal¬ 
bisii and others, and more likely to be a cross between that and 
some other species, perhaps P. Auricula with super-Balbisii. It has 
flowered with us, however, and there cannot be a question about 
its value as a garden plant. When thoroughly established it is of 
freer growth than P. Balbisii, although having much of the habit 
of that plant. It differs in having longer and more oval-shaped 
leaves, showing the veins more prominently ; the margins are deeply 
and evenly indented, rough, and densely ciliated, the winged petioles 
being about as long as the blade of the leaf. Flowers larger than 
a shilling, well formed, of a handsome golden yellow colour, and 
often with a slightly frosted throat. The compost used is the same 
as that recommended for P. Balbisii, with the addition of finely 
powdered mussel shells. Flowers during May. A fine rockery 
plant where it can be kept comparatively dry during winter. 
