April 22 ! 886. ] 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER . 
305 
COMING EVENTS 
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Good Friday. 
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Easter Sunday 
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Bank Holiday. [Promenade Show. 
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Royal Horticultural Society—Fruit and Floral Committees at 11 a.m. 
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THE PRIMULA CONFERENCE. 
XHIBITION8 of the stereotyped character have 
become so numerous in recent years that they 
are somewhat monotonous to exhibitors, the 
public, and all who are in any way connected 
with them. Specimen plants which were seen 
at one or two shows in a season are now found 
.fQgJ at a score, and beautiful though they be, they 
lose much of their interest after a few inspec¬ 
tions. Something of novelty in exhibiting was 
required to awaken the public attention, and this the Council 
of the Royal Horticultural Society found in the conferences 
or congresses they initiated a few years since, and which have 
proved so successful. From an educational point of view these 
are far superior to ordinary exhibitions, and they constitute 
displays of scientific and practical value. Large collections 
of a particular kind of plant, fruit, or vegetable are obtained, 
representing a great number of varieties grown under 
different conditions and in widely separated districts, 
affording an admirable means of comparison and correcting 
nomenclature. The experiment has been tried with Apples, 
Pears, Daffodils, and Orchids in previous years, the present 
season being reserved for the Primulas, which thus constitutes 
the fifth of the series, and must be chronicled as an equal 
success. 
The selection of the Primulas for a special gathering of 
this kind is easily justifiable; they are favourites with all 
for their unassuming beauty, and the family yields so many 
useful garden plants that it ranks high in horticultural 
importance. For example, Cyclamen persicum and Primula 
sinensis alone are grown in enormous numbers, and some 
market growers raise the former by tens of thousands to 
supply the widespread demand for such useful decorative 
plants. Amongst hardy plants the elegant American Cow¬ 
slips (the Dodecatheons), the Lysimachias, including that 
cottage favourite “ The Creeping Jenny,” the brightly 
coloured Pimpernels and graceful Soldanellas, are examples 
of the Primrose family, but it is in the typical genus itself 
—the Primula, that we obtain the greatest number of forms 
and the greatest variety of colours. In the species delicate 
shades of yellow predominate, with purple, crimson, and rose 
tints, though in some that have been long under cultivation, 
and of which many varieties have been raised, combinations 
of all these and other hues are abundant. This is particu¬ 
larly the case with the Auricula, which for over 200 years 
has been carefully tended by innumerable admirers, who have 
multiplied its variations until it has been rendered one of 
the most changeable of cultivated plants. It seems that 
when once the stability of a plant’s habit is thoroughly dis¬ 
turbed by hybridising this mutability becomes a character, 
and the variations can be increased at pleasure. In the 
Alpine Auricula this is well seen, for many have now discon¬ 
tinued naming the varieties, as from seed of a good strain 
numberless forms can be raised, a large proportion of 
which would at one time have been considered worthy of 
separate titles. The more highly bred, edged, or show 
No. 304. —Vol. XII., Third Series, 
Auriculas, when judiciously crossed, produce similar results, 
but the proportion of sterling novelties is much smaller, and 
such experienced Auricula growers as the Rev. F. D. Horner 
and Mr. J. Douglas have had to discard many varieties 
before securing those which have been found worthy of special 
certificate honours at the hands of judges. 
It is unnecessary for us to trace the progress of the 
Auricula to its present high standard and diversity, for Mr. 
Shirley Hibberd and the Rev. F. D. Horner give, in another 
part of this issue, the results of their researches and experience, 
and to these we refer all who are interested in the matter. 
There is, however, another portion of the subject that deserves 
a few remarks—'namely, the Primulas which have come into 
general cultivation in addition to P. Auricula. A close com¬ 
panion to the Auricula, in the estimation of florists, is the 
Polyanthus, which may be botanically regarded as a near 
relative of our common Cowslip, P. veris. Varieties of this, 
with red and brown gold-edged blooms, have long been 
favourites, and as hardy garden plants the Polyanthuses, 
Alpine Auriculas, and the Primroses (descendants of P. vul¬ 
garis), take the lead in the genus. Amongst indoor Primulas 
that have attracted notice in recent years P. cortusoides and 
its varieties, with the stately P. japonica, are scarcely less 
popular than P. sinensis, though the still more recent P. 
obconica is likely to have a large share of public favour 
when its merits are more generally known. To the many 
lovely Himalayan and other exotic Primulas we need not 
refer, as in the articles which have appeared in our pages 
during the past six months the best have been fully described, 
together with the special treatment the plants require. 
The combination of the National Auricula Society’s Show 
with the Primulas afforded an extensive and varied display, 
the chief features of which are described in another column, 
two of the papers prepared for the Conference on Wednesday 
being also given. Owing, however, to the great pressure 
upon our space this week those by Mr. J. G. Baker and 
Dr. M. T. Masters are reluctantly held over to another issue. 
Mr. Baker’s paper is entitled, “ A Synopsis of the European 
Species of Primula with their Distribution,” and he 
enumerates twenty species arranged in four groups— 
Primulastra, Aleuritia, Aurieulasira, and Arthritica, which 
are distinguished fcy characters derived from the manner 
the leaves are folded, whether mealy or not, and some 
peculiarities of the calyx. Brief descriptions of the species 
are also given with their authorities. Dr. Masters’ contri¬ 
bution is, “ On the Root-structure and Mode of Growth of 
Primulaceasin Relation to Cultivation.” 
There was a good attendance at the Conference, which 
was opened in the Crush Room at the Royal Albert Hall at 
noon on Wednesday by J. T. D. Llewelyn, Esq., and as 
proofs of the papers had been distributed, it was decided to 
take them as read, except Mr. Horner’s contribution, which 
in his absence was read by a friend. This saved considerable 
time, as after a few introductory remarks by the Chairman 
they were enabled to proceed with the business of the meeting. 
Mr. Shirley Hibberd gave a brief but entertaining summary 
of his paper on the origin of the Auricula, which was fol¬ 
lowed by an exceedingly interesting discussion on the matter, 
several important facts being elicited. Mr. J. G. Baker 
spoke at some length in defence of the views he had adopted, 
that P. Auricula and the hybrid P. pubescens were the pro¬ 
genitors of the garden Auriculas, also giving references to 
plates earlier than those quoted by Mr. Hibberd, and especi¬ 
ally noting the figures and descriptions by Clusius to prove 
that the principal European Primulas were defined, and that 
many variations of the Auricula type were cultivated before 
the close of the sixteenth century. Professor Foster and 
several others also took part in the discussion, but it was 
ultimately resolved that a suggestion by Mr. R. I. Lynch 
should be adopted—namely, to endeavour to obtain seed 
from the typical P. Auricula, to raise seedlings, and thus test 
its capacity for variation. Sir Joseph Hooker remarked that 
No. 1960. —Yol. LXX1Y., Old Series. 
