NOVEMBER. 
325 
firm as possible. In the early part of July I re-pot into 6-inch 
pots, using soil as before, still keeping them under north wall with 
plenty of air, when they make plenty of nice, short, stocky 
leaves. About the end of October I place them in a cold vinery, 
where they get plenty of light and air. I do not let young plants 
flower before January, by which time they make fine plants from 
twelve to eighteen inches through; a complete mass of flowers, 
and continue flowering till the end of April, when they are placed 
in a cold vinery near the glass, where they get plenty of light and 
air to ripen the seed, which is worth any trouble it takes to ripen 
it properly, as there is always a demand for good Primula seed. 
As soon as the seed is gathered I cut off all decayed leaves and 
flower stems from as many of the best plants as 1 want to save, 
and re-pot them into 10-inch pots, using soil, and treating them 
the same as young plants. I let them begin to flower lastly in 
November, by which time many of them will be from twenty-four 
to thirty inches through, and continue to flower till the young 
plants are strong and large enough. A great advantage Primulas 
have over most winter and spring flowering plants, they are never 
infested with green fly, or any other insect, so it is no trouble to 
keep them clean. As I save my own seed every season, I get 
none but the brightest colours and best fringed flowers. 
S. T. C. C. 
THE ISABELLA GRAY ROSE. 
Grave doubts have been expressed that this rose would not bloom 
in the open air of this climate, in which up to the present time I 
have partially shared ; but as I happened to see the veritable 
plant which furnished the subject for your plate at the time, I was 
so enamoured with its beauty, that I purchased it at oiice, and 
have grown it ever since ; but it is only just now that I have 
been fortunate in getting it into bloom—in a small way certainly, 
but still as it affords the key to future success, I cannot longer 
delay withholding what I believe will insure its blooming (as 
freely, at any rate, as the Cloth of Gold) from the readers of the 
Florist, in whose pages it was first made known to the public. 
I have tried the plant in several situations, but the one now 
blooming with me is on a due south wall and dry situation. The 
blooms are produced on short spurs, breaking away from the best 
ripened shoots of this present season, and it is a fact to be remem¬ 
bered that while the most forward spring shoots, which of course 
ripened earliest, have broken out into blooming spurs, there is no 
indication of their doing so on the later shoots, although much 
more vigorous. My plan, therefore, for next season will be to 
cut back hard this year’s wood, and to induce the trees to break 
and make wood early, wdiich I shall lay on thinly that it may get 
all the benefit of the sun and light, and at the same time prevent 
any secondary or latter season shoots from being formed, as I 
imagine they only rob those from which blooms may be expected. 
y 3 
