116 
THE FLORIST AND POMOLOGIST. 
[ May, 
these have the fine golden centre peculiar to auriculcejlora. One of my greatest 
favourites is violacea , which has large, bright, rosy-violet flowers, with golden 
centres ; it is a very early bloomer, and extremely free. This season it was in full 
flower in March, planted out in a cold frame. I winter all these Primroses in this 
way, planting them in October in a fine light rich soil, in which they can root 
freely. The lights are kept close only in excessively wet or severe weather, and 
removed when a gleam of sunshine or breath of mild air can fall on the flowers. 
Another cross has brought an extremely interesting progeny. In this case, 
the above-named single mauve Primrose, which is a pin-eyed form, was made the 
seed-parent, and P. vulgaris auriculcejlora , which is a finely-shaped thrum-eyed 
flower, was the pollen-parent. Some twelve or fourteen seedlings came from this 
cross, all of them having the habit of the seed-parent, and all of mauve shades, 
but as a whole, deeper in colour; some pin-eyed, a few thrum-eyed, larger in the 
pip, rounder and stouter also. Three or four of these are singularly beautiful, 
and in their improved form, substance, and depth of colour show the effects of 
the pollen-parent. This season I hope to cross these with Splendour , violacea, 
and other fine types, and look for cheering results. We want a fine pure white 
common Primrose. I have seen several, but the flowers are small, rough, and 
flimsy. I have, however, two or three seedling whites that are decided improve¬ 
ments, and I hope that in a few years we shall have fine pure white varieties, 
rivalling auriculcejlora and violacea in size and quality.—B. Dean, Ealing. 
PELARGONIUM RIENZI. 
f N the accompanying figure it is not difficult to recognise some of the highest 
qualities which have been secured in the race of Pelargoniums bred between 
? P. inquincins and P. zonale , and which are familiar in our gardens under 
the old-fashioned name of Scarlet Geraniums. Dr. Denny, who is the 
fortunate raiser of this variety, Bienzi , has done very much towards improving 
the flowers of this race, for not only has he, as in this case, realised perfection of 
form, but he has in some other of his varieties secured another most important 
property—durability, in consequence of which the petals hold on almost or 
quite until they wither. The ephemeral nature of the flowers, especially in hot 
sunny weather, is a serious demerit in some fine sorts, and is specially conspicuous 
in the variety called Jean Sisley, which is otherwise one of the most charming of 
the pure scarlets. Mr. Cannell describes Bienzi as a robust grower, of good habit, 
the flowers of a soft slightly-tinted scarlet, in trusses of fair size, freely pro¬ 
duced. As regards form and quality of flower, Bienzi may fairly claim precedence 
of any variety hitherto introduced, and to be the true type of a florist’s flower, 
possessing almost to perfection all the prescribed qualities—namely, smoothness 
of texture, with substance, size, and form, the petals being unusually large, and 
boldly rounded off, and their size causing them very considerably to overlap each 
other, in fact to such an extent that the lower petal (which resembles that of the 
finest pansy) can be removed, and the four remaining ones are sufficient to com- 
