the rich tint of the midrib, in the red-flowered form we have 
figured, imparts a strongly-marked feature of ornament. The 
flower-stems are from eight to ten inches in length, and pro¬ 
duce a terminal cluster of from ten to twenty elegantly-fringed 
blossoms of a crimson-tinted rose-colour: there is also a white- 
flowered variety, forming a pretty contrast to the more richly 
coloured one of our Plate.” 
In order to obtain good plants of this or of any other strain 
of Chinese Primrose, it will be desirable to sow the seed at 
once. In fact, those who require them in the earlier part of 
the season, such as November, must sow them in April; but 
seed sown now, will produce nice plants for January or Feb¬ 
ruary. A gentle heat is desirable for inducing the seeds to ger¬ 
minate freely, and although the plant is capable of bearing 
much vicissitude of atmosphere, and flowers even in the 
drawing-room, where we have known plants to have continued 
in bloom for months, yet it will succeed best in an inter¬ 
mediate house during the winter; while during the summer 
months no place is more suitable for them than a cool pit, 
where they can be shaded from the sunlight during the heat 
of the day. All flower-buds should be picked off until the 
plant is approaching its ordinary time of bloom. The soil best 
suited is one composed of three parts of loam and one of well- 
decomposed manure, with a portion of silver sand. Careful at¬ 
tention to watering is also needed during the whole period of 
growth. 
