June 22. 
THE COTTAGE GARDENER. 
210 
I 
plied with rich top-dressings and manure-waterings 
when required. A few of these, treated as I have 
mentioned for the first lot, have thus kept good all 
the season. In potting these old plants, it is well to 
use rather sandy, or light compost, and to leave room 
for frequent top dressings. 
After all we have said and done, however, the prin¬ 
ciple still holds good,—that for a great future display, 
we must sacrifice a little present gratification. 
R. Fish. 
FLORISTS’ FLOWERS. 
THE PRIMROSE. 
I have often been surprised that this lovely spring 
flower has been comparatively neglected. As long as I 
can remember, it was always a favourite with me, and in 
my own small garden, I collected together all the varie¬ 
ties I could muster; and now, when more than half a 
century’s springs have passed over my head, the remem¬ 
brance of my Primroses, as well as Stocks, is a source of 
pleasurable recollection. Yet this charming flower is 
not generally a favourite with florists, and hence there 
have been few attempts to improve it. I do believe 
there are no more varieties now than there were fifty 
years ago. The reason may be because only double 
flowers are esteemed for gardens, and double flowers 
are very rarely produced from seed. Perhaps this pecu¬ 
liarity may arise from tire fact, that nobody thinks of sow¬ 
ing Primrose seed; I never did, and I never knew any one 
else that did. To obtain new and improved double 
Primroses would be a work of many generations. I have 
cultivated the common single yellow, wild Primroses in 
shrubbery borders, and they shed their seeds and come 
up in abundance, and flowered the following year, but 
all single, though often some would sport slightly in 
colour. It is these sports that seed should have been 
saved from, which would be step No. 1. in the right 
direction. That seed would most probably be further 
removed from the original wildings, and the next 
generation would, in many instances, be still further 
improved, until at last some good new variety would 
surprise and reward the persevering florist. It is very 
likely there might, in the transition from the wild flower 
to the new double one, be many curious and novel 
single seedlings, perhaps striped ones, or edged ones. 
These novelties ought to be taken care of and pro¬ 
pagated, for there is no reason why we should not 
add the Primrose to our spring exhibitions, and so 
increase our innocent pleasures at these heart-improving 
meetings in the spring time of the year. It is true, 
even now, prizes might be offered for the best collection 
of double Primroses, or single prizes for the best of 
every colour; but on account of the fewness of varieties 
in colour, the exhibition, in two or three seasons, would 
become “ flat, stale, and unprofitable.” 
Let us see how many sorts we can muster. There are 
the double white, double blush, double lilac, double 
yellow, double red, and double crimson; and I have seen a 
double flesh-colour, and a double sulphur—seven or eight 
varieties in all—and these were all in existence when I 
first began gardening. This state of the culture of the 
garden Primrose is far from creditable to the florists of 
Great Britain, and I do trust some young, enterprising, 
zealous, and persevering man, will take this neglected 
flower in hand, and improve it. I am certain, even as a 
matter of £ n d, that it would repay a seven year’s 
attention; 1 cannot promise success, to any extent, in 
less than that time. Then, again, whoever was so 
happy as to raise single flowers so superior in form, in 
colour, aud substance, as to render them worthy of being 
propagated by division, aud in such number of varieties 
as to be sufficient to form a class ; I say, such a success- : 
ful man would confer a great benefit upon the floral 
world. What he should aim at would be, 1st. A stout 
stem, long enough to bear the flower above the foliage. 
2nd. A perfectly round, flat flower, with entire edging, 
or margin. 3rd. A clear ground colour; whether white 
j or black, or any of the intermediate colours, with 
distinct lacings of a different colour to the body one. 
4th. The eye to be well filled, and circular. In fact, the 
same properties in every point (excepting that of bearing 
one flower on each stem, instead of several) as the 
Polyanthus, would serve for the new class of single 
Primroses. In one respect this flower would be superior 
to the Polyanthus. The blooms might be more nu¬ 
merous, and would form quite a bush of flowers resting 
upon a bed of green foliage, which would set off the 
colours to the greatest advantage. Let us hope, then, 
in a very few years, to see prizes offered for Primroses, 
in something like this style : 
primroses—singi.e varieties. 
i 1st. Prize, for a pan of six, of dissimilar varieties, 
grown in pots ; not less than six blooms on each plant. 
Classes—1st. Best white, with dark edge. 
2nd. Do. dark, with white edge. 
3rd. Do. red, with yellow edge. 
4th. Do. purple, with yellow edge, &c. 
Then the double varieties would claim the attention of 
the framers of the schedule of prizes; a prize should 
be offered for a collection of six of the best. 
CULTURE OF DOUBLE PRIMROSE. 
Five single Primroses, distinctly marked, only exist at 
present in my imagination, therefore, I need not say a 
word more about them, excepting expressing a hearty 
wish that they may be soon called into existence, as it 
were, by the magic power of some florist. Double 
varieties we do possess, and in some gardens they 
flourish, and flower well; but in others they only exist, 
and bloom badly. The difference in these two cases is 
caused, generally, by the nature of the soil, and the 
elevation of the place. Some soils suit the Primrose so 
well that they grow like Cabbages, with large leaves 
l and large tufts of plant. In such soils they are often 
used as edgings, which, when in flower, are exceedingly 
beautiful and effective. This is all very pleasant, but 
j in a soil and situation not so favourable these very lovely 
flowers languish and perish. In such a case, the art of 
| the florist is put forth to assist them. Now the Primrose 
likes a moderately dry loam, but some varieties require 
I particular care. The most scarce is the rich coloured 
, double crimson. This variety should have a good pure 
loam mixed with about a sixth of well decayed leaf- 
mould. Take the plants up as soon as they have done 
blooming, divide them, retaining as many roots as 
' possible to each division, and plant them in the above 
mixture or compost, in a shady part of the garden, 
shady, but not under the drip of trees. I have my 
Primroses planted on a bed near to an east wall, the 
sun never shines on them after eleven o’clock, and they 
thrive very well with me in this position. 
Should the weather prove dry they should be watered 
three or four times till well established, and then kept 
clear of weeds. In this bed they may remain two or 
three years, after which they should be taken up and 
replanted. This treatment, also, answers well for the 
double white variety, and, indeed, for any or all of them, 
only the lilac and hardy Scotch will do with less care. 
These commoner kinds, in loose friable loams, are very 
suitable for the front of a mixed perennial border 
or the shrubbery. I think a very interesting border, 
with a sunny aspect, would be one furnished with early 
spring flowers, such as the Primrose, the Hepatica, 
the Squills, Adonis, and Alpine Anemones, Winter 
! Aconites, and many others. I will some day, soon, 
I 
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