42 
THE FLORIST AND POMOEOGIST. 
be seen by the following abstract from an early volume of Loudon’s “ Gardener’s 
Magazine : ”—“ In November take off the suckers and pot them singly in 
48-sized pots; plunge in a moderate bottom heat, and a temperature of about 
55°. By the middle of January shift into larger pots, and increase the heat 
to 60°. By the end of February shift again, and increase the heat to 65°. In 
April shift for the last time into 12-sized pots; remove the plants to the vinery, 
and supply them copiously with water. About the beginning of June remove 
to the greenhouse or conservatory. For compost use equal parts sandy loam, 
leaf mould, and bog-earth. Under this treatment the plants grow above 6 feet 
high, covered with branches of several feet in length, all beset with a profusion 
of flowers. In fact they continue in flower from July to October.” 
THE PRIMULA. 
How charmingly gay are these beautiful winter-flowering plants just now! 
—and what a pity it is that they wall not bear a position in the window of a sit¬ 
ting-room better than they do ! At this time of year I often walk through the 
centre avenue of Covent Garden Market to get a peep at the Primulas on sale 
there ; and finer and deeper-coloured flowers can hardly be conceived. Indif¬ 
ferent flowers are rarely to be seen there, just because they would not com¬ 
mand a sale. 
Just now the Primula appears to be passing through a period of change. A 
little while ago, and large, stout, and finely fringed flowers of the single 
purple, and white varieties were thought to be almost the ne plus ultra of im¬ 
provement ; but now, in the hands of the skilful cross-breeder, not only are the 
single flowers being produced in shades of cerise and carmine, but also flaked 
and spotted, and even edged flowers are finding their way into notice. The 
old double white variety has passed into flowers suffused with delicate rose, 
and these again into heightened colours, until large and handsome deep-coloured 
purple flowers are springing up under the magic spell of the hybridiser. To 
mere outsiders, so great is the improvement that it may appear as a result of 
the magician’s touch; but to the true florist, who sees in every fresh creation 
the operation of that inevitable law of progress working in every department 
of nature, it is the realisation of his bright hopes and ardent wishes. 
A notable and well-known instance of variation in the single flowers was 
that observed in the variety known as Primula sinensis kermesina, in which a 
bright rosy carmine colour took the place of the dull purple shade so well 
known to all. As the seed of this variety was mainly obtained from the con¬ 
tinent, the flowers were found in many cases to be devoid of the fimbriated edges 
so greatly desired. Now that seed of this variety—and it is a very pleasing 
and striking shade of colour—has been produced in our own country, the strain 
has greatly improved. This has been noticed during the past winter at the 
Horticultural Gardens, South Kensington, where Mr. Eyles has frequently ex¬ 
hibited some very fine and showy flowers of P. kermesina grown from seed of 
home saving. 
In the hands of Messrs. Windebank & Kingsbury, of Southampton, who 
seem to be in the van of the advance of floricultural enterprise in the southern 
counties, the single flowers have appeared in some new, varied, and beautiful 
forms. Finding that the Fern-leaved varieties of P. sinensis possessed a greater 
strength than those in ordinary cultivation, they have used them in the course of 
their experiments. 
It may here be stated that in all the beautiful variations the cross-breeder has 
developed, there appears to be no lack of size or substance in the flowers, nor 
