84 
THE FLOEIST AND POMOLOGIST. 
[ April, 
“ remained as inactive as in an ordinary greenhouse.” Perhaps if those parts had 
been exposed in the same way as the stems in the case just mentioned, the results 
would have been similar. It should be known that success in all such novel cases of 
grape-growing depends much on the well-protected inactive parts of the vine. Such 
was the case with Mr. Standstill’s, for the shelter of the greenhouse was suffi¬ 
cient to keep the sap-vessels from the evil influences of the weather, while the 
previous season’s store of nutriment in the other parts of the vine in the stove, 
was sufficient for the wants of the plant until the leaves expanded, to produce 
more by their action upon the roots under the influence of the sun. Now, by 
this time, the parts of the vine in the greenhouse were active, for the crop 
ripened in September and October. What I have said respecting the winter 
store of nutriment in the vine is consonant with what occurs generally in plants, 
for whether liquefied by natural or artificial means, the sap excites growth before 
it is influenced by the roots. These latter come into action only after they are 
influenced by the atmosphere through the new or fresh leaves. 
Now for Mildew on vines, on which Mr. Standstill invites information. The 
remedy he used may be good when sufficiently under control, but most dangerous 
if otherwise. Of late years I have had recourse to fumigating with sulphur on 
hot coals in a shovel, just before the vines were pruned, repeating the dose once 
after, and I have thus got clear of the pest; but so severe a remedy should not be 
applied until the “ vines are at rest.” All other plants, too, must be removed 
out of the house, and care taken to close the apertures, to prevent the deadly 
fumes escaping into houses adjacent, or there will be sure grounds for regret. I 
further suggest that in pruning vines all tendrils should be carefully cut off ; 
for both under and between their wire-like coils may lurk enough of torpid mil¬ 
dew to infect a whole house in the following season.—J. Wighton, Cosset/ Park. 
THE HARDY PRIMROSE. 
’’OR a few years I have been selecting the coloured wild Primroses from the 
woods, in order to cross and seed them for the purpose of raising brighter- 
_ coloured sorts. This year I have filled three round beds with plants 
^ taken from a border of seedlings ; they are now in full flower, and form 
by far the finest beds of early spring flowers I have ever seen. All the deepest 
crimson varieties are placed in the centre of the beds, and shaded off by plants of 
different lighter hues of red, mauve, and dove-colour. A band of golden- 
yellow ones comes next, and the outside row consists of pure white and cream- 
coloured sorts. The mild open winter has been favourable for the early flowering 
of the Primrose, and the present brilliant weather now shows them off in their 
brightest colours. In the same seed-bed some seedlings from a cross between a 
dark Polyanthus and Primula cortusoides amoena are coming into flower. 
Only one plant has, as yet, flowered with a distinctive character, and this is of 
the colour of a dark Alpine Auricula, with a small yellow eye, and considerably 
larger than the common Polyanthus. 
