GO 
THE FLORIST AND POMOLOGIST. 
[ April, 
of an ovate outline, and somewhat lieart-sliaped 
at the base. The flower branches are furnished 
with leaves, which become smaller and more 
pointed in the upper parts. Each branch is 
terminated by a large showy flower-head 4 in. to 
5 in. across, with the florets of the disk black, 
crowded, and forming a convex mass, and those 
of the ray ligulate, spreading, and of a reddish- 
purple colour. It is of the easiest manage¬ 
ment, and will grow in any good garden soil, 
flowering in succession for some weeks during 
the early autumn months. Like other her¬ 
baceous perennials, it is increased by dividing 
the roots. It is a garden hybrid, obtained 
between Echinacea ( RudbecTcia ) purpurea and 
E. angustifolia , and appears to have been 
raised so long since as 1826.—-T. Moore. 
HARDINESS OF PRIMULA 
SIEBOLDII. 
AM somewhat puzzled to account for the 
loss of a large number of plants of the 
finest new varieties of this beautiful and 
useful Primula. The roots were divided in 
the autumn, and the rhizomes potted singly 
into medium-sized “long toms,'' and then 
placed in a cold house, previous to the frost. 
A large number appear to have been killed 
outright by the frost, as, when examined, the 
rhizomes were completely rotten and quite 
putrid. The new white varieties suffered 
most, and I fear the stock of one or two of 
them is hopelessly lost. The deeper coloured 
varieties are scarcely hurt, and one would sup¬ 
pose that they are hardier than the more deli¬ 
cately-tinted forms. A lot of seedlings in the 
open ground, on a cold north border, with 
only the protection of the snow, is quite un¬ 
harmed, and growing merrily, and with great 
luxuriance. Gardeners are sometimes brought 
face to face with facts that go to upset their 
previous calculations, and cause them to ques¬ 
tion the groundwork of their knowledge. The 
death of so many of my new varieties of P. Sie- 
boldii is a case in point. — R. Dean, Ealing. 
RUSSIAN APPLES. 
)HE following varieties of Apples of 
Russian origin were described some 
short time since in the Revue Horticole , 
and may perhaps, some of them, be useful for 
the purpose of hybridizing, if not otherwise 
desirable as early sorts. 
Bergamottnoje. —This variety is below 
medium size, subspherical or inequilateral in 
form, about 2 in. in diameter; with a thin 
stalk, scarcely exceeding the small, deep cavity ; 
eye very open, with the divisions spreading; 
skin marked almost all over with a dim or 
vinous red colour, arranged in stripes; flesh 
greenish white ( rather close, sugary and 
agreeable. Ripe in the first fortnight in 
August. 
Borkowskoje. —Fruit medium-sized, flat¬ 
tened vertically, about 2^ in. in diameter ; stalk 
very short and slender, in a rather broad and 
deep cavity ; eye open in a broadly widened 
hollow, with rather broad divisions; skin yel¬ 
lowish green, here and there spotted with red¬ 
dish grey ; flesh white, rather sugary, decaying 
somewhat quickly. Ripe in the beginning of 
August. 
Borowinka. —Fruit medium-sized, depressed, 
often inequilateral; stalk long (nearly a in.),in 
a broad shallow cavity; eye broadly open in a 
■well-marked depression, with shoit or erose> 
almost void divisions; flesh tender,, nearly 
white ; juice sugary, acidulous, with an agreeable 
taste. Ripe in August. 
Rinalkoski. —Fruit much depressed, recall¬ 
ing by its shape the Pomme d'Api, about 2 in 
in diameter, irregularly ribbed; with very 
rounded angles ; stalk short, in a regular cavity, 
which it does not exceed; eye broadly open, 
with very short divisions ; skin yellowish green, 
shining, often marked with grey stripes and 
with lively carroty red, becoming dark red on 
the parts strongly exposed to the sun ; flesh 
very firm, greenish white, sugar}'-, acidulous, of 
a very agreeable taste. Ripens first fortnight 
in August. 
Royale. —There are several varieties of 
Apples which bear the qualification “ royal;” 
but, by its characters, none of them can 
be related to that now under consideration. 
Fruit having the general appearance (colour and 
shape) of a Rambour, but not so large; stalk 
much exceeding the cavity; eye closed, in 
a ribbed depression, with short rather wide 
divisions, whitish grey, through the presence of 
an abundant tomentum ; skin bright yellow, 
sprinkled with lively rose broad stripes; flesh 
white, sugary, agreeable. Ripe in the first 
fortnight in August. 
