550 
THE GABDENING WORLD 
May 1, 1886. 
were ; bridal ones, especially, were of chaste appear¬ 
ance, and well arranged. The “ table ” and ‘ ‘ hand ” 
bouquets were in some cases too closely packed; 
the flowers, which generally were of the finest de¬ 
scription, being thus defaced, rendering the bouquets 
stiff and formal in character. The flowers used were 
largely composed of Orchids ; Dendrobium Wardianum, 
D. Jamesianum, D. nobile, Cymbidiums, Ccelogynes, 
Cattleyas, Odontoglossums, and others were con¬ 
spicuous, leading one to understand that the locality 
was rich in these gems, and also that such were very 
come-atable. Buttonhole bouquets were very numerous, 
and mostly formed of Odontoglossums chastily attached 
to Asparagus plumosus elegans. 
Among plants were a few good specimens of Crotons, 
perhaps rather pointed and narrow in proportion to 
their heights ; Orchids were few in number, not calling 
for special remark. The tables (both for competition 
and exhibition only) were well clothed with remarkably 
healthy plants, but they, generally, were not made the 
best of, the pots of the flowering kinds being mostly 
buried by Ferns, Crotons, Palms, and other plants 
with handsome foliage. If the numerous pots of bulbs, 
Dielytras, Primulas, Cytisus, Azaleas, Chorozemas, 
Epacris, Cinerarias, and hosts of others, really well 
done, could have been slightly raised above the dense 
foliage—not exposing the pots but concealing them 
(which might have been easily done), a very different 
effect would have been attained. The great evil, at 
many exhibitions, of tables covered with plants is the 
crowding which is so general, preventing the graceful 
outlines from giving the display which is so desirable. 
The Epergnes, which were well represented, were filled 
with very choice flowers, Orchids predominating, but 
like some of the bouquets, were crammed together in 
a manner which marred the effect very much. 
Some good vegetables were exhibited, especially Sea 
Kale, Parsnips, Onions, Leeks, and Celery—one lot of 
the latter were very fine—being solid and free from 
blemish of any kind. We hope these exhibitions will 
he satisfactory in a financial point of view, and reward 
the praiseworthy efforts of those who cater for public 
enjoyment.— M. T. 
-- 
THE BEST HARDY PRIMULAS. 
It is a good sign—indeed, it may be regarded as a 
high honour to any genus of plants—that so much 
special attention paid to it as the holding of an ex¬ 
hibition and conference. The genus Primula in¬ 
cludes an almost endless number of species and forms, 
most of which are perfectly hardy, others requiring 
greenhouse culture, and others still as Auriculas, and 
so on, which rank among the oldest favourites of the 
florist as much to-day as they did fifty years ago. 
Slow to increase, difficult to improve upon, and so 
stringent are the rules of the florist in this particular 
that it is a rarity we meet with any but really good 
sorts under name. The conference held last week was 
the means of bringing together a great number of all 
sections, so that those who take special interest in them 
may either learn something new, or impart information 
to others who have not received the same amount of 
education in respect to them. 
It is not my intention here to allude in detail to the 
great number of species of hardy Primulas, many of 
which, viewed from a commercial standpoint, are 
valueless, while, from a botanical point of view, are 
full of interest to those whose taste lies in that direction. 
What I propose to do, is to name what are considered 
by practical men the most showy and easy of culture, 
and such as are suited to the requirements of the masses 
of those who of late years have been making hardy 
plants a special study—something that do not require 
that constant care and those carefully prescribed soils 
to bring them to perfection, and which alone very 
naturally debars many from ever attempting their cul¬ 
tivation at all. As the really good members of the 
hardy section of Primulas is rather numerous, my 
remaiks must, in consequence, be very brief, but at 
the same time practical. 
P. acaulis. —Taking them in alphabetical order, the 
acaulis section first presents itself. The commoner 
forms of these are so well known to every cottager as 
to need no comment. In the single and double forms 
we have very pleasing subjects for fringing a bed or 
planting on shady grassy slopes besides rivulets or 
running streams, anywhere, in fact, where shade and 
moisture may be afforded them. They are usually met 
in white, sulphur, yellow, lilac, crimson, and plum 
colours, the latter being equally free-flowering as the 
older kinds. The double crimson is an exceptionally 
rich flower and rather fastidious. This is overcome by 
never allowing it to feel the effects of frost or sun. I 
have grown it remarkably well, with flowers as large as 
a half-crowm piece very near to London, treated in this 
■way ; it also appears to delight in being incessantly 
moist overhead throughout the growing season. 
P. auricula, or the common garden Auricula, is 
one of the oldest favourites, and was known to 
Parkinson upw'ards of 200 years ago. It appears, 
however, to have been introduced into this country 
from Switzerland nearly 300 years ago. It also in¬ 
habits the mountain ranges of Austria, and the 
Caucasian chain generally at high elevations. It is 
extremely hardy, and still a popular plant, no doubt 
it will always remain. it needs no special culture, 
thriving well in any ordinary garden soil. There 
are many varieties, all of which are only too welcome 
in spring-time, either on the rockery or the border. - 
P. capitata. —This is one of the very best of the 
species, perfectly hardy and of easy culture ; it seeds 
freely too, so that a stock may soon be had. It may be 
planted in well-drained loamy soils, where it succeeds 
admirably. It grows about 1 ft. high, and has small 
deeply-veined leaves, somewhat resembling a miniature 
denticulata, and distinctly toothed, the leaves and 
stems of the’ flower-heads being covered with a dense 
farina or meal. The flowers are of a rich indigo blue 
or purple shade ; in this respect it is unique. 
P. denticulata. —This is one of the many gems from 
the Himalayas, and as now grown is much varied in 
colour and form, and also in the size of the blossoms 
individually, as well as in the dense umbels of its lilac 
or lilac-mauve flowers. Its vigorous constitution, its 
perfect hardiness, and adaptability to almost any soil, 
has made it a general favourite among hardy plant 
growers ; and being free to produce seed, it can be had 
in plenty. Plant it in any soil that will grow a Cabbage 
or a Mangold well, and you will never fail to see it 
thrive. It grows 1 ft. or more high, and certainly 
ranks among the very best of its tribe ; a veritable gem 
for spring bedding. 
P. denticulata capitata (syn. Cashmeriana).—This is 
equally as good in all respects as the preceding. 
It is, however, bolder in general aspect, and withal a 
plant of noble bearing. When well established, it 
grows fully 18 ins. high, the leaves and stems being 
covered with a dense golden meal. Itsflowers are of a rich 
blue or violet shade, and are borne in compact globular 
umbels, which attain a large size. It lasts a long time 
in perfection, and prefers a deep rich loamy soil. This 
cannot be had in too great a quantity in any garden ; 
it is so good and choice.— E. J. 
( To be continued.) 
-->X-<~- 
IMPROVEMENT OF THE GENUS 
PRIMULA.* 
( Concluded from p. 538. J 
One marked difficulty so far has been that of trans¬ 
mitting to any flower, whether self or edged, the all 
important feature of a rich gold tube, if that flower has 
tints of violet or blue. Their tubes are pale or greenish 
yellow, always a colour of low vitality and weak 
endurance. Some seedling blue seifs, however, by 
pollen from gold tubed varieties, are better in this 
respect than the old blues. 
Memories come back to me here of some old flowers 
that might have been helpful towards new combinations 
of colours that are faint and timid, and wavering yet. 
Such were Moore’s Violet, a green-edged flower, with 
violet body colour, and a green edge of Traill’s (Rev. 
George Jeans), in which the ground colour was of a lilac 
tint. In white edges were Ashton’s Bonny Lass, with 
beautiful violet, and Maria, richer in colour. These, 
however, and others of like colour, all were weakened 
by a pale and watery tube ; and further, the ground 
colour was not of one uniform steadfast shade, which it 
decidedly ought to be in both-edged and self Auriculas. 
Red or crimson as a ground colour of edged flowers has 
not yet been obtained of any intensity. Lightbody’s 
Fairy Queen and Star of Bethlehem, and also Smith’s 
*Paper read at the Primula Conference by the Rev. P. D. 
Horner. 
Waterloo, were green edges, in which the body-tints 
were a shade of red plum, and a white edged of 
McDonald’s was lighted up with a brighter red. Choco¬ 
late-brown is another possible change in ground colour 
worthy of being followed up. It occurred in Light- 
body’s white edge Countess of Dunmore, and in Smith’s 
He Plus Ultra. These red and brown ground colours 
are happily not associated with the weak tube colours 
of the blues. 
Mr. Simonite, in his Heather Bell and Aurora, has in 
better blue-grounded white edges than the old ones, 
and the tubes, though not of a strong yellow, have 
more stability. An offer of a red-grounded green edge 
occurs in a rather erratic seedling of Mr. Rolt’s. The 
edge is pure but insufficient, and the red ground colour 
brightens with age, but is too broad, and runs wildly 
out at the petal edges. Such a flower would be worth 
crossing with some green-edge seedling of fine form, in 
which existed the fault of a ground colour much too 
slight and narrow. 
In new types of colour in seifs, the last great ac¬ 
quisition came through Mr. Campbell’s success in his 
efforts to produce a true crimson self. Some fifteen 
years ago he sent out, as the result of many years’work 
abounding in failures, two intensely crimson flowers_ 
the one better than the other, both in its colour and in 
its rich gold tube, but both of them notched in petal. 
These flowers have transmitted their colour well to 
seedlings of better petal. 
Within the last two or three years another new and 
very beautiful break in self colours has occurred among 
both Mr. Simonite’s seedlings and my own, showing 
yet another direction in which we may seek to enrich 
and improve the Auricula. This new colour is a very 
lovely and decided pink. The flowers have happily 
been nearly always gold-tubed, and the petal is a fully 
rounded type. This young colour, however, is not easy 
as yet to obtain solid— i.e., unshaded and steadfast. 
Some have failed by growing slightly paler with age, or 
in losing with age the surface of the petal; so that 
what is velvet at first, is calico at last. 
There is no doubt, however, that the time pink self 
is a coming flower, and I name it as one illustration 
more of the direction in which the Auricula may be 
improved. 
I have spoken of the failures of this newly-won 
colour -the successes must speak for themselves when 
they can. 
Adolescence. 
There is something very curious in the blooming 
chaiacter of the first three years’ life cf an upgrown 
seedling which it is important to mark and allow for, 
because it certainly is connected with the practical part 
of our question. 
It is not an invariable rule, but it is a frequent 
occurrence for a seedling that blooms with brilliant 
piopei ties in its maiden year, to flower the second 
year in much inferior if not loose character. This is 
oftener the case with the complex edged flowers than 
with the simpler seifs. At the third year the flower 
may either return to its early promise, or go again 
astray. I do not know how to account for it, but it 
is a noticeable feature in a long experience. 
It would seem as though the plant were affected 
by some unseen change or turning point in passing 
from its seedlinghood to becoming an established 
variety. Certainly some seedlings that show brilliant 
properties the first year never afterwards display them ; 
and occasionally others, that one has gladly given 
away to friends with garden borders, have like the 
ugly duckling of the story, developed into very 
swans of excellence. 
I mention this, not only that joy over some sudden 
acquisition may be tempered with gravity, but also 
that doubt may be not unlighted with hope. 
I do not cease to feel some anxiety for a brilliant 
seedling, and some hope over a rather disappointing 
one, till I have seen them at their third bloom. Some 
faults are decisive, such as the pin-eye, the pale tube, 
the angular paste, the notched or pointed petal. Of 
such there is no hope. But if properties of tube and 
paste and petal are fine, I do not discard the seedling 
because, as its maiden bloom, the proportions and 
other qualities of the ground colour and edge may not 
be correct. There may be a good flower in disguise. 
Alpine Auriculas. 
I pass on now to a brief notice of that other divi¬ 
sion of the Auricula as a florist flower, which is tech- 
