566 
THE GARDENING WORLD, 
May 8, 1886. 
HYACINTHS IN DERBYSHIRE. 
It lias been said more than two or three times that 
Hyacinths will not flourish in the' open borders in the 
mountainous parts of Derbyshire. I have always 
wondered what justification there could be for that 
statement, and have concluded that whenever there has 
been a failure to get this lovely flower in perfection, 
there has been mismanagement, or, what is quite as bad, 
want of management of any kind. In the planting of 
bulbs I have often observed that would-be gardeners 
take the first that come to hand, and just plunge them 
into the ground anyhow everywhere—of course quite as 
surely to fail in obtaining results as when holes are dug 
in meadows, and sapling trees stuck in in the expec¬ 
tation that they will thrive, as a matter of course. I 
am confirmed in my opinion that care in selection and 
subsequent good management will be followed by ad¬ 
mirable Hyacinths, even in the most unkindly parts of 
hilly Derbyshire, this being what I have just seen at 
Middleton Hall, near Youlgreave, a village not far, in 
turn, from Bakewell. 
Middleton Hall is the seat of Mr. Thomas "William 
Bateman, renowned thereabouts as an amateur me¬ 
chanician of the first rank, and as an antiquary rich in 
the possession of an abundance of fine old armour and 
similar relics of the past. Perched almost upon the 
summit of the Middleton Hills, the grounds are exposed 
to the keenest of the winds. It is pleasent to observe, 
nevertheless, how beautiful are the Hollies and some 
few other evergreen shrubs. Paying a visit yesterday 
to Middleton Hall, I was perfectly amazed at the 
spectacle that layed before me. Upon the lawn in 
front of the house were great plantations of Hyacinths 
of every colour—some of the beds restricted to single 
varieties, others presenting the most delectable inter¬ 
mixtures it is possible to imagine. In perfect harmony 
with the tasteful arrangement of the colours was the 
intrinsic excellence of the flowers. Among all those 
countless blooms there was scarcely an instance of a 
failure. There was an evenness, too, that could be 
compared only to that of a phalanx of the best soldiers in 
the world drawn up for review, every individual a 
counterpart in point of merit of ever other, and all de¬ 
veloped in the same measure and degree, except at the 
extremity of one of the beds, where an aged Yew in¬ 
tercepted the rays of the sun ; but even then it was 
simply a matter of brief delay. A sight more ravish¬ 
ing of its kind it has never been my good fortune 
to behold. The forty miles journey would have been 
well repaid had it been to view these wonderful 
Hyacinths alone. 
Curious to know something of the history of the 
display, I learned from the head gardener that Hyacinth 
growing has been a speciality at Middleton Hall for many 
years, the bulbs, received from Manchester (Messrs. 
Dickson, Brown & Tait), being planted at the usual 
time, and protected, as long as needful, by a layer of 
cocoa-nut waste. That Mr. Tait has many times visited 
the great bulb gardens in Holland, purely for the sake 
of providing his customers with the very best, is in 
Manchester well known, and I am glad to be able to 
bear my personal testimony to the unquestionable 
success of his enterprise and perseverance. The charm 
of the present spectacle is enhanced by many of the 
larger beds being united by means of narrower ones, 
which constituted a kind of train ; so impressed was I 
by the brilliancy of the display, that I took some pains 
to determine the quantities used for the various beds. 
In two of the beds there were about 400 flowers each, 
in six colours ; in a series of five connected beds there 
were about 5,50 more; several other beds had about 300 
a piece, either mixed or uniform in kind ; the total 
running up, as nearly as I could estimate, to between 
2,000 and 3,000. In addition to the Hyacinths, all in 
the full glow of their radiant beauties, there were many 
beds of Tulips, the flowers well advanced ; there were 
traces also upon every hand of countless blooms of 
Scilla, Crocus, and Snowdrops, which had already 
played their part. 
I think that success so glorious as I have just wit¬ 
nessed, deserves to be put upon record ; it speaks 
immensely alike for the skill of the manipulator, and 
for the admirable quality of the materials employed. 
Ho one, it is very plain, need ever despair of having a 
show of Hyacinths every season that will make one 
think of the Garden of Eden, though he may live in 
the bleakest of situations. Mr. Bateman has shown us 
how to move in the first instance.— Leo H. G'rindon, 
Manchester, May ith. 
THE BEST HARDY PRIMULAS. 
(Continued from p. 550). 
P. fo/rinosa (The Bird’s-eye Primrose).—A rather 
slender-growing species, about 9 ins. high, very pretty 
and effective in small colonies or groups on the rockery 
in damp shaded situations. It is a moisture-loving 
plant, and does not so much object to the sun if it is 
continually moist at the roots. Its flowers are of a 
light lilac-purple shade, and are very pleasing. An 
additional interest attaches to this plant, inasmuch as 
that it is a native of bogs and moist pastures in several 
of the northern counties of England and also in 
Scotland. It produces numerous flower-stalks, con¬ 
tinues for some time in flower, and is, in fact, a most 
pleasing and interesting plant. 
P. integrifolia. —This is a rather diminutive species 
from the Pyrenees, very pretty and effective, and of 
easy culture. It grows about 4 ins. high, and has 
handsome rose-coloured flowers. It is better suited to 
the damp and rather elevated positions on the rockery, 
■where, if planted in free open soil and supplied with 
moisture during its growing season, it will be sure to 
thrive. Firm planting is very essential to this plant, 
and, indeed, to all the small-growing kinds, which are 
not so capable of taking care of themselves. A few 
broken bricks or stones mingled with the soil will 
assist in maintaining a uniform moisture about the 
roots, which is very necessary. 
P. marginata. —This is one of the most distinct and 
pleasing of all the Alpine Primulas, and is readily dis¬ 
tinguished from all else by its mealy foliage and white 
margins. It is very hardy, of dwarf and free growth, 
and roots deeply in well-drained fissures of sandy loam, 
or in a bed of deep soil in the open border. Its flowers 
which are large and freely produced, are of a violet- 
rose colour, and appear very early in the year. It is an 
exceedingly lovely plant for the rockery or the border, 
and should receive every encouragement. One par¬ 
ticular I would note respecting it is the manner in 
which the old stems lengthen, and which, in time, 
leave the stem bare. When this happens they should 
be at once lifted and re-planted, or if it can conveniently 
be performed, earthed-up around so as to encourage the 
formation of roots about the stem. When this is 
accomplished they may be transplanted the more 
readily, always burying them up to the leaves. This 
lovely plant is a native of various mountain ranges in 
Southern Europe, and also Dauphiny and the Taurian 
Mountains. 
P ., japonica. —This is probably the largest species of this 
genus—aplant of bold and prepossessing appearance, and 
which I have grown w'ith grand rosettes of leaves fully 
2 ft. across. It is wonderfully distinct both in leafage 
and in its whorls of purplish crimson-magenta flowers, on 
stems about 18 ins. or 2 ft. high. It is to the untiring 
energies of Bobert Fortune, after a series of attempts to 
bring it into this country, that it was ultimately in¬ 
troduced in the early part of 1871. It appears to have 
first been seen by Mr. Fortune ten years previously, in 
the basket of a florist, near Yedo, the capital of Japan, 
from whence, as signified in its specific name, it was 
introduced. It was in the year 1873 that I made its 
first aquaintance, or, more strictly speaking, that I had 
possession of my first plants of it. At this time every¬ 
one was doubtful as to its complete hardiness, hence 
the plants were wintered in a warm frame. The same 
year, however, w r e risked a plant for experimental pur¬ 
poses out of doors, on the bank of a running stream, 
where its roots could reach the water. Here its won¬ 
derful and rapid, vigorous growth surprised all who saw 
it, and eventually it passed through the winter un¬ 
harmed, and early in the succeeding summer its rosettes 
of leaves attained upwards of 2 ft. in diameter, and if 
memory serves me rightly, it sent up three ot its grand 
spikes of brilliantly-coloured flowers. After such a 
description of some of the earliest plants of this lovely 
Japan Primrose, I need hardly refer further to its 
cultural requirements, which, briefly, are these A 
deep well-enriched soil to sustain the @riginal vigour of 
the plant, and a position partially shaded and damp, 
though -well drained. This “ Queen of Primroses ” has 
the good qualities of being, therefore, perfectly hardy, of 
free growth and vigorous constitution, a wonderfully free 
seeder, and, finally, one of those members of this great 
genus that can take care of itself. It may be made at 
home and perfectly happy in many and various positions, 
for example, in the woodland, the herbaceous border, 
the rockery, and the loamy portion of the bog garden ; 
it revels in the latter in company with Osmundas, 
Lady Ferns, Scolopendriums, and the like. I may add, 
as a matter of fact, that this has proved one of the most 
valuable species commercially of the entire genus. 
The seeds should be sown as soon as ripe in pots or 
pans in sandy loam, and when of sufficient size, prick 
off into other pans, or if in quantity, select a single 
light and place it on a temporary edging of bricks, 
placing in some good soil, and having pricked them out, 
shade them if necessary till they have obtained a good 
hold of the soil. One word more, there are some 
varieties of this Primrose though anything but abun¬ 
dant, and it is worthy the attention of the hybridist 
Y’hy not endeavour to impart the brilliancy of its 
flowers and the vigorous constitution to some of the 
other species of this lovely genus ? I say again, why 
not ? 
P. longiflora .—This charming species partakes of 
the general character of the Bird’s-eye Primrose, P. 
farinosa, but in many respects is totally distinct, 
primarily in the lilac tube or corolla being fully three 
times the length of that of P. farinosa; the divisions of 
the calyx are more distinctly pointed and triangular, and 
the flower stalks much taller. In short, it is a hand¬ 
some plant generally, and succeeds under pecisely the 
same condition as P. farinosa, and being an equally free 
seeder it may be grown in company with it. Like 
its congener it is deciduous in winter time, and all 
that is visible is a little conical mealy ball just peeping 
through the soil ; in this state it passes through our 
severest winter with impunity. It comes from Austria 
and the Swiss Alps at an elevation of 6,000 ft. or 
7,000 ft., flowering here in the lowlands during May 
and June. 
P. luteola. —This is a lovely and vigorous growing 
Caucasian species, delighting in rich loamy soil with 
an abundance of sharp grit ; the leaves are about 6 in. 
long, light shiny green, and with abrupt serratures on 
the margins ; it grows 15 ins. or 18 ins. high, with 
large heads of bright yellow flowers, and certainly one 
of the very best of the yellow flotvered section given a 
partially shaded spot in deep soil. It is an excellent 
plant for the open border, and should be well supplied 
with moisture during the growing season. As a pot 
plant for frame culture it is charming and deserves 
special attention. 
P. minima (The Fairy Primrose).—The deeply- 
notched or jagged leaves forming the rosettes of this 
diminutive plant give it an exceptionally distinct ap¬ 
pearance, and the large flowers, often 1 in. in diameter, 
which issue from them not infrequently are so numerous 
as to hide, or nearly so, its tiny rosettes from view. 
Had The Gardening World a circulation only in 
the southern and middle counties of England, I should, 
in all probability, have omitted this little gem from 
among those which I have here selected ; but seeing, 
happily, that its pages are read far and near, north and 
south, I will give the readers the benefit of my ex¬ 
perience in connection with it. It is one of those so- 
called miffy and fastidious subjects for which a great 
variety of soils have been tried, such as mixtures of 
granitic rock and so forth, while others have discarded 
these for tufa and others for calcareous soils. From 
experience, however, I have learned that it is not 
essential to have any of these, though, if we follow 
nature, we should incline to the calcareous, on which it 
is found in the Eastern Alps of Switzerland. It is, 
however, not confined to these limits, since it inhabits 
the highest mountains of Southern Europe, almost to 
the limits of eternal snow, at some S,000 ft. elevation. 
That this little gem inhabits these wind-swept moun¬ 
tain heights on the verge of perpetual snow is a 
circumstance connected with its successful culture. In 
our lowland home we may imitate soils, but can we 
fashion our damp, foggy, and smoky districts to meet 
the requirements of this little plant, which has been 
educated otherwise ? I say nay. By constant care we 
can grow it in the south in fully exposed raised positions 
of rock, with abundant depth of well-drained soil on an 
even surface ; but away north in Scotland it grows 
amazingly ■with little or no care bestowed upon it—a 
veritable proof that it is a colder clime, a freer air, and 
the bracing winds which it prefers to any admixture of 
soils. I have never been a searcher after a great 
variety of soils for choice Alpines, and believe that 
these are much overdone, as substitutes, where I 
deem it necessary, I employ broken brick rubbish and 
occasionally old mortar, the latter more particularly 
among the choicer crustaceous Saxifrages. The flowers 
of the fairy Primrose come in May and June, and 
