February 9, 1889. 
THE GARDENING WORLD 
371 
was strongly recommended to my employer ; but when 
I discovered some that was obtained from Mr. Pascoe, 
of Swansea, we procured our supply direct from him, 
and this came to hand mostly in large blocks, such as 
have been described, with little or no dust. From the 
same source the supply was obtained as required for 
eight years. The fuel was used in seven furnaces, 
mostly of the saddle-boiler type, and gave satisfaction 
during the whole time. The men who had charge of 
the fires in every case preferred anthracite to coke, and 
I may say that I have seen it used successfully in the 
upright tubular, and also in a small Loughborough 
boiler. 
Is your correspondent aware that some of the London 
nurserymen use no other kind of fuel but anthracite, 
and that many of the growers for Covent Garden 
Market use nothing else ? I would also ask him 
further whether they are so inexperienced as not to 
know which produces the greatest amount of heat 
combined with the greatest economy of time in stoking. 
I would advise Mr. Peebles to procure a sample of 
Mr. Pascoe’s Diamond Anthracite Horticultural Coal, 
and give it a trial. I may mention that many of my 
friends who have large collections of Orchids under 
their charge are using anthracite supplied by this 
gentleman, and every one of them is satisfied with the 
result. There is no doubt that when anyone gets 
accustomed to a particular mode of stoking he does not 
care to make a change, but in the case of anthracite I 
maintain from my own experience that a fire can be 
left in safety for a greater length of time than can one 
made of coke.— J. Churchfield, 27, North Terrace, 
Fairlawn Park, Sydenham. 
--3>$=€—- 
THE CHINESE PRIMROSE* 
Having discussed the introduction of Primula sinensis 
from Canton, China, in 1820, Mr. Lee gave a short 
sketch of its history in this country, and then went on 
to deal with the practical part of the subject. 
Seed Sowing. 
This is of the utmost importance, and the time for 
sowing the seed must depend materially upon the 
purpose for which the plants are wanted. To be of ex¬ 
hibition quality they must be sown at a different time 
to when the main batch is put in. All plants should 
be grown with that in view ; whether large or small, 
they should be perfect samples each of its kind. 
Therefore, to grow Primulas 2 ft. or 3 ft. across, the 
seeds must be sown some time between the middle of 
December and the middle of January. This is most 
applicable to large, strong-growing varieties, such as 
The Queen, Marquis of Lome, Emperor, Princess 
Louise, Lady Churchill, and others of a like nature. 
The Chiswick Eed and Rubra violacea strains are 
much better if sown three months later, for if the seed 
is put in at the above-mentioned date they grow too 
much to foliage, attaining a large size, and they do 
not flower so satisfactorily as when sown at the later 
date mentioned. 
Nothing better than 5-in. pots could be had in which 
to sow the seeds. They should be scrupulously clean, 
and carefully drained to half their depth at least with 
clean broken crocks, placing over them a little moss or 
coarse soil to keep the drainage open. Good drainage 
must always be maintained, for this Primula is very 
impatient of anything approaching stagnation. Details 
should be closely attended to where first-class work¬ 
manship is to be done, for, as the old adage says, 
“what is worth doing is worth doing well.” This 
applies with some force to seed sowing. The soil for 
this stage should consist of equal parts of loam, peat, 
and sand, with a little leaf-soil, free from worms and 
other pests. The whole should be well mixed, and 
passed through a fine sieve. Fill the pots to within 
i in. of the rim, making the soil moderately firm and 
even. Then water through a fine-rosed pot, allowing 
the superfluous moisture to drain away before sowing 
the seed. Sow thinly and evenly, just covering the 
seeds with a little of the fine soil. They must on no 
account be buried deeply, otherwise many of the seeds 
will perish. 
Place the pots in a temperature of 60° to 65°, 
covering them with a piece of glass, over which some 
moss should be placed to exclude the light, and prevent 
the soil from getting dry. I lay particular stress on 
the moss being placed on the top of the glass, and not 
in direct contact with the soil, as it is liable to be 
troublesome when the seeds germinate, owing to some 
seedlings being much in advance of the others. Should 
* Extract from a paper by Mr. Joseph Lee, The Gardens, 
Highbury, Birmingham, read at a Meeting of the Chiswick 
Gardeners’ Mutual Improvement Association, January 25th,1889. 
the moss not be removed the same day as the first 
seedlings germinate, it will most likely disturb or bring 
some of them with it. This danger is obviated by 
placing the moss as directed. Watering at this stage 
must be carefully attended to, otherwise much injury 
may be done while germination is taking place. The 
soil must never be allowed to become dry, and in about 
fourteen or twenty days the seedlings will be sufficiently 
well up to be exposed to light and air. Keep them 
as near the glass as practicable, for by so doing the 
plants will from the commencement be of a strong and 
sturdy nature—a most desirable and essential feature in 
their culture. 
Potting off and Growing Them. 
When the little plants have made a rough leaf or 
two, they must be pricked off into 5-in. pots, putting 
five or six in each, using soil similar to that employed 
for sowing the seed. After this operation they should 
be returned to the same temperature. Keep close for 
a few days, and if necessary shade them. This last, 
however, is seldom required in this sunless and 
inclement climate of ours at this season of the year. 
The seedlings will require constant attention as to 
watering, and to damping overhead once or twice 
daily. All checks must be studiously guarded against. 
By the end of January or early in February the plants 
will be fit to pot off into 3-in. pots. This should be 
done in a workman-like manner, being careful not to 
break the small brittle leaves during the operation, for 
nothing detracts more from the appearance of the 
plants than having their foliage disfigured. There is a 
vast difference between well-grown specimens and the 
wretched samples of a slovenly grower. It is im¬ 
possible to make a first-class plant of a Primula that 
has been neglected in its early stages. 
If the above-mentioned instructions be carried out, 
the plants will grow and attain strength day by day, 
and about the middle of April they will require another 
move onward, the most suitable for this shift being 
5-in. pots. The soil for this shift should be of a more 
substantial nature than that previously employed. 
That which is recommended and found to answer 
admirably, consists of two parts good yellow loam, one 
part leaf-soil, one part sand, and quarter part peat, 
with a few handfuls of broken charcoal to keep the 
soil sweet—also about a 6-in. potful of crushed oyster 
shells, and the same quantity of some artificial manure 
to two barrow-loads of soil. The whole of this should 
be thoroughly incorporated, and the lumpy portions 
well broken up with the hand or spade. It should 
neither be very wet nor too dry. 
Pot moderately firm. One point that must not be 
overlooked is to keep the plants well down in the soil, 
so long as the crown is not absolutely buried. The 
lower leaves may even be three parts buried, and no ill 
effect will result, but rather an advantage, because 
when the plants are full grown, the foliage will be 
hanging over the sides of the pots, almost hiding them 
from view. I am fully aware that a few years ago 
there was a cry about being careful not to pot low, 
otherwise the plants would rot off at the collar. In 
consequence of this, unsightly sticks were stuck in 
around the plants to keep them from rocking about. 
After potting, the plants should receive a similar 
position to that already mentioned, keeping them close 
till growth has recommenced. 
Syringing will be found very beneficial, and the 
plants should simply be dewed over the head in the 
afternoon. This will greatly assist them in making 
strong healthy growth. Air should be admitted on all 
favourable occasions, to the exclusion of cold cutting 
winds and draughts. Shading should not be neglected, 
but at the same time must not be employed to excess, 
otherwise the leaf-stalks will become unduly elongated, 
to the injury of the plants. All that is necessary is 
just a slight shading during the hottest part of the 
day. The best place for the plants, as the weather 
becomes warm, is a cold frame with a northern aspect, 
thus reducing the necessity of shading to a minimum. 
The Last Potting. 
By the middle or end of Juno the final or last potting 
should take place. The soil recommended for the 
previous potting will be found to answer in this case. 
The pots used will, of course, be in accordance with the 
size of the plants, some requiring larger than others ; 
but for all ordinary purposes 7-in. or 8-in. ones are 
large enough. Large pots are not to be recommended, 
because a well-grown plant in one of a medium size is 
in much more general use than a corresponding plant 
in a larger size. Return them to a cold frame, standing 
them on a good ash bottom. This will assist in 
retaining the moisture, and in keeping the pots and 
plants cool in sunny weather ; it will likewise, to a 
great extent, prevent the ingress of worms, which 
destroy the drainage. The requirements now will be a 
continuous and uninterrupted attention to watering, 
shading, and airing. The former is of great moment to 
the Chinese Primula, and the soil should neither be 
very wet nor very dry, but just a happy medium. The 
water should not be carelessly poured into the crown of 
the plant, but just inside the rim of the pot, giving 
sufficient to permeate the whole body of soil. 
During the month of August and the early part of 
September the lights may be removed entirely at night 
and on dull cloudy days, if the weather should prove 
open and calm. The lights should be kept ready to 
hand, however, in case of heavy rain or high winds. 
At this stage a few of the plants will, in all probability, 
show signs of flowering ; but as these blooms will prove 
of small value, being two or three months too early, 
they should be removed as soon as perceived. By so 
treating them the plants will form two or three crowns, 
making grand specimens, which will eventually repay 
the cultivator with large trusses of flowers. 
The plants should not be allowed to remain in their 
summer quarters longer than the last week in Sep¬ 
tember, or at least early in October, for the nights 
then become heavily charged with moisture, and if 
this is allowed to accumulate and remain on the foliage 
some of the leaves will surely decay, permanently dis¬ 
figuring the plants. They had then better be placed 
in a low span-roofed house, where they will be close to 
the glass, giving plenty of room between each. It is 
better to grow a few—giving plenty of space and good 
attention—than many, to get spoiled and worthless. 
The plants now being housed will require similar 
attention. Give them the same treatment under glass 
as they had in the frames. It is an error to keep up 
a high temperature with artificial heat. The atmo¬ 
sphere should be buoyant and cool by the admission of 
air on all favourable occasions, with a temperature 
ranging from 45° to 50°. Many of the plants will now 
throw up flower-trusses. The latter will occasionally 
require to be freed from the foliage, so that they may 
become properly and regularly developed, and to prevent 
their being drawn, puny and deformed. Manure water 
is not required for Primulas, as a rule, till the flower- 
trusses commence to develop, when it will prove very 
beneficial. Soot-water is a capital stimulant when 
used judiciously, as also are several of the artificial 
manures. Just sprinkle a little over the soil and 
water in. Perhaps better than either at this stage is 
sulphate of ammonia. This gives a dark green appear¬ 
ance to the foliage and a brilliancy of colour to the 
flowers—indeed, more so than I have observed done by 
any other chemical or artificial stimulant ; but it must 
be applied with great care, not recklessly, or the con¬ 
sequences will be disastrous. If applied at the rate of 
J oz. to two gallons of water the results will be apparent 
to all. If applied too early, sulphate of ammonia 
causes the plants to start into growth rather than 
flower. From experiments carried out, I have in¬ 
variably found this to be the case. 
Double Varieties. 
This paper would not be complete without a few words 
on the double forms of this Primula. These are, 
perhaps, of more commercial value than single varieties, 
they are certainly more difficult to grow, and rather 
more difficult to propagate. We have now some fine 
semi-doubles that maintain their characters from seed, 
but at present there are not many such grand double 
varieties as were raised by Mr. R. Gilbert and others. 
I shall enumerate a few of the best, namely, 
Marchioness of Exeter, Mrs. Heale, Mrs. A. F. Barron, 
White Lady, Miss Eva Fish, Emperor, Lord Beacons- 
field, Peach Blossom, and others, all of which are of 
sterling merit. 
The best and surest way to propagate the double 
forms is by removing all old and decaying foliage from 
the base of the plants in early spring, allowing the 
plants to stand for a few days till all decayed matter 
and bruises dry up. Then procure some light sandy 
soil, placing it round the stem and under the branches, 
making it moderately firm. Water the soil down with 
a rosed pot, to prevent its being washed away. 
Decaying leaves must be removed from time to time. 
Cleanliness is of paramount importance, for a little 
decayed matter will soon ruin the best and finest 
specimen. In about five or six weeks the plants can 
be carefully shaken out of the pots. It will then be 
found that most or all of the shoots or branches have 
a few roots, and these, if carefully detached and potted up 
according to their size, will soon commence to grow. 
When the operation has been accomplished, the plants 
had better be put in a propagating pit for a time, other¬ 
wise they are apt to flag or the leaves fall over^ the 
sides of the pot. When once in this condition it is 
difficult to get them right again. A little air will be 
required while in the propagating case to prevent 
decay, especially if the latter is in any way moist. 
When the plants have commenced to grow, they 
must be inured to more light and air, and when the 
roots have reached the bottom of the pots they must at 
once be potted into a larger size, Soil recommended for 
the single varieties will be equally suitable for the 
doubles. The latter delight in a little more heat an< i 
moisture than their allies the singles. All other 
treatment is precisely identical with that already 
given. When well grown, for bouquet and other 
floral arrangements the double varieties are extremely 
well adapted. 
