January 16, 1892. 
THE GARDENING WORLD 
305 
Pearson, auditor. The following grants were made 
for the Gala next summer :—Flower Show prizes, 
/550 ; music, /120 ; balloons, £70 ; fireworks, £100 ; 
and entertainments, /150. 
THE WILD CHINESE 
PRIMROSE. 
When Primula sinensis was first introduced to this 
country, it had already been a cultivated plant in 
Chinese gardens, and considerably improved for 
horticultural purposes on the wild original. Until 
quite recently, however, no one could tell what im¬ 
provements had been effected by cultivation till the 
wilding was discovered in its native habitats and sent 
home by Dr. Henry from the mountains of I-Chang 
in Central China. There it was found on the bare 
and dry ledges of limestone rocks, a small and ap¬ 
parently half starved subject, quite different from the 
magnificent specimens to be seen in the hot-houses 
of any good cultivator in Britain. 
Already a great improvement has been effected in 
the wilding as the result of one year’s cultivation. 
CYCLAMENS & PRIMULAS 
AT READING. 
The low span-roofed houses in the Portland Road 
nursery of Messrs. Sutton & Sons, Reading, are now 
gay with a wealth of Cyclamens and Chinese Primu¬ 
las Just before Christmas Reading, in common 
with most other parts of England, had a visitation 
of fog, but being only a white one it was harmless 
compared with the black or yellow fogs of London 
and other large manufacturing places. The above- 
mentioned subjects have apparently not suffered in 
the slightest, for the earliest varieties, although 
sown at the same time as the late ones, are now 
passing rapidly into seed, 'while their large pyrami¬ 
dal trusses show what they have been. Later ones 
are either in their full glory or are just showing their 
first blooms. Cyclamens show a similar though not 
so extensive a gradation as to the time of flowering, 
Cyclamens. 
The seed was sown a year ago last November ; the 
plants came into bloom in December last and will 
continue in perfection for six months, The seedlings 
trast with the white varieties. The Giant strain is 
noteworthy on account of the size of the flowers. 
Those of Giant Crimson and White measured 5 in. 
across the segments of the corolla when spread out. 
The flowers of Giant White are wonderfully pure 
and have segments of great breadth. Those of 
Giant Rose were of a purplish-rose with a darker 
base. Giant Purple well describes itself. All of the 
Giant strain were very floriferous, a fact of unusual 
interest, considering the fact that even at exhibitions 
the plants are usually sparsely flowered. 
The old Cyclamen persicum type was well repre¬ 
sented in a great variety of colours, and the flowers 
in many instances were so large as to render their 
separation from the Giant type a matter of some 
difficulty. The name in most instances indicates 
the colour of the flowers. Purpureum, dark purple ; 
Rubrum, deep red; Album, pure white ; Roseum, 
rose with a carmine mouth ; Roseum album, white 
with a rosy mouth ; and Phoenix, intense crimson, 
were the leading colours. The sweet scented varie¬ 
ties of Cyclamen persicum are both rare and 
valuable, We noted a floriferous white variety with 
Types of Messrs. Sutton's Chinese Primroses. 
The amount of variation, however, is considerable 
even in a small batch of plants. The ordinary and 
the fern-leaved types are now well known in cultiva¬ 
tion. The former exists in the wild or yet unim¬ 
proved plant, and the latter is foreshadowed by 
plants having considerably elongated and lobed 
leaves, which would appear to be capable of develop¬ 
ment into the fern-leaved form. The flowers of the 
wild plant are very small, and of a pale lilac, but one 
year's cultivation has increased their size consider¬ 
ably, and, by seed raising and selection, they could no 
doubt in a few years be so improved as to be worthy 
of culture for decorative purposes alongside of the 
more favoured garden products. The calyx also 
shows great variation in size, inflation, and amount 
of fission, showing in fact a graduation towards that 
seen in the garden plant. 
In all these points Primula sinensis shows itself 
to be a very variable plant, without being hybridised 
in any way ; in fact all the garden improved forms 
have proceeded from a single species by seed sowing, 
selection, and the intercrossing of the varieties. 
At present the stock of the wild plant is in the 
hands of Messrs. Sutton & Sons, Reading, where 
tye noted it 3 few days ago. 
for next winter’s display are now appearing through 
the soil, and will come into bloom in December of 
this year. The seeds were placed about an inch 
apart each way in the pans, and will be allowed to 
make three or five leaves before being disturbed, as 
they will have formed tubers or corms before that 
time, and will therefore not suffer a check when 
potted off. The house in which the flowering plants 
are located is 76 ft. long, 12 ft. wide, and is divided 
into three compartments. The temperature now is 
kept at 46° to 48°, and everything looks clean and 
healthy. 
The varieties are numerous, and all the leading 
and most distinct kinds are named. White Butterfly 
is considered the finest pure white Cyclamen, and 
although the plants are in moderate-sized pots we 
noted about 200 flowers and buds upon a single 
specimen. The flower scapes are short and the 
foliage compact and beautifully marbled. The se¬ 
cret of attaining results like this is to give plenty of 
moisture and a little shade in hot weather, with an 
equable temperature at all times, as draughts are 
most injurious to their well being. Vulcan has 
flowers of an intense crimson and cannot be over¬ 
looked in a collection, showing off as it does by con¬ 
i' 1. ~ ' ■ • ; 
distinctly fragrant flowers. Altogether the Cyclamens 
make a fine display and are the first to catch the 
eye on entering the Portland Road Nursery. 
Chinese Primulas. 
As house after house filled with this class of plants 
is entered the visitor becomes impressed not only 
with the display, but also the value of this race of 
plants for winter flowering. They were sown in 
June, and are now about six months old. As all the 
varieties have proceeded from a single species, that 
has not been hybridised with any other, the varia¬ 
tions—not only in colour but habit—form of leaves, 
and precocity or otherwise, is something remarkable. 
Some have been in full bloom for a long time, w hile 
others have only a few of the first flowers expanded 
Another point of interest to the botanist is that all 
the varieties having the ordinary heart-shaped leaves 
have a five-lobed eye to the flower with rounded lobes. 
Those with fern-like foliage on the contrary have a 
five-angled eye. Excessively large flowers have a 
tendency to be sterile, or to produce only a few 
flowers, a circumstance to be regretted, for the 
large flowers are certainly handsome. 
Single Varieties. 
The ordinary heart-shaped, or so called palrri-leavetj 
