Jan. 17th, 1885. 
THE GARDENING WORLD. 
309 
these and the outer walls filled up with rubble of any 
kind and surfaced with fine gravel or ashes, make a 
stage for plants that lasts for ever. Or an open 
trellis-wood stage may be erected on either side of 
the house and be supported simply by means of cross 
pieces and stout uprights, thus leaving the spaces 
beneath the stages available for other purposes. 
Of course such houses as these if heated, can only 
be so effectually by means of liot-water piping, and, in 
the case of a long house, it is well to have the boiler 
fixed on one side, but half way along the building. 
Then with pipes running either way, all the house 
is evenly heated. Sometimes the pipes are fixed on 
the top of the wall adjoining the path, at other times 
are carried round or along just beneath the roof on 
either side. Fixed how they may be, however, the space 
to be heated is so small that the needful warmth is 
soon obtained. By fixing the pipes near the glass, a 
fairly dry atmosphere is maintained, and that is of 
the greatest service at this season of the year. 
We may very well call attention also to another 
feature common nowadays to market plant-houses, 
and that is the absence of putty on the top. This 
seems to have been the product of a sort of dark age 
in greenhouse building. At least it is certain that 
in myriads of cases it is now dispensed with as 
worse than useless, for it is found to promote the 
secretion of moisture and lead to drip and decay. In 
glazing a house, the great thing to ensure is that the 
glass shall be thoroughly and evenly bedded in putty. 
present time, but, for general purposes, I believe there 
is none much better than a good strain of Fimbriata 
rubra, and alba. We have this season the finest 
strain of the above varieties (from Messrs. James 
Dickson & Sons, Chester) that has ever come under 
my notice, most of the individual blooms measuring 
from 2 ins. to 2£ ins. in diameter, and one bloom I 
measured was 2§ of an inch. 
The single varieties of Primula sinensis are raised 
annually from seed, and the time of sowing depends 
very much upon the time the plants are wanted to 
flower. For autumn and winter blooming the seed 
should be sown anytime during the month of February, 
but if not wanted until spring any time from the 
middle to the end of March will be soon enough. It 
is not advisable to delay the sowing of the seeds much 
later than this to get good strong plants, and the pots 
well filled with roots before the dull weather sets in. 
Some cultivators recommend successional sowings. I 
have failed to see the utility of such a practice, as out 
of the same pot or pan of seedlings we never get the 
plants all of the same size, hence a succession of 
plants can be obtained from one sowing. When 
sowing the seeds, if small pans are not available we 
take 6-in. pots and fill them about three parts full of 
pot sherds, which are covered over with moss or 
rough leaves. The pots are then filled to within 
three-quarters of an inch of the top with a light 
compost made up of two parts of loam to one part of 
leaf-mould and one of sand, passed through a fine 
rooting afresh, when they are placed as near the 
glass as possible, where a little air can be given to 
keep the plants dwarf and sturdy, but still keeping 
them lightly shaded from the full rays of the sun. 
As soon as the plants are ready they are potted into 
thumbs or 3-in. pots, according to the size of the 
plants, using this time a compost of two parts of 
fibry loam to one of leaf-mould, with plenty of sand 
to make the whole porous, and a little charcoal dust 
if convenient, as it gives the foliage a nice, healthy, 
green colour. The plants are again placed near the 
glass in an airy position, where they can be shaded a 
little from the strong sun-light during the middle of 
the day. As soon as the pots are fairly well filled 
with roots, but not pot bound, the plants are shifted 
into 4-in. pots, using the same compost as before, 
only a little rougher. They are then removed to a 
cooler temperature, keeping them close for a few days 
until they get a fresh start, when an abundance of 
air is given them, of course, weather permitting. 
About the end of June they are placed in a cold frame 
upon a bed of ashes, and if the frame is turned to 
face the north they will require no shading, if not, we 
shade them for a couple of hours at midday on bright 
days. 
When they are ready for fresh potting again they 
are shifted into 5-in. and 6-in. pots in the same 
compost as before, but with a little soot added. Six- 
inch pots are the largest size we use, and for all 
ordinary purposes these are large enough. Some 
A CHEAP GREENHOUSE. 
Then the panes are secured by means of copper brads, 
the projecting putty is cleaned off, and if some three 
coats of paint be given to the bars and edges of the 
glass, the latter is far more secure and water tight than 
if secured by means of top putty. These matters 
are full of interest to all, but specially to amateurs 
who want to obtain a greenhouse cheaply. The 
accompanying illustration shows all we have sought 
to convey, and as to prices, the builders will be happy 
to afford all the needful information. 
- 6 ~~ - ‘ - 
THE CHINESE PRIMULA.* 
Amongst our autumn, winter, and spring flowering 
plants, there are none, I think, which surpass the 
Primula sinensis for general usefulness. For edging 
the conservatory or greenhouse stages it is indis¬ 
pensable, and we may look in vain for anything to 
take its place, with its beautiful green foliage and 
brightly-coloured flowers, from the purest white to a 
deep red or crimson. The Primula throws up its 
flowers in continuous succession during the whole of 
the dull winter months, and is so easy of cultivation 
that anyone possessing a greenhouse, or even a pit, 
may grow it well. 
A great many fine varieties are offered at the 
* A paper read at the last meeting of the Preston 
and Fulwood Horticultural Society, by Mr. Campbell, 
The Gardens, Farrington House, Preston. 
sieve. The surface is made level, but not pressed 
over firm, and on this the seeds are evenly sown, and 
a little fine sifted leaf-mould and sand sprinkled over 
the top. We are never particular about having all 
the seeds covered, as there is a danger of burying 
some of them in the attempt to do so, in which case 
they will not come up. A square of glass is placed 
over them, and covered with a little moss or some¬ 
thing to prevent the strong sun from drying the 
surface too much. The seed pots are generally placed 
in a temperature of about 60 degs., but a lower 
temperature will do. More failures arise at this 
period in the cultivation of the Primula, and all other 
plants raised from seed, than during all the rest of 
them growth; as when the seeds are germinating if 
they are allowed to get dry they never get over it. 
Very often the blame should rest here, when it is put 
on to the seedsman. 
When growth commences the glass is removed for 
a short time every day, until it can be dispensed with 
altogether, care being taken to keep them well shaded 
from the strong rays of the sun. I would recommend 
the glass to be kept over the pots at night as long 
as possible, to prevent snails and cockroaches from 
getting at the plants. As soon as they have made a 
rough leaf or two they are sorted into different sizes 
to get a succession, and pricked into pans or pots, in 
much the same compost as that before mentioned 
only it is not this time passed through a sieve, but 
made moderately fine with the hand. They are then 
put in the shade for a few days until they commence 
cultivators use 7-in. and 8-in. pots, but I have seen as 
good—I think better—plants in 6-in. pots than in the 
larger ones. As the Primula is not a strong rooting 
plant it is more apt to damp off in the larger pots, 
and I have very seldom seen many roots on the 
outside of the ball when turned out of a 7-in. or 8-in. 
pot; the healthiest and greatest number of roots are 
to be found generally in 5-in. pots, which is the 
best possible proof that it is not advisable to over-pot 
them. About the end of September or the beginning 
of October the plants are removed from the frame to 
a dry, airy house, with a temperature of from 45 degs. 
to 50 degs. at night. Some of the strongest plants 
are allowed to flower at this stage, and the blooms 
of the others are pinched out to flower later on, 
according as they are wanted. 
In potting Primulas, some are careful not to bury 
the collar of the plants for fear they should damp 
off, and even go to the trouble of putting little sticks 
round them to keep them from tumbling about. 
It is very important that the plants should be placed 
sufficiently low in the pots to keep them firm, and 
by placing them low they also make more roots, for the 
Primula roots all up the stem. There need not be 
any fear of the plants damping off through deep 
potting. 
Watering is one of the most important points 
requiring attention in the cultivation of the Primula. 
At no time should the plants be allowed to get too 
dry. I have noticed plants that were allowed to get 
over dry, damp sooner after being watered than those 
