342 
THE GARDENING WORLD 
Jan. 31st, 1885. 
most elegant, the flowers hanging in tassels from the 
pendant branches, colour of the richest crimson, and 
in the centre a fold of deep purple, and so forth. Mr. 
Lee having learnt where the plant was to be found, 
posted off directly, and on his arrival perceived at 
once that the plant was new in this part of the world. 
The plant belonged to a sailor’s wife, and she had it 
in a pot in the window. He stood and admired it, 
then entering the house, he said, 1 My good woman, 
this is a nice plant, I should like to buy it.’ ‘ I could 
not sell it for money ; it was brought to me from the 
West Indies by my husband, who has left again, and 
I must keep it for his sake.’ ‘ But I must have it,’ 
said Mr. Lee. ‘ But you shall not,’ said the sailor’s 
wife.’ Here Mr. Lee emptied his pocket of gold, silver, 
and copper, the stock amounting to something more 
than eight guineas. ‘ Well-a-day,’ said the woman, 
1 but that is a power of money ; sure the plant is 
yours.’ Having got the plant safely deposited in his 
nursery, Mr. Lee’s first work was to pull off every 
vestige of flower. Every effort was now made to 
multiply the plant, and by the next season Mr. Lee 
was the delighted possessor of 300 plants. The two 
which opened first were removed to the show-house. 
A lady came. ‘ Why, Mr. Lee, where did you get this 
charming plant?’ ‘ H'm, this is a new thing, my 
lady; pretty, is it not ? ’ ‘Its price?’ ‘ One guinea. 
Thank your,.ladyship,’ said Mr. Lee. Another and 
another went, until at the end of the first season Mr. 
Lee had 300 golden guineas in his purse, the produce of 
the single plant. Mr. Lee did not forget to gladden 
the sailor’s wife by presenting her with a plant of his 
favourite flower. This is the way in which the first 
Euschia came into England.” 
SOWING CHOICE SEEDS. 
The season has now arrived for sowing seeds of 
Begonia, Gloxinia, Primula, and the like, and as a 
great many failures occur every year either through 
a want of knowledge on the subject, or through 
inattention to the little matters of detail which it is 
absolutely necessary should be attended to in order 
to ensure satisfactory results, perhaps a few words 
of advice on the subject through the columns of 
Tee Gardening Would may not be out of place. The 
present is the best time to sow such seeds as Begonias 
and Gloxinias, as by sowing early plenty of time is 
allowed for the plants to grow to a good size, for 
whatever purpose they may be wanted; but unless 
Primulas are wanted early, there is ample time 
between now and March for sowing the seeds of this 
plant. All, however, require precisely the same 
treatment until the plants are up. There are now 
such splendid strains of the two former that I like to 
get a packet of seeds every year, as there is always 
something good and superior among them, which 
enables us to throw away inferior ones, and replace 
them with the better seedlings. In the case of 
Gloxinias, too, I find that seedlings grow and flower 
more freely than old plants, besides they have the 
additional advantage over old roots that they can be 
grown in much smaller pots ; and where, as in our 
ease, the plants are wanted for small vases for room 
decoration, in which they stand very well, this is a 
matter of some consideration. 
The seeds may be sown in 6-in. pots or small pans, 
but I prefer the former. Three parts fill them with 
pot sherds, then, if procurable, cover them with a 
layer ox moss — a capital thing to prevent the soil 
from working down among the drainage ;—but where 
this cannot be had, leaves or pieces of turfy loam will 
do. Then fill up the pots to within half-an-inch of 
the rim with the following compost:—Two parts of 
leaf-mould to one part of loam passed through a fine 
sieve, and one part of fine silver sand. Make the 
surface smooth, and water through a fine rose water- 
pot; let the pots stand for about half-an-hour to 
drain before sowing the seed ; then shake the seeds 
out of the paper evenly over the surface of the soil, 
covering with a very light sprinkling of fine dry 
silver sand. Plunge the pots, if possible, in a gentle 
bottom heat, and cover with a piece of glass, or better 
still, a piece of flag or slate, as the seed germinates 
better in the dark. When the seedlings appear 
gradually inure them to the light, keep the pots close 
to the glass afterwards, to prevent the seedlings from 
getting drawn, and then prick out into pans or pots 
when large enough to handle. Afterwards pot them 
into 3-in. qiots as they advance in growth, and grow 
on in the usual way.— W. C. 
BASKET PLANTS. 
Of late years there have been great improvements 
in the style of baskets; I wish I could say the 
same of the plants grown in them. This, which 
ought to be the main object, is apparently lost 
sight of, the baskets being everything, and the 
plants nothing. There is nothing better to grow 
any plant in than an ordinary earthenware pot. 
This suspended with wire from the roof near the 
window, ought to grow a plant fit to hide any 
unsightliness in the pot. However, neat wire baskets 
of various patterns may be used with the pots plunged 
into them. Amongst the oldest and best plants for 
baskets is Lysimachia Nummularia, a British plant, 
the Creeping Jenny or Money-wort. Why it has 
been called “ Creeping Jenny,” any more than 
“Creeping Johnny,” is a mystery; but the more 
appropriate name of Money-wort has arisen, no doubt, 
from the shape of the leaves being like pieces of 
money. The termination wort, with which so many 
English names of plants end, being the old Saxon 
name for plant; therefore we have Moon-wort or 
Moon-plant, Milk-wort, and many others. The Latin 
specific name also means the same, Nummularia 
being derived from Nummulus, a little coin. Another 
good old basket plant is Saxifraga sarmentosa, and 
although a native of China, rejoices in a number of 
English names. It is caUed Aaron’s beard, the 
Sailor plant, and the Wandering Jew. One of the 
most interesting basket plants I know is one whose 
only fault is in having a name which requires some 
practice in getting your tongue round it—viz., 
Chlorophyton Sternbergianum, or Goethe’s plant; 
so called from Goethe, the great German poet and 
philosopher, having first brought it into notice. It 
belongs to the Lily family, and has long trailing 
flower stems, with small white flowers, which also 
produce quite a colony of httle plants from the stems. 
It has long, bright-green leaves, and is so easily 
grown that the late Miss Prances Hope, of Wardie, a 
lady who was an ardent and most enthusiastic 
cultivator of plants, used to declare that this was a 
plant which would not be killed; and she reared large 
quantities of it for the purpose of giving to her 
friends, who lived in the town, to grow in their 
rooms. Fragaria indica, an elegant trailing Straw¬ 
berry, with greenish white flowers, succeeded by 
scarlet or crimson fruit, also does well. Other 
elegant and highly suitable plants for basket culture 
are the ivy-leaved Pelargonium, the Cornish Money¬ 
wort, another British plant, and Campanula 
Barellieri.— R. Lindsay, Edinburgh, in Forestry. 
—— 
DOUBLE PRIMROSES. 
I think that if any lover of flowers was fortunate 
enough to possess a garden that, in respect of soil, 
situation and climate, would grow these beautiful 
Primroses to perfection, and in every respect success¬ 
fully, he should be one of the happiest of florists. 
There are doubtless some such gardens, and some 
such successful florists about, though we may not 
hear much of their doings. 
Who can give reliable information as to the origin 
of these double Primroses ? I have referred to Philip 
Miller’s Dictionary, published in 1731, and I find he 
mentions two double forms only—viz., the double¬ 
yellow and a double pale red, and he states they were 
accidentally produced from seeds. Now we possess 
more than a dozen varieties, two if not three forms of 
the yellow; the white, black, lilac, rose; two or three 
different shades of red, including the purple; the 
beautiful rich double crimson, the gem of the whole 
batch; Platypetala plena and Croussii. How did 
these originate ? and with whom ? Were they 
seedlings or sprouts ? and where were they first 
distributed ? It may be that very little that is satis¬ 
factory in the way of answers will be given to these 
queries. 
The Florists' Magazine for March, 1836, gives 
coloured illustrations of the double white and double 
crimson Primroses; as good representations as one 
would well desire to see, but no information is given 
as to their origin, or when the brilliant crimson was 
introduced. Primroses have been objects of culture 
at least since the year 1640 ; and, indeed, they must 
have attracted attention long before this. Gerarde 
and Parkinson notice, among other varieties, a double 
green, as existing in their time. The double lilac, 
which is, perhaps, the commonest of the double 
varieties, it is supposed, was -bred from the purple- 
flowering variety found in many parts of Scotland; 
and it is perhaps the hardiest of the whole group. 
Alas for the beautiful crimson variety of Madame 
de Pompadour, as it is called in Ireland or elsewhere 
—it is so difficult to rear in the south ! In the moister 
parts of Ireland and Scotland it can be grown; and 
two years ago, Mr. Broekbank exhibited at the 
Auricula Show at South Kensington, one of the best 
plants I ever saw; buff if a good plant comes south¬ 
wards in autumn, it will last through the winter and 
flower in spring; and then with hot drying weather, 
it appears to dwindle away to nothing. During the 
last summer it suffered severely in the north of 
Scotland, it became infested with red spider owing 
to the drought; and it is difficult to get anything 
like a plant. And as the stock of it is circumscribed, 
it is no doubt severely propagated, and this has a 
weakening effect, and makes it the more difficult to 
rear the divided parts, which are only slightly rooted. 
The rose is a charming variety, a strong grower, 
but not at all free in flowering; the flowers are very 
large and full, and of a lively salmon colour. It is 
one of the best growers for pot culture that I am 
acquainted with. The blush is charmingly chaste, 
and is probably a sport from the white, when true, 
it is of a lovely flesh colour. It also is scarce, and, 
being severely propagated, is also delicate and difficult 
to rear. But anyone growing it may have to experi¬ 
ence the annoyance of seeing it revert to the co mm on 
double white type. The purple is a fine variety also, 
with large deep red flowers, flushed with purple ; it is 
very free, and a good subject for pot culture. The 
crimson-purple and the Scotch red are distinct; the 
former throws up a Polyanthus stem, from the top 
of which issues a large cluster of flowers on long 
stems. It is very free of bloom. Platypetala plena 
is very free, but the colour of the flowers soon fade, 
and they have a somewhat ragged appearance. It 
should be grown strongly, and then the flowers are 
larger, fuller, and of a better colour. Croussii flore- 
plena, is one of the latest introductions; a fairly 
good grower, free, distinct in colour, and quite 
pleasing. I need scarcely state what some of your 
readers have found out for themselves, that the late 
Giant Yellow and Cloth of Gold are one and the 
same. I have just obtained from Scotland an early 
yellow-flowering variety, which is said to be distinct 
from the Early Sulphur, which is our earliest variety 
in the south; and I shall wait with expectancy the 
time when it will flower. 
I am informed by old growers of double Primroses, 
that when grown in pots, the soil should be pressed 
firmly about the roots ; that they should be potted 
hard. They should be potted deeply also, so as to 
encourage root growth from near the basal leaves. A 
compost made up of a good yellow loam, some leaf- 
mould and sand, with well-decomposed manure that 
can be rubbed into a powder, added, will suit double 
Primroses well. If they succeed, the grower will be 
amply repaid for his attention if good heads of bloom 
follow; if they fail, then he must brace up his 
energies for another attempt, and endeavour to trans¬ 
late failure into success.— R. D. 
ZINC POTS FOR PLANTS. 
I have no desire to advocate the adoption of these in 
preference to the ordinary ones, but as it appears that 
some plants do not object to grow in them, the facts 
I am about to relate may be suggestive and not 
uninteresting to others. At Worden Hall, near 
Preston, there is an aquarium, and in the centre of 
the tank a column to support the roof. Several 
attempts have been made to cover this column, 
which is 15 ft. high, with a creeper, and there are 
plenty of plants that will extend twice or three 
times that length, as was afterwards proved, but 
there was a decided objection to more than half of 
