862 THE GARDENING WORLD. February 2, 1895. 
PRIMULAS AT READING. 
The charming and superb strains of the Chinese 
Primula at the Portland Road Nursery of Messrs. 
Sutton & Sons, Reading, are always a feature of 
interest from the early days of the new year onwards. 
Those grown for seed are all sown in June with the 
object of getting them in bloom at this particular 
season, and when the trusses are fairly well expanded 
the work of pollination is carried on with careful and 
steady perseverance till the whole has been accom¬ 
plished. Happily there are early and late varieties, 
so that the tardy process that will not be hurried 
can be overtaken and accomplished in due season. 
Besides the proved sorts that are grown in quantity, 
we cannot overlook the extensive trials of new or 
untried kinds, the seed of which was gathered in 
June and sown in July. There are in trials in one 
house, a dozen pots of each sort. Out of 800 crosses 
only 30 were saved, and they are only second rate, 
thus showing the trouble and expense incurred in 
trying to get something better than existing kinds. 
Single Varieties. 
For boldness of character, the giant strain takes the 
eye at once alongside of those less favoured in the 
matter of size. Under favourable treatment the 
flowers of the plain-leaved Giant White attain 
astonishing proportions when the pips come to be 
measured. The pure white flowers are of great 
substance with a large, dark eye. Giant Crimson 
has been an excellent companion to it for some years, 
and its glowing red hue stands out in bold contrast 
to the purity of the other. The soft and pleasing 
hue of Giant Pink will commend itself to many on 
account of its charming delicacy and the great size 
of the blooms. It is a novelty, now put into com¬ 
merce for the first time, and strengthens the group 
of which it now forms a part. All the four kinds 
may also be had in mixture. 
Amongst the ordinary types the general standard 
of excellence is well kept, and the colours are so 
varied and pleasing that nothing further seems 
necessary for embellishing the conservatory so far 
as single Primulas are concerned. White is always 
in request, and is well supplied by Sutton’s Pearl, 
which has held its own for many years, firmly estab¬ 
lishing the fact that it supplies an actual want in 
spite of the many substitutes that have since been 
raised. The glowing scarlet-red flowers of Reading 
Scarlet are so strong by contrast with the white that 
it is better to tone them down with something inter¬ 
mediate to blend and harmonise the whole. There 
are several with which this may be done by gradual 
stages, and Brilliant Ruby, a novelty sent out for the 
first time, might be put in contrast with it. The 
flowers are brilliant red and well set above the dwarf 
and compact foliage. Next to this we should place 
the well-known and old favourite Ruby King, which 
is the junior of Sutton's Pearl only by a year. Its 
dwarf and compact habit, and ruby flowers with a 
crimson zone round the eye make it a gem of the 
first water, and that is the secret of its longevity. 
The depth of colour in Reading Blue makes it a 
landmark in the range of hues that now characterise 
the Chinese Primula. The colour as it first appeared 
has been practically eliminated and replaced by one 
of greater intensity and purity. The beauty and 
delicacy of Reading Pink is widely recognised, and 
by contrast with white gives an impression that is 
strangely in contrast with the inclemency of the 
weather and the stern and rugged environment 
immediately outside. The flowers of Brilliant Rose 
are of a soft rose-when they expand, but they intensify 
as they develop until they represent one of the most 
pleasing and brilliant hues in their class. 
Fern-leaved Single Kinds. 
The elongated and finely cut character of the leaves 
of this group make the varieties into which the 
original developed very ornamental associates for the 
plain-leaved types. It would be rash to hazard an 
opinion as to which is the best and most beautiful 
of the fern-leaved sorts, as that is a matter of taste ; 
but the contrast in colour between the flowers and 
foliage of Gipsy Queen makes it one of the most 
remarkable of Primulas. The flowers are pure 
white and well shown off by a background of leaves 
of a deep metillic tint. The dark green leaves of 
Purity equally show off the chaste and snow-white 
flowers that attract by their size, colour, and sub¬ 
stance. Sutton’s Blue is an excellent companion to 
Reading Blue, as foliage plays no mean part in the 
decorative effect of the whole. In this case the fern- 
like leaves are short and arranged in a compact 
rosette, and the blue of the flowers is rich. The 
quantity of flowers produced by Snowdrift is great, 
and their value for decorative purposes is enhanced 
by the circumstance that they hang on the plant for 
a much longer period than those of other kinds, so 
that the whole truss has time to expand, thus adding 
materially to the general effect. The soft rose 
colour of Rosy Queen is even more delicate than in 
the case of Reading Pink, but charmingly pretty, 
and easily distinguishable both in colour and foliage. 
Double and Moss-curled Varieties. 
The small segments forming the centre of the flowers 
in this section are sufficient to give them a totally 
different aspect from the single ones, even should the 
respective colours be identical. The flowers are 
more durable than those already mentioned, and are 
therefore well adapted in many cases for cut flower 
purposes. The fact that they can be raised so 
readily and as true from seed as the single sorts 
lends them an additional recommendation. Imperial 
Purple, no less by the richness of the flowers than 
their size, is indispensable to a full display in the 
conservatory in winter, but especially in spring when 
the colour becomes more intensified and brilliant. 
Equally rich of its kind is Double Carmine ; and 
besides its pleasing hue it is valuable as being 
amongst the earliest to come into bloom. The 
charming Double White Fern-leaved should prove 
an excellent substitute for the old Alba Plena, and 
gives much less trouble in its management. The 
fiery red flowers of Double Scarlet is indispensable 
in a conservatory where something is necessary to 
brighten up and give a glow to its occupants. The 
softer shades are no less welcome in other cases, and 
Double Rose always finds plenty of admirers. The 
plain-leaved Double White cannot fail to give great 
satisfaction under kindly treatment, for the mass of 
flowers it develops on large plants is something 
remarkable. Double Crimson takes rank amongst 
the boldest and most effective on account of the rich 
glow of its flowers, and is therefore always desirable. 
Double Blue is no less one of the greatest acquisi¬ 
tions in this strain, and introduces a colour that is 
otherwise difficult to supply at this season of the 
year. Those who have no space for a batch of each 
kind can have the whole in mixture and of the same 
high quality. 
The quaint beauty of Sutton’s Gem is due to the 
peculiar form of the circular leaves and their curled 
and crisped edges, resembling in the aggregate a 
bunch of curled Parsley surrounding the base of a 
bouquet of flowers of a beautiful pink. The beautiful 
foliage of the Double Alba Magnifica, and the 
fringed flowers, with their wavy segments, recall the 
old favourite Alba Magnifica, which was a great 
favourite in its day. In the double form it has a 
fresh charm added to it. The Moss-curled strain is 
now getting numerous in variety, and we hope that 
improvements will continue to be effected in this 
direction for the sake of the new and beautiful 
character possessed by the wavy, crisped, and curled 
foliage. 
Many of our readers will doubtless be interested 
to know that a succession can be kept up by the 
varieties above enumerated. Amongst single varie¬ 
ties sown in June, Snowdrift and Reading Scarlet 
will come into bloom in October. Pearl, Brilliant 
Rose, Reading Pink, and Gipsy Queen may be con¬ 
sidered as second earlies, sown at the same time as 
the rest. All the giant forms are late in coming into 
bloom, but Giant Crimson is the latest, and must not 
be hurried, but allowed to come on gradually. 
April and May are really the most suitable months 
for amateurs to sow their Primulas, as it gives them 
a longer season and less artificial heat is required. 
There are 1,500 doubles in one house making a grand 
display. The earliest to bloom are Double Scarlet, 
White Rose, and Carmine, all of which come in to¬ 
gether. The blue varieties, Carnation Flaked and 
most of the others, are moderately early or late. 
For want of space we are unable to do justice to 
the new varieties this week, and must defer further 
mention of them till our next. In the meantime, 
we recommend our readers who can visit Reading to 
see for themselves, and we can assure them the 
time spent amongst the Primulas will not be wasted. 
The National Chrysanthemum Society’s Catalogue.— 
Centenary Edition. Containing 1,000 new varieties. All the 
novelties. A history and complete bibliography of the Chrysan¬ 
themum, by Mr. C. Harman Payne. Price, is.; post free, 
is. iid. Publisher, Gardening World, i, Clement's Inn, 
Strand, London, W.C. 
EPIPHYLLUM TRUNCATUM AND 
ITS VARIETIES. 
Among the many gardens which are scattered 
throughout the country, there is only, we venture 
to say, an extremely small percentage of those of any 
size wherein Epiphyllum truncatum or some of its 
garden varieties do not find a home. Not only do we 
find it in by far the larger proportion of establish¬ 
ments where a staff of professional gardeners are 
kept but the amateur has promptly fallen in love 
with it and thinking it quite good enough for his 
cottage window or his little greenhouse has 
attempted its culture and in many cases with marked 
success. 
Many people run off with the idea that a compara¬ 
tively high temperature is needed to grow Epi- 
phyllums successfully. This, however, is a great 
mistake, for they will stand as low a temperature as 
the majority of greenhouse plants without suffering 
appreciably. Where such regularly cool treatment 
is accorded them, however, the usual flowering 
season is, as a matter of course, retarded somewhat, 
the health of the plants not suffering in the slightest. 
As a suitable plant for growing in the cottage window 
it finds not a little favour in the eyes of many, as 
from its peculiar leafless, flattened branches it is so 
entirely different in appearance from the generality 
of plants which are usually to be found there. 
Its curiously shaped brilliant hued flowers are 
always greatly admired and last a long time in con¬ 
dition, an additional recommendation to the lover of 
flowers whose space for cultivating them is of the 
limited order. 
Then again the plants are exceedingly slow of 
growth, and thus are not at all likely to soon develop 
into too large and unwieldy specimens. Such plants 
as this are just the most suitable for cultivating in 
the small glasshouses so common to the amateur's 
garden. The commonest form in which we meet 
them is that of standards, from 1 ft. to 15 in. in 
height, growing upon Pereskia aculeata on which 
they are usually grafted. By this means fine hand¬ 
some plants may be obtained. While propagation 
by grafting is an exceedingly simple operation and 
calls for no great skill or technical knowledge on the 
part of the operator, favourable atmospheric sur¬ 
roundings being the chief consideration, plants may 
easily be obtained upon their own roots from cuttings 
which strike both easily and well if placed in heat. 
From their naturally dependent habit, however, 
plants obtained from cuttings are not so suitable for 
culture in pots, where a stiffer, stouter stem than the 
Epiphyllum ever makes of itself is necessary to 
impart anything like an air of gracefulness to the 
plants. 
When grown in baskets and allowed to droop 
naturally over the sides a fine effect can be obtained, 
although it is an unaccountably rare occurrence to 
meet with them grown in this way. A really good 
method of culture is partly illustrated in the succu¬ 
lent house at Kew, where upon a large specimen of 
Pereskia aculeata, which is trained along the roof 
and covers one side of the span, an Epiphyllum is 
grafted about half way up. There should be no 
difficulty we would imagine in grafting a number of 
plants along the whole of the stem at suitable 
intervals. The effect produced by the pendent 
branches and bright red or rose coloured flowers 
would be really good and would be a much better 
way of exhibiting the qualities of a really beautiful 
plant than the old-fashioned, though not to be 
despised, stiff pot specimens. 
The great point in the culture of Epiphyllums is 
to see that the soil in which they are growing is 
never in a soddened or sour condition, but that any 
water given is allowed free and ample egress. For 
this purpose the drainage must be made as effective 
as possible, and a little mortar rubbish or broken 
crocks should be mixed with the potting compost. 
Too large pots must also be avoided, as a super¬ 
abundance of soil around the roots does not tend to 
promote the welfare of the plants, whilst potting 
should be indulged in as little as possible. We have 
seen plants that have not been disturbed for years 
continue in the best of health and vigour and flower 
profusely each year, whilst others that have been 
shifted more frequently have not given very great 
satisfaction, the injury done to the roots during 
removal acting as a serious check upon the plants 
for some considerable time.— A.S.G. 
