February 16, 1901. 
thk gardening world 
393 
sowings or plantings made immediately in hot bed 
frames. Only on very favourable south borders 
should vegetable sowings be made yet. For Carrots 
and Onions we advise you to prepare special brakes 
in tbe open air. Work the soil deeply and well. 
Read scrapings, soot, wood ashes, retton dung, and 
old potting soil should be added. It is not necessary 
them are chiefly valued for the sake of their bold 
and handsome foliage, frequently put to excellent 
service in the sub-tropical garden The "ariety 
under notice may be so used, or for any other pur¬ 
pose in which fine effects may be obtained by the 
use of the same. The leaves are 2 ft. long, pinna- 
tifid or deeply lobed as the accompanying illustra- 
every lover of a garden. It is a noble looking and 
half hardy plant, and might also be made to do duty 
in large conservatories, greenhouses or winter gar¬ 
dens for the sake of its foliage. The flowers are 
small, white and freely produced in cymes towards 
the end of the shoots of the current year. The 
varietal name is also spelt Poortmanni. 
Primula Forbesi compacta 
to rotate the crops every year, although the practice 
has its merits in this, that diseases and insect pests 
are largely prevented. 
SOME NEW OR INTERESTING PLANTS. 
A good many gardeners have seen and been charmed 
with Primula Forbesi, known as the Baby Primrose 
The latter term is more applicable to the new 
variety P. F. compacta of dwarfer stature, and 
flowering with great profusion. The purple flowers 
with small yellow eye forcibly reminds one of P. 
farinosa, the Bird's-eye Primrose, but the foliage, 
stems and general habit of the plant are quite 
different. Unlike the majority of the Primulas it is 
a short lived plant, but is easily raised from seeds 
annually in the same way as P. sinensis, which is 
Gloxinia hybrida grandiflora. 
SOLANUM ALBIDUM PoRTMANNI. 
Tydaea hybrida grandiflora. 
also treated as an annual with great success. The 
accompanying illustration shows the habit of the 
plant when grown in pots or pans. 
Solanum albidum Poitmanni is one of the many 
fine forms of this genus with which our gardens 
have been enriqhed within recent years. Most of 
tion will show, bright green above, and white 
beneath, owing to the presence of a matted felt of 
white hairs. It was introduced from the Andes of 
Peru in i8S6, so that, although not new to cultiva¬ 
tion it is very little known in gardens, but could be 
used to excellent purpose and prove interesting to 
Gloxinias are now so variable that it would be 
difficult to say in what direction new departures 
might be expected. New Pink Leoparded, other¬ 
wise named Gloxinia hybrida grandiflora, is notable 
for the size and spotting of the flowers, the larger 
spots being near the margins, and the others gradu- 
