. March 21, 1903. 
THE GARDENING WORLD. 
249 
purple, and thickly spotted. Cupreus has peculiarly coppery- 
rose flowers. Those of Chancellor are dark purple, and the 
foliage is also dark and good. A marked contrast to the last- 
named is furnished by corsicus albus, having greenish-white 
flowers, and light green foliage. Apotheker Bogren lias large 
rosy-purple flowers, thickly spotted with darker markings. 
Afghan Prince has large, dark coppery-purple flowers, as dusky 
in hue as its namesake. 
VIOLETS, 
A large collection of Violets is grown in the open, and both 
single and double varieties have been flowering freely for some 
time past. J. Radenbury is a single variety with bright blue 
flowers. Those of Mme. E. Arene are dark violet-purple ; those 
of Princess Beatrice are much larger and darker violet. 
Princesse de Galles has large dark violet flowers, with a slight 
tint of purple. The two latter are veiy superior varieties ; but 
Italia has also large and bright violet flowers. Those of Czar 
are of the same colour; those' of La France are of large size, 
and dark violet, being generally considered the best single 
Violet, and certainly it is one of the finest. California is noted 
for its long stalks, but has narrower petals than La France. A 
veiy dark purple is that named devoniensis. Amiral Avellan 
is a shade paler and brighter, and has more white in the eye. 
In one of the houses is a collection of seedlings of Gerbera. 
Jamesoni, raised from seeds sent home from the Transvaal by 
Mr. Barr, who says that the plants growing in a wild state have 
white, orange, scarlet, and other shades of colour in the* flowers. 
The first one to open has bright orange-scarlet rays. In the 
open ground are many trials of Giant Yellow. Mont Blanc is a 
good white variety, and David Rizzio is an equally fine large 
purple variety. The Crocuses just named are varieties of C. 
vernus and C. aureus. The Tulips in bloom in the open ground 
in the first week of March were varieties of Due van Thol, in¬ 
cluding Cochineal, a deep scarlet, and another named Golden 
Yellow. __ 
Primula kewensis. 
We are now in a position to illustrate the above hybrid 
between P. floribunda and P. verticillata. When we first made 
its acquaintance we were in hopes that it would prove the pre¬ 
decessor of a new race of garden forms, but even during the 
first season it became apparent that the hybrid would not 
produce seeds ; consequently there is little chance of getting 
variations upon the type in that way. It seems, however, to 
be easily propagated by division, and makes a handsome, 
decorative plant when so treated. 
The stems vaiy from 12 in. to 15 in. in height and bear 
whorls, tier upon tier in the same way as P. verticillata, but 
having more numerous whorls. Even under the conditions of 
a greenhouse with the temperature about 50 deg., or slightly 
more, it remains in flower for several weeks, the whorls of 
flowers opening in succession, and fresh flower-scapes continuing 
to be thrown up. The flowers are bright yellow, of appreciable 
size, and, surmounting as they do a wealth of bright green 
leaves, the plants have great decorative value indeed. There 
is little of the farinaceous meal or dust upon the foliage to show 
the influence of P. verticillata, but it can be detected upon the 
young flowers; and the plant is certainly distinct from both 
parents, much more vigorous, and therefore a great acquisition 
to garden cultures. 
Our illustration was taken at Kew, where the hybrid 
originated. _____ 
Odontoglossum Rossii majus. 
(See p. 250). 
The illustration of this plant was prepared from rather a 
small photograph, consequently it does not give the detail which 
we should have liked. Nevertheless, it represents a good speci¬ 
men of its kind, which was flowered by Mr. Robert Grigor, gar¬ 
dener to A. B. Nicholson, Esq., Glenbervie House, Kincardine¬ 
shire. It was grown from an imported clump, and though only 
in a 6-in. pan, it produced twenty-one flowers, and appeared in 
every way to be a free-flowering variety. Other plants obtained 
from the same source have not flowered so' well, although 
accorded similar treatment. The flowers showed the usual 
arrangement of colours, the spotting or blotches being well 
marked, but not otherwise showing any character by which it 
might be separated from the average 0. Rossii majus. It is an 
exceedingly variable race as imported. 
Davallias and their Culture. 
This is a most useful genus of Ferns, comprising many dis¬ 
tinct and extremely interesting species. The characteristic 
feature of the genus is the rhizome®, which are very variable in 
form, size, colouring, and mode of growth. The majority re¬ 
quire a warm house to grow them successfully, but several will 
succeed in the cool fernery. 
A compost which suits Davallias is one in which good fibrous 
peat predominates. A very shady position should be given 
PllIMUOAE KWENSIS. 
them, and plenty of water when growing freely. Repotting 
Ferns is usually done in the spring, but many of the Davallias 
are better when this operation is performed in the autumn. 
When thus treated the rhizomes grow during the winter months, 
and, consequently, a good crop of fronds are produced quite 
early in spring. 
The genus is remarkable for the variation in size and shape 
of the fronds : some are veiy fine and feathery in appearance, 
while others are somewhat thick and leathery in texture. In 
many the fronds are only about an inch or so long, while others 
attain a length of several feet. 
For cutting purposes Davallias have no equal, the fronds 
being exceedingly lasting. Many will retain a fresh appearance 
for quite a. month in water. The old fronds of many assume 
a rich golden colour, and are very useful for floral work. 
Large Specimens. 
Some magnificent Specimens are produced by many lobust 
