February 13, 1904. 
TUB GARDENING WORLD. 
135 
Round the Nurseries. 
Chinese Primulas at Reading. 
Tli© Chinese Primulas in the new range of glasshouses in the 
trial grounds of Messrs. Sutton and Sons, heading, are now 
at their ‘best, and for the next few weeks the establishment 
will be well worthy of a visit. Of the new range something 
like eight houses are full of Primulas alone, and the whole 
collection amounts to something like 13,000 plants. 
We had the pleasure of inspecting the collection last week 
on one of the finest days which has occurred this year. We 
therefore saw them under very favourable conditions as to 
light, and can testify to the ever-varying character of the 
shades of colour as seen under the influence of bright light, 
which makes a. vast difference from those which are seen on a 
dull day. Light may be said to improve colours, or otherwise, 
according to the taste of the onlooker, but all dark flowers are 
certainly shown up in all their intensity, brilliancy, and beauty. 
Singles. 
Amougst the Primulas very fine is Improved Reading Blue, 
having intense blue flowers, crisped and waved at the margins. 
It is an improvement upon the old variety and the darkest we 
have seen. Reading Pink is a veiy pleasing variety, with 
bright pink flowers arising from the crown of light green 
leaves. Cambridge Blue has also light green leaves and leaf¬ 
stalks, but the flowers are pale blue, and of veiy large size. 
Cambridge Blue (Fern-leaved) is similar in all respects, except 
that the leaves are of the type understood by comparing them 
to a Fern, while the leaf-stalks are darker. It certainly makes 
a pleasing variation in giving variety of foliage. Rosy Queen 
is several shades paler than Reading Pink, and therefore very 
distinct. It is a Fern-leaved variety, and has light green 
leaves and petioles. 
A very handsome new variety is Brilliant King, having very 
large flowers of a brilliant crimson, and seen to' excellent ad¬ 
vantage under the influence or effects of a clear light. We may 
say that it is an improvement upon Crimson King, the flowers 
Primula The Duchess. 
The crimson, scarlet, and vermilion flowers certainly appeal’ 
to the best advantage under the influence of clear sunshine. 
White colours being neutral in their character are suitable 
under any condition of light or its absence. 
Commencing at one side of the range we inspected the 
houses one after the other until we reached the western side 
of the range. All of the houses are connected together by 
meansof a corridor, so that the' visitor is not subjected to high 
and low temperatures -alternately in passing from one house 
to the other. Incidentally we may mention that a new addi¬ 
tion is being made to the range in the shape of a large Tomato 
house, built on the most approved and modern principles, so 
that the plants can be well lighted and ventilated at all times. 
This new house is being built by Messrs. T. Burton and Son, 
Bexley Heath, Kent. The last two seasons have sufficiently 
warned cultivators that our climate cannot, he depended upon 
for the production of Tomatos in the open air. 
being veiy much larger. Mostly all dark flowers are small, so 
that in this we have a. decided improvement that will take its 
place as a standard variety. We noted this last year, but it is 
now in greater quantity, finer in form, and will be sent out as 
a novelty for this year. Our illustration of this variety will 
serve to show its main characteristics. 
In the same house as the above were a large number of 
seedlings which have' been raised from well-s elec ted parents 
with the object of getting new and improved varieties. Seed¬ 
lings of the well-known P. alba magnifica type were veiy vari¬ 
able. A batch of a pink form of The Duchess was even more 
interesting, as showing how the dark eye of that, now popular 
variety can be introduced to varieties of different, colours. It 
will be put into commerce when it has been fixed. Another 
veiy handsome variety was that having rich crimson-magenta 
flowers, the magenta forming a pleasant shade in the centre, 
while the margins of the flowers are intensified to crimson. 
