February 20. 1904. 
THE GARDE XING WORLD. 
157 
Round the Nurseries. 
_ 
Primulas at Forest Hill. 
Quite recently we had the pleasure of inspecting the 
Chinese Primulas in the Forest Hill Nursery of Messrs. James 
Carter and Co., High Holborn, London. The plants seem 
more advanced at this period than they have been in recent 
years, being in full bloom at the beginning of February. As 
they are only grown for the production of seed, they were not 
sown till July, so that they have never been put into pots 
larger than 48’s, the object being to get one good truss of 
flowers for the production of seed. About 8,000 are grown in 
several of the' houses, a large proportion being in one of the 
long span-roofed houses, where the plants are always relatively 
near the glass. 
Singles, 
Their standard varieties are still kept up to 
the finest form of the respective types. Cross¬ 
breeding is also engaged in for the purpose of 
getting new varieties, and several are now on 
trial, while one veiy fine type at least is now 
being put in commerce. This is named King 
Edward VII., and has large pure white flowers 
with wavy and much fimbriated segments, and 
so much imbricated that they appear semi- 
double. The leaves are ample and deeply lobed 
with over-lapping segments, showing the relative 
affinity that they have with that character in the 
flowers. A rose-pink variety has already be¬ 
come evolved from the white one, and is identical 
in all respects) except in colour. A great 
favourite of ours for many years past is Princess 
May, in which many of our readers who are 
acquainted with the variety will concur. The 
flowers are of unusually large size and .soft pink, 
deepening a little at the edges. The foliage 
and leaf-stalks are of a light green. The illus¬ 
tration of this variety which we reproduce will 
give those an idea of it who do not happen to 
know the variety. 
Bright Crimson (Fern-leaved) has flowers of a 
rich dark crimson, deepening in colour with age, 
while around the eye is a maroon-crimson zone. 
A seedling raised from Hercules x Salmon liasi 
bright rose-pink flowers not unlike those char¬ 
acteristic of Princess May, but differing in the 
shade of colour and having red petioles. Other 
promising seedlings have oarminet-erimsen and 
salmon-pink flowers, respectively, both of them 
having foliage of the Fern-leaved type. The 
flowers of Hercules are of large size, rosy-mauve, 
and accompanied by foliage of the ordinary 
form, having red stalks. A veiy free flowering 
one is Carter’s Crimson, having brilliant crim¬ 
son flowers and dark red leaf-stalks, the blossom 
being produced veiy freely. 
A curiosity in it® w r ay is the variety named 
Bouquet. The flowers are pure white, the distinguishing mark 
of the variety being that the bract® at the base of the umbel 
'of flowers are greatly enlarged and form practically a circle of 
leaves surrounding a truss of flowers, and suggesting a bouquet 
of a Primula already made up. The flower-stalk may be cut 
bearing these leaves and flowers as described. The variety 
has been under cultivation for a. number of years, and is raised 
from seeds annually, a good percentage coming fairly true to 
the type. 
TEat named Carmine is a good standard variety with rosy- 
carmine flowers and a narrow white zone round the greenish- 
yellow eye. It is a veiy pleasing variety, with dark foliage. 
There are two' varieties of Elaine—namely, one with light 
green foliage and flower®, slightly tinted with blush, and the 
strain having red petioles and pure white flowers, but larger 
than those of the original Elaine, which lias been superseded 
foi some years. There is also Elaine (Fern-leaved), having 
white flowers and very broad leave® of the type indicated. A 
■\ ery choices and standard variety is that named Holborn Queen, 
having veiy large white flowers finely tinted with blush, and 
large overlapping segments. The size of the flowers of this 
beautiful variety recalls Princess May. The illustration of 
this, reproduced from a photograph, shows the general habit 
of the plant and the character of the flowers. 
Holborn Blue is now practically an ancient variety as far as 
the name is concerned, but as the plants are reproduced from 
seeds annually, the modem strain is a great improvement upon 
the original one, both in the size and colour of the flowers. 
The variety named Magenta has large and ricldy-coloured 
flowers of that shade. In the early stages of expansion they 
Primula Carter’s Princess May. 
are paler, but they very soon intensify as they reach their full 
development.. The variety is rather an early one, and throws 
its large trusses of flowers well above the foliage. 
Vermilion is another one that is correctly named, having 
flowers of a. rich shade of colour and large size, while the leaf¬ 
stalks are red. Rose Queen is several stages darker in colour 
than Princess May, and though the flowers are a trifle smaller 
they are similar in form. The flowers are produced in great- 
abundance and well thrown above the foliage. The last de¬ 
scription would also apply to the large flowers of Lilac Queen, 
which might be described as deep lilac of rather a pleasing 
shade. Carter’s Scarlet has flowers of a. rich vermilion or 
scarlet of quite a different shade of colour from that- named 
Vermilion.. A large quantity of both are grown in the same 
