May 13, 1905. 
THE GARDENING WORLD. 
5'J5 
Notes on the Illustrations in this Issue. 
The Snow-white Primula (Primula pubescens alba). 
A lar<>-e number of the European alpine Primulas have a 
general resemblance in their build to the Auricula or Bear’s-ear 
(Primula Auricula). The Alps are really the headquarters 
of the European alpine Primulas, and they have a closer family 
relationship between one another than they would have with 
that other large section which comes from the Himalayas, or 
the other speefes in the immediately surrounding country. The 
suedes under notice is most often met with in gardens under 
ih e name of P. nivalis and P. nivea, but there is another species 
described under the name of P. nivalis which conies from the 
Altai Mountains and other parts of Asia as well as North 
America. With that, however, we have nothing to do at 
11 The subject of our note produces a neat crown of obo-vate, 
serrated downy leaves only 2 in. to 2£ in. long, and from the 
centre of this crown or tuft one or more trusses of pure white 
flowers are produced in the open garden during April. ihe 
typical form has purple flowers, so that this is an albino wit l 
snow-white flowers produced in abundance. Amongst Alpine 
Primulas it is really one of the easiest to grow and maintain 
in health year after year, consequently we frequently meet 
with it in collections. Independently of these 
facts, it is an exceeding neat, attractive and 
interesting variety which finds favour with 
most people who' collect alpine plants for beau¬ 
tifying the rockery. 
As already hinted, the cultivation offers no 
special difficulty provided the cultivator takes 
the precaution to ’select a niche in the rockeiy 
where the roots will have every opportunity 
of penetrating to a. considerable depth to 
obtain the necessary supply of moisture 
during the warm and trying time of summer 
when'the plant should be really making fresh 
leaves and crowns for next year s-flowering. 
The soil should also' be free, and if not so 
naturally it should be improved by means of 
sharp sand and leaf-mould. By a neat 
arrangement of stones the plant may seem 
to have very little soil at its command, but, 
provided the roots have every facility for 
penetrating deeply, the pieces of stone laid on 
the surface around the crowns will serve, to 
keep the roots cooler rather than otherwise. 
We should, however, select stones of a porous 
character which are not so' liable to' get over¬ 
heated with the sun, and at the same time 
serve to retain moisture. 
Watering and weeding, as well as the natural growth of the 
plant, may in time leave the stems rather bare beneath the 
leaves, but the skill of the cultivator lies in giving top-dress- 
ings into which the stems can throw fresh roots year by yeai• 
This is the secret of successful cultivation of a large numbei of 
the Primulas including the common Primrose. Our photo¬ 
graph of this charming little alpine was taken in the Ditton 
Hill Nursery of Messrs. Barr and Sons, King Street, Covent 
Garden. 
Red-stemmed Saxifrage (Saxifraga porophylla). 
The above is a representative of a section of the crustaccous 
Saxifrages which have come into 1 greater prominence during 
the last three or four years than they seem ever to have done 
before. The tongue-shaped leaves of this species vary from 
in. long to 1 in., according to- the age and size of the rosette 
in which they are produced. They have a hard, colourless, 
cartilaginous edge, and on the upper surface, within the 
margins, are two rows of white spots, from which the species 
would seem to have derived its name. The stems vary from 
2 in. to- 6 in. in height, and are shaggy, with red hairs, which 
give to the plant one of its most characteristic and interesting 
features. The upper leaves on these stems are also red in their 
lower portion, and as these stems and red leaves approach in 
colour that of the flowers, no clear distinction can be made 
between them at some distance off. 
The flowers themselves are of a more intense red, but owing 
to this fact and their half-closed character, no great interest 
would attach to them from a decorative point of view' when 
regarded as flowers. On the other hand, the beauty of the 
plant lies in the neat tufts of leaves, dw r arf stems, and their rich 
colour above the middle, including the inflorescence. 
Like: the others belonging to this group, the plant grows and 
increases but slowly, so that it never takes up much space, and 
never overgrows its neighbours. For this reason care should 
be taken in selecting a. position wdiere such a dainty alpine 
will not be oven-un by coarse-growing neighbours, especially 
the mossy-leaved Saxifragas which usually cover a considerable 
area of ground every summer. In order to secure moisture for 
the roots, depth of soil should always be provided, but care 
must be taken to make up a compost that will be open and 
porous at all times, but especially in winter, when stagnant 
moisture at the roots would be undesirable. 
Taking it altogether, it may be described as an alpine gem 
for which a pocket or niche on the rockeiy should be selected 
wdiere it will have eveiy opportunity of making itself at home 
undisturbed by the other occupants of the rockeiy. An in¬ 
[Hhoto. Slaclaren and zonit 
The Snow-white Primula (P pubescens alba;. 
teresting point about neat and slow-growing plants of this 
character is that the cultivator may secure a large amount of 
variety in small space. It has been flowering on the rocker} 
at Kew for some time past. 
The Sutton Challenge Cup. 
Our illustration on another page represents the Sutton Silver 
Challenge Cup presented by Messrs. Sutton and Sons, Reading, 
to the National Sweet Pea Society for competition in one.of 
the classes. The cup is valued at 15 guineas, and will go with 
the first prize in Class 1 of the schedule. The winner will hold 
this cup for one year, but there will be an additional incentive 
to win this prize, as the society will present a Gold Medal as 
a permanent memento to the winner. A reference to our illus¬ 
tration will show the design and beauty of the cup. 
It is especially intended for a class that may be desen le.c 
as unique in its way, inasmuch as it represents the . audit 
class ” of the society. This is for nineteen bunches ot bweet 
Peas, representing that number of distinct colours mto w nc i 
the society has grouped all the Sweet Peas in existence, i o 
only this, but nineteen varieties are named which the com¬ 
petitor must exhibit if he expects to win the prize. _ These 
varieties represent what the society considers the best nineteen 
