July 25, 1908. 
484 THE GARDENING WORLD. 
Primulas 
c P . For the • 
Rock Garden. 
There are some beautiful varieties of 
Primulas that can be grown in partial 
Shade in the rock garden with very little 
trouble, and the present is an excellent 
time to propagate them. Seed should be 
sown in light rich soil in well drained 
pans or boxes and kept shaded and moist, 
but unless a great number of plants are 
required division of the tufts when the 
plants have ceased to flower is a better 
way of increasing the stock of the kinds 
that do not resent being disturbed, be¬ 
cause the seed of many varieties is some 
time germinating, the seedlings often not 
appearing until the following spring. 
Primula denticulata. 
This comes from the Himalayas, and 
is a strong growing and lovely variety. 
It does best in a shady place where it is 
sheltered from cold winds. In March its 
delicate lilac-coloured flowers are pro¬ 
duced in globular clusters on erect stems 
about 10 in. high. The stems are mealy, 
and the broad leaves that grow as the 
flowers expand are pale green in colour 
and very beautiful. Cashminana is a 
darker variety, and there is also a lovely 
white form. Increase by root division 
immediately after flowering. 
Primula japonica. 
This is one of the strongest growers 
and thrives anywhere so long as it has 
plenty of moisture together with good 
drainage. Its whorls of bright crimson 
flowers, from i-i- to 2 ft. high, remain a 
long time in beauty and are wonderfully 
effective. P. splendens is a darker and 
finer variety, and there is also a beautiful 
white one, as well as pink forms. Seed 
should be sown when ripe; it germinates 
irregularly, but in a moist shady situa¬ 
tion these seed themselves freely. They 
can also be easily propagated by root 
division. 
Primula rosea. 
Another Himalayan species. This is a 
gem for the rock garden. From 4 to 
9 ins. high, the flowers, produced in early 
spring, are a lovely carmine pink. It 
requires a very moist, shady situation, 
and is usily grown from seed sown 
directly it is ripe. The tufts can also be 
divided, but it is not advisable to disturb 
the plants unless they seem to require 
division. 
Primula marginata, 
This is a charming alpine Primrose. 
Its greyish leaves have a silvery margin, 
and the violet rose flowers appear at the 
end of April. It is dwarf in growth, and 
emits roots above the ground after a year 
or so; it is then best to divide the tufts 
and replant them up to the leaves. 
Primula Sieboldi. 
A most attractive Japanese variety. 
This Primula flowers very freely and con¬ 
tinuously in April and May. It can 
easily be propagated bv root division or 
from a packet of good seed, and great 
diversity of colour will be obtained, but 
the seed is usually a long while ger¬ 
minating. Primula Sieboldi is best 
planted in a raised and well drained por¬ 
tion of the rock garden, for it is impatient 
of excessive moisture during the winter. 
Being herbaceous, it is advisable to mark 
its position before it disappears in the 
autumn. 
Primula capitata, Primula farinosa 
and Primula sikkimensis are among 
other good kinds. In the summer a 
mulch of one third peat and two-thirds 
leaf mould is very beneficial to all 
Primulas. 
A. C. Dixon. 
■- ++4 - 
Currants. 
The common name Currant is one 
transferred from the small grape brought 
from Corinth, and then called the Uva 
Corinthiaca. The Black Currant (Ribes 
nigrum) is a native of most parts of 
Europe, and is abundantly found in the 
woods of Russia and Siberia. Of late 
years in England the Black Currant crop 
has suffered severely from a disease 
known as “ big-bud,” but every effort has 
been made to eradicate this, and a mea¬ 
sure of success must have attended these 
efforts as the prospects this year are 
brighter—or, to be literally true, blacker 
—than they have been for many seasons. 
- Q. W. - 
Prize Competitions. 
GENERAL CONDITIONS:—Competitors must 
write on one side of the paper only. Regular 
paid contributors to THE GARDENING 
WORLD or other gardening journals are de¬ 
barred from entering, but occasional con¬ 
tributors may compete. The name and ad¬ 
dress of the competitor must appear on each 
article sent for competition. The Editor’s 
decision is final, and he reserves the right 
to reproduce, in any way,t any article or photo¬ 
graph sent for competition. The conditions 
applying to each competition should be care¬ 
fully read. 
WEEKLY 
PRIZES. 
A PRIZE OFTEN SHILLINGS will be given 
for the best paragraph or short article on any 
gardening subject, such as hints of practical 
interest to gardeners, notes on the propaga¬ 
tion or cultivation of flowers, fruits or vege¬ 
tables, eradication of pests, etc. The para¬ 
graph or article must not exceed a column, but 
value rather than length will be considered in 
making the award. Mark envelopes “ Com¬ 
petition,” and post not later than the Monday 
following date of issue. Entries received later 
than Tuesday (first post) will be left over until 
th e following week. 
Two prizes of 2s. 6d. will be awarded each 
week for the two best letters, not exceeding 
150 words, on any interesting gardening sub¬ 
ject. 
RESULTS OF 
LAST WEEK’S 
COMPETITIONS. 
Some of the best papers in this competition 
are too long, an 1 we desire readers t j keep 
within a column. 
The prize in the Readers’ Competition was 
awarded to “ Joseph Floyd ” for the article 
on “ Aspidistras,” page 468. 
In the Prize Letter Competition a prize 
was awarded to “ D. Sparkes,” for the article 
on “How to Trap a Mole,” page 467 ; and 
another to “ H. Arnold ” for the article on 
“ The Gean as a Landscape Tree,” page vii. 
Lilium Longiflorum. 
Of all the Lilies, none surpasses in 
beauty L. longiflorum and its varieties. 
It is capable of being grown in manv 
ways, and may readily be put to the same 
use in house decoration as the Rose itself. 
A good many gardeners cultivate this Lily 
exclusively in pots, and with modern 
facilities in retarding and etherisation, 
it may be had in flower every month of the 
year. Although this system is general 
and enhances the value of the Lily to 
growers, it is not the only way whereby 
it does service to our houses and gardens 
and I will endeavour as concisely as pos¬ 
sible to give a few practical details as tc 
its hardy culture. 
Although this Lily stands the sun well, 
it is grown to the best advantage where 
there is some shade in the middle of the 
day; an ideal position would be a shrub 
bed, thinly planted with dwarf peat shrubs 
such as Kalmias, Ledums, and dwarf 
Rhododendrons, and the surface- of the 
bed carpeted with Ericas or Menziesias, 
Vaccinium, or Polygonum vaccinifolium. 
This is the correct position for them, and 
will ensure the perfect ripening of the 
bulbs, or failing that, the border should 
be especially prepared, taking out the 
bed about two feet deep and replacing the 
soil removed by a prepared compost of 
loam and peat in equal parts, peat and 
sand being essential. In mild localities 
they may be planted in the autumn, but 
the best results are obtained from spring 
planting. 
In planting, carefully examine the 
bulbs and cut out any -decayed or bruised 
parts, dust with sulphur, and fill in the 
scales with sand. The depth to plant i: 
important, as some Lilies produce root; 
at the base of the stem above the bulbs, 
while others only produce roots below the 
bulb. It is thus obvious that the stem¬ 
rooting kinds require to be planted deeper 
than the others, and L. longiflorum being 
stem-rooted, will require a depth of six 
inches. Some rich soil should be placed 
over the bulbs, which later on will form 
the medium from which the stem root; 
will draw their nourishment. 
Stake when necessary, but do not re 
move the anthers as is ofttimes advocated 
unless in the -event of rain. . An occa 
sional watering with weak soot water wil 
be found beneficial. 
When they have finished flowering, di 
not cut down the stems, for there is no 1 
thing injures the bulbs more, but let then 
die down naturally, and by the end 0 
October the bulbs will be ready for lift 
ing. Lift them and place them in boxe 
of cocoanut fibre or sand and store then 
away in a nice dry shed where frost i 
excluded, and eventually plant out i 
March. Both of these operations, hott 
ever, must be entirely governed by th 
weather. By adopting the above trea; 
ment L. longiflorum can be grown to pei 
fection out of doors. 
H. Stevens. 
--- 
King Edward has given permission fc 
the annual show of the Sandringham Co- 
tagers’ Horticultural Society to be held i 
the Royal park on the 22nd inst. 
