March 6, 1909. 
THE GARDEMKd WORLD. 
149 
colours on the various pans of the flower, 
but gave it up after writing out the 
characteristics of sixty classes. They 
flowered from the beginning of April to 
:he beginning of May, although casual 
flowers might be produced at various other 
times. She found March the best time to 
iow seed for her sandy soil, and plant out 
n Tunc. 
Through the courtesy of [Messrs. Sutton 
md Sons, Reading, who are now offering 
seeds of this splendid strain, we are en¬ 
abled to place a picture of these Polyan- 
huses before our readers. The original 
- a iser was fond of the light colours, and 
'onsequentlv kept on improving to get 
.vhite or vellow flowers, in various shades 
vith a primrose, vellow, or orange centre, 
Sven within this limited range she found 
Unlimited variation in her garden at Mun- 
stead. , , . 
Incidentally we may say that white ana 
■ellow flowers of this class of Primula are 
unong the most conspicuous and effective 
or bedding. From the earliest dawn 
mtil the deepest twilight they show them- 
;elves up much better than would red or 
:rimson flowers, which soon disappear in 
he fading light. The plants van- m 
labit, as all seedlings do, and although 
hese things may be chiefly interesting to 
ceen observers, there, is, nevertheless, a 
mod deal in the habit of the plant itself, 
;vstem of growth, and the number of 
lower stems it sends up. Only the best 
vere selected from vear to year for size of 
lunch and size of the individual flower, 
is well as the freedom with which these 
vere produced. Bunch-Primroses is a 1 ery 
mod term for all Polyanthuses, for thev 
ire re all v Primroses with the common stalk 
jlongated. They are certainly glorious 
fid-fashioned garden flowers. 
-- 
United Horticultural Benefit and Provident 
Society. 
The monthly committee meeting of the 
ibove societv was held at the Roy al Hor- 
:icultural Hall, Vincent Square West- 
ninster, on February Sth, Mr. Chas. H. 
Surtis in the chair. Eleven new members 
vere elected. Two members were allowed 
0 transfer from the lower to the higher 
ficale. The annual meeting will be held 
it the above-named hall on Monday, 
March Sth, next, at S p.m. Mr. Charles 
H. Curtis, chairman of committee, will 
oreside on this occasion. 
Namaqualand Daisy (Dimorphotheca aurantiaca), introduced into England 
by Messrs. Barr and Sons. 
The jMamaqualand Daisy. 
(Dimorphotheca aurantiaca.) 
Examination of Employees in Public Parks. 
I The Royal Horticultural Society’s 
Itourth examination of employees in pub¬ 
lic parks was held on January nth, uhen 
1 iq candidates entered, 25 of which se¬ 
cured places in the first class, 40 in the 
second, and 37 in the third, 17 having 
railed to pass. 
The examiners state that the highest 
marks fell considerably below those of 
190S. On questions involving thoughtful 
5tudv, observation and resource, many of 
:he candidates showed much weakness, 
and they also exhibited a marvellous de¬ 
ficiency in arithmetic. Their answers to 
questions gave evidence of a fair acquain- 
rance with the necessary operations in the 
general cultivation of the soil, and an im¬ 
mense improvement was noticed in the 
nnderstanding of the cultivation of flower- 
ng shrubs as compared with two^ years 
ago, when a similar question was given. 
The names of this beautiful plant might 
frighten some who think they are not 
botanical enough to tackle them, but the 
names are really the introduction to a 
beautiful annual which we think many 
would only be too glad to grow, whether 
for garden decoration or cut flowers. 
There are several species of Dimorpho¬ 
theca in gardens, more or less beautiful, 
and some have been delighted to grow 
them, but that under notice is entirely 
distinct in appearance from any of them 
we have seen in cultivation. The only- 
cultivated ones are white, and some of 
them shaded on the back, but D. auran¬ 
tiaca has charming flowers of a glossy 
salmon-orange with a black zone round 
the disc. 
When we saw it for the first time at the 
Temple Show last year it looked very- 
much like an Arctotis, which also comes 
from South Africa, and other people have 
been of the same opinion. This, of course, 
is due to the colour, but the botanical 
structure is quite different. It has been 
known to science for many years, and the 
wonder is that it has not been introduced 
before this time. We owe its introduction 
to Messrs. Barr and Sons, of King Street, 
Covent Garden, London, who received an 
Award of Merit for it at the Temple Show 
last year. We are also indebted to them 
for allotting us to photograph their 
coloured plate of it, which represents tie 
plant admirably. 
It is a half-hardv annual which could 
possibly- be sown in April and reared with 
success entirely- in the open ground. It 
would be highly advantageous, however, 
to sow it in March in a gentle heat and 
then grow it in a frame until it could be 
planted out at the end of May, in the 
same way as Stocks are reared/ Its cul¬ 
tivation should be as easy- as the latter. 
