May t8, 1907. 
THE GARDENING WORLD. 
33 i 
t e h dg E d Primula. 
Primula marginata. [Maciaren and Sons. 
Vegetable 
Marrow 
Moore’s Cream. 
Many amateur cultivators are satisfied 
with the long green and long white Vege¬ 
table Marrows, and some of them pride 
themselves on the size and weight to which 
they can grow such Marrows. That, of 
course, may represent the skill of a culti¬ 
vator, but we do not consider the product 
of the bfest quality for the table. Such 
Marrows should be cut while they are still 
quite young, in order to get the best 
flavour without stringiness. There are, 
however, some Marrows of modest dimen¬ 
sions, which are useful for table, inas¬ 
much as one of them can be cooked 
whole and so placed on the table for use. 
One of these small sized Marrows is 
Moore’s Cream, which is an oval fruit 
2 in. to 4 in. long, and that should be 
cut while still in its prime and tender. 
The skin is creamy white and the flesh 
of delicate flavour. 
Seedlings grow very rapidly, and culti¬ 
vators cafi 'get full advantage of our 
season even by sowing seeds about the 
beginning of April .and grow them on in 
pots to be planted out about the middle 
bf May. That would be too early if the 
plants are to be exposed to the night air, 
thus risking a late frost, but those who 
desire to take all the advantage that plant¬ 
ing out gives should use beilglasses or 
handlights for covering the plants till the 
weather gets warmer and there is no risk 
of night frosts. It is a mistake to sow 
Vegetable Marrows early with the inten¬ 
tion of keeping them in pots until it is 
safe to plant them in the open air. None 
if the Cucumber tribe should be kept in 
pots a day longer than is necessary, so 
hat they should be planted out in soil 
fither in a house or in the open air to 
illow the roots a free run. The plants 
hen grow unchecked and fruit earlier, 
and better than those that are stunted by 
confining them in pots too long. 
- +++ - 
Acetylene Light for Forcing. 
Mr. J. Jorns, says a German paper, has 
discovered that many plants may be cul¬ 
tivated successfully without receiving a 
rav of sunlight, although they do not at¬ 
tain so brilliant a green. Sweet Peas and 
Easter Lilies are said to respond remark¬ 
ably to the rays of acetylene light, which 
he considers the best known assistant to 
sunshine, and to possess no injurious pro¬ 
perties. With Tomatos, Beans and root 
plants the results were less encouraging! 
There is a wealth of Primulas on the 
Alps of Europe which ad.mireis of hardy 
plants have been cultivating from the time 
of Gerard and Parkinson. The above 
species is a native of the Aips of 
Dauphiny and Piedmont, and was intro¬ 
duced in 1777. It gets its name of mar¬ 
ginata from the fact that the edges of 
tne leaves are covered with u dense coat 
mg ot farina or meal, and when quite 
fresh this edging is striking, and re¬ 
sembles a sort of pale gold lacing. The 
flowers themselves are borne in umbels 
on stalks of only 2 in. or 3 in. in length, 
and are lilac-purple. Both flowers and 
leaves are small, though both are 
sufficiently conspicuous when seen in a 
clump 011 the rockery. The leaves are 
not unlike those of the Auricula in minia¬ 
ture, with the exception that the meal 
is confined to the edges, or nearly so. 
Several varieties have been distin¬ 
guished by name according as their 
flowers are of a decided blue or larger 
than the common form, but all of 
them are worthy of a place in the most 
select collection of rock plants. In look¬ 
ing at the accompanying illustration it 
will be seen that the plants form a half 
circle, that being due to their being 
planted in the narrow crevice between the 
stones, that above being a very large one. 
In selecting a site for this class, due 
regard should be given so that the roots 
get a constant supply of moisture to keep 
them alive during the summer months- 
Although they like being in such situa¬ 
tions, it does not mean that the roots 
are simply confined between stones, but 
Vegetable Marrow Moore’s Cream. 
(Primula marginata). 
