5 °° 
THE GARDENING WORLD . 
July 27, 1907. 
tonensis has a beautiful effect m a cold 
house. I have come to the conclusion 
that this plant can never be so well appre¬ 
ciated as when thus used. In the open 
bed or border it is just a little insipid — as 
a pot plant it is delicately and daintily 
beautiful, and remains in flower for 
weeks. It repays good cultivation. 
F. Norfolk. 
-- 
Primulas. 
Some Hardy 
Varieties. . 
The hardy Primulas are great favourites 
of mine, and they are so accommodating, 
so free blooming, and so really satisfac¬ 
tory, that I can strongly recommend them. 
The following are a few varieties that 
grow and flourish with me on a sandy, 
dry soil, with the only advantage of a 
shady border, where the summer sun is 
not too strong for them. 
The earliest to bloom is P. cashmiriana, 
and by the last week in February its 
lovely mauve heads are showing colour 
close to the ground, to grow up by the 
end of April quite a foot or more high. 
A bed of this edged with the lovely P. 
nivalis or pubescens, a cushion of low 
white flowers, is a lovely sight in a sunny 
border long before most spring flowers' 
are in bloom. Both varieties divide freely 
every year, and are moved into the shade 
for the summer and into the sun for winter 
and spring. 
Probably the next to flower is P. rosea, 
with real rose-red flowers, a wonderful 
colour when grown in masses. This likes 
shade always and to be freely watered in 
summer if the weather is dry. It divides 
up readily every year or two, and is a 
beautiful plant. 
P. viscosa is low growing, with 
majenta-pink flowers. P. marginata, an¬ 
other lovely mauve, and P. frondosa, 
pinky lilac. These all flower in April in 
the open border, and need but little at¬ 
tention beyond an occasional division. 
May brings in P. cortusoides, a majenta- 
pink with lovely pale-green leaves, and 
its far superior first cousin, P. Sieboldi. 
This variety has many shades of majenta- 
pink, mauve, and, loveliest of all, white, 
and soon spreads into big clumps if not 
dried up too much in summer. 
Another lovely Primula is involucrata 
Monroi, with white flowers, reminding me 
much of rosea. There is a mauve form 
of involucrata which is not quite so pretty. 
Yet another May and June flowering 
variety is P. sikkimensis, a pale yellow 
bloomer, and therefore very distinct and 
desirable. 
June brings in P. japonica, with its 
curious whorls of bright-coloured flowers. 
This is a very strong flower, with huge 
leaves, more’ like gigantic Primroses 
(many of the other kinds have leaves like 
Auriculas), and it likes shade and plenty 
of water. It flowers a long time owing 
to-the “ whorl ” formation, and seeds very 
freely, and as it is said to be a water-side 
grower, I never know why it grows so well 
on my dry soil, even though well watered 
in dry seasons. 
When japonica is over there is a lull 
in my Primula flowers, unless P. capitata 
sends up a bloom or two, but the real 
flowering time of this variety, and also of 
P. Poissoni, is September and October, 
when the mealy stalks and purple flowers 
of capitata, and the paler purple of Pois¬ 
soni make a handsome show. Both these 
kinds dislike a damp winter, and are apt 
to rot off then, but they stand dry cold 
readily enough. 
My list of Primulas is ended, and these 
are only a few out of a large family, but, 
no doubt, many more can be added, by 
reference to the lists of our leading 
florists. 
Of those I have named, nivalis, viscosa 
and marginata are most like Auriculas. 
Japonica, capitata, cashmiriana and sik¬ 
kimensis are like Primroses, though they 
mostly lose all their leaves during the 
winter. Involucrata, cortusoides and 
Sieboldi die down so completely that it is 
alwavs a relief when they reappear every 
spring. Shade, water, leaf mould and 
wood ashes seem their sole requirements, 
and they have a long blooming season. 
E. A. 
- Q. W. - 
Prize Competitions. 
CENERAL 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 wayji 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¬ 
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graph or article must not exceed a column, but 
value rather than length will be considered in 
making the award. Mark envelopes “ Oom- 
petitihn,” and post not later than the Monday 
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thru Tuesday (first post) will be left over until 
t) ie 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, and we desire readers to keep 
within a column. 
The prize in the Readers’ Competition was 
awarded to “A. C. D.” for the article on 
“ Tall Bearded Irises,” page 482. 
In the Prize Letter Competition a prize 
was awarded to “ A. Dennett ” for the article 
on “Artificial Rocks for Rockeries” ; and 
another to “ A Miner’s Hobby ” for the article 
on " A Cheap Trap for Slugs,” page 484. 
Sweet Pea Princess Victoria. 
The large blooms of this variety are 
the Countess Spencer type, and are s 
very pink, flushed with orange. Pri 
cess Victoria admired this variety wh 
passing through the Rose Show at R 
gent’s Park on the 4th inst., and permit! 
it to be named after herself. Award 
Merit by the R.H.S. on the 9th and 10 
inst. at the Holland Park Show when e 
hibited by Messrs. Dobbie and Co. 
- ■ 
• Dahlias 
Exhibition. 
In cultivating the above for exkibitic 
some prefer cuttings grown in sprin 
but I say not. Cuttings should be taki 
from o.pen ground during June and i 
serted singly into large 6o’s pots, co 
sisting of loam and sand in proportio 
and placed in a shady position to rema 
for the rest of season till cut down 
frost and then store in a dry place fr 
from frost and plant out following Ap 
in open ground. These will produ 
finer and better flowers than those grot 
from old tubers. From old tubers t 
blooms often come deformed. Of com 
they are invaluable for decoration pi 
poses, where an enormous supply is i 
quired. 
When grown from cuttings in spring t 
blooms often come too late, unk 
wanted for September shows, and al 
they very seldom make sufficient tube 
to supply them during winter, especial 
the Cactus tribe. The advantage 
growing in pots during summer is, th 
make fine tubers, and also when plant 
out they grow straight away. But wh 
young cuttings are planted out they a 
not safe till June, and then have to ma 
foliage and tubers at the same time, a 
so receive a serious check. 
Dahlias require a rich, heavy soil 
possible and plenty of room. Five ft 
apart will be sufficient except Pompoi 
These require the poorest soil possible 
maintain small blooms; but the Cact 
show or fancy requires plenty of stirr 
lants. Liquid cow manure is best, 1 
too strong, or they will cause the flowi 
to become coarse. Dahlias should 
grown on single stems from tubers, a 
when a foot high the main stem shod 
be pinched out and the three top 
strongest branches be left to sup] 
flowers, cutting out all others. Whs 
disbudding, leave the main stem, a 
pinch out branches three joints dov 
leaving others for further supply. Wh 
required for exhibition, they should 
cut as fresh as possible. 
The colour of the Cactus tribe shoi 
be visible six weeks before required, 
show or fancy varieties require only I 
days to fully expand if the weather 
very warm, but may be kept longer 
placing fine scrim over them. By 
means attempt to keep them when c 
Earwigs are most destructive but eas 
captured by placing a piece of Bro 
Bean stalk about gin. long among the 
T. Preston. 
Wilminster. 
