
HOLLANDIA ¢ AW Journal 
VOLUME 1 NUMBER 1 

CULTURE OF PRIMULA SINENSIS AND ALLIED SPECIES 
The Chinese primrose is of easy culture in the glasshouse. They recuire 
eleven months from seed to bloom, although a few of any lot will bloom as 
much as three months ahead of the majority. 
The seed should be sown in flats containing a finely sifted soil mixture 
of one part sand, one part loam, and one part peat. Sift a light coating of 
the mixture on top of the seed and cover the flat with a square of burlap. 
Syringe with water thoroughly and then place a sheet of wax paper over the 
burlap. Both the burlap and the wax paper should conform to the inside meas- 
urements of the flat. This will keep the moisture in the flat and eliminate 
the need of subsequent waterings before the seeds germinate. Bottom heat will 
hasten germination. 
When the seedlings are large enough to transplant, transplant 2" apart 
each way into flats containing a soil mixture similar to the seeding mixture 
with the addition of one part manure. Do not shred the manure too fine. 
As soon as the transplants have grown large enough to touch each other, 
transfer them to 2" pots. Watch root development closely from here on so 
that transfers to succesively larger pot sizes will be frequent enough to 
prevent the plants from becoming potbound. When the plants are 74 to 8 mo. 
old, no further shifts should be made, but the plants should occupy the same 
pots until they bloom. 
These plants should be shaded during summer, and the watering watched 
so that they may never be allowed to completely dry out, as this gives the 
plant a severe setback from which it would never fully recover. Greenhouse 
temperatures should range between 55 and 60 . 
The culture described above will apply equally well to P. Obconica and 
P. Malacoides. All the glasshouse primulas are sometimes propagated by di- 
vision after flowering. 
Warning: P. Malacoides is somewhat susceptible to a form of crowm rot 
and overhead watering of these is best avoided when possible on mature plants. 
COMPOST FOR GROWING AURICULAS 
Often, Auriculas do not flourish in our gardens after we set them out. 
This may be due to the soil content of the bed in which they are placed. We 
have found by experiment that a separate bed for your Auriculas is the best 
expedient. Excavate the bed ten to twelve inches. Put in the bottom of the 
bed a layer of 2" of limestone gravel. A layer of sand on this may or may 
not be also beneficial. Fill up the bed to a level 4" above the surround- 
ing ground with a compost mixture of one part loam, one part sand, one part 
peat moss, and two parts unshredded manure. The manure should be well rot- 
ted. The peat must be a sphagnum peat as sedge peat is too acid for our 
Auriculas. Then all you have to do is watch the moisture supply and keep 
the weeds down. 
Readers of this page-note: More items will be found under the heading 
of 'Hollandia, a journal' in our Fall Catalogue in which we will feature all 
the Dutch bulbs such as tulips, daffodils, hyacinths, and crocus, as well as 
good bulb material from other sections of the world. 
HOLLANDIA 
378 HUXLEY DRIVE | SNYDER 21, N.Y. 
