January  13,  1898. 
JOURNAL  OF  HORTICULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 
41 
Dendrobium  Johnsoniae,  D.  Dulce,  Oakwood  variety,  Lycaste  Skinneri, 
•with  a  few  Cypripediums,  Messrs.  H.  Low  &  C’o.,  Clapton,  sent  a  small 
group,  of  which  Odontoglossum  Andersonianum,  0.  crispum,  O.  c. 
Tackianum,  Cypripediums  Clotho,  Bellona,  F.  S.  Roberts,  and  Lathami- 
anum  were  the  best.  Mr.  A.  Chapman,  gardener  to  Captain  llolford, 
Tetbury,  sent  a  group  of  cut  Orchids,  amongst  which  were  several  ot 
good  quality,  and  received  a  silver  Banksian  medal. 
Awards  of  Merit. 
Cattleya  Trianas  Sanderm  (F.  Sander  &  Co.). — A  very  pleasing  form  of 
the  type.  The  sepals  and  petals  are  very  delicate  blush,  the  latter  being 
broad  and  slightly  fimbriated.  The  shapely  lip  is  rich  crimson,  with  a 
suflusion  of  purple  and  a  yellow  throat  (award  of  merit). 
Cypripedium  F.  S.  Roberts  (H.  Low  &  Co.). — This  is  a  very  charming 
form.  The  ground  colour  is  white  over  the  whole,  the  spots  being  claret 
in  colour  and  very  numerous.  The  pouch  has  a  patcli  of  this  shade 
(award  of  merit). 
Lxlia  anceps  Amesiana  Crawshay's  variety  (A.^  Barri  Crawshay). — This  is 
a  lovely  form.  The  broad  petals,  almost  white  at  the  base,  deepen  in 
colour  until  at  the  tip  they  are  bright  red.  The  colour  of  the  lip,  which 
is  rather  small,  is  peculiarly  deep  velvety  crimson  (award  of  merit). 
LONICERA  SEMPERYIRENS. 
In  supposing  this  plant  to  be  quite  new  M.  J.  Davis  is  in  error,  for 
it  has  long  been  known  and  grown  for  twining  up  the  rafters  of  a  cool 
greenhouse.  For  this  purpose  few  plants  are  better  suited  than  this 
lovely  North  American  Honeysuckle.  The  terminal  clusters  of  trumpet¬ 
shaped  flowers  (fig.  8),  which  are  produced  during  spring  and  early 
summer,  hang  down  in  great  profusion,  and  are  very  showy,  being 
brilliant  orange-scarlet  with  yellow  inside  the  flowers,  and  contrast  well 
with  the  glaucous  green  leaves.  If  planted  out  of  doors  in  a  warm  and 
sunny  situation  it  flowers  freely  during  the  summer,  but,  unlike  most  of 
our  hardy  Honeysuckles,  it  has  no  scent.  There  is  another  variety  of 
this  delightful  species  called  L.  sempervirens  minor,  which  is  also  useful 
for  a  similar  purpose. 
NOTES  ON  PRIMULAS. 
There  are  few  small  indoor  flowering  plants  so  generally  useful  as  the 
Chinese  Primrose.  It  has  been  in  this  country  now  some  fifty  years,  but 
it  is  within  the  last  twelve  or  fifteen  years  that  the  greatest  advance  has 
been  made  in  raising  improved  varieties.  The  double  sorts  are  very 
valuable,  especially  for  cutting,  as  they  last  much  longer  than  the  single 
varieties.  For  bouquets  they  are  also  most  useful.  As  decorative  plants, 
however,  the  single  varieties  are  in  the  greatest  demand,  and  are  the  most 
serviceable.  The  Primula  is  easy  to  grow,  provided  it  receives  fair  treat¬ 
ment  and  its  requirements  are  studied.  A  light  position  is  all-important. 
In  the  winter  the  plants  cannot  be  too  near  the  glass,  and  at  that 
season  they  require  a  little  more  heat  than  an  ordinary  greenhouse, 
otherwise,  as  most  growers  can  testify,  they  are  liable  to  damp  off  at 
the  collar. 
The  usual  method  is  to  raise  fresh  plants  every  year,  destroying  the 
old  plants  as  soon  as  they  have  flowered  or  have  ripened  seed,  except  in 
the  case  of  any  that  may  appear  to  possess  some  superior  quality.  To 
have  them  strong  for  dowering  towards  the  close  of  the  year,  the  first 
sowing  should  be  made  at  the  beginning  of  March.  Well-matured 
plants  that  have  not  been  pushed  on  too  quickly  are  not  so  likely  to  damp 
off  as  those  which  have  been  hurried.  The  seeds  of  Primulas  require 
care  in  sowing,  or  they  will  not  germinate.  In  all  stages  Primulas 
cannot  endure  any  approach  to  stagnation  in  the  soil,  consequently  the 
pans  must  be  well  drained,  placing  a  layer  of  dry  manure  over  the  crocks. 
The  soil  should  consist  ot  three  parts  good  loam  sifted,  and  two  parts 
sand  and  decayed  leaf  soil  in  equal  proportions  (the  latter  silted).  The 
whole  being  well  mixed  together,  fill  the  pans  with  this  compost  to 
within  an  inch  of  the  rim,  and  press  it  down  moderately  firm.  Sprinkle 
a  little  sand  and  press  the  surface  smooth,  next  give  a  gentle  watering 
to  settle  the  soil  ;  then  sow  the  seeds  evenly,  and  scatter  some  very  fine 
compost  half  soil  and  half  sand  over  them  to  the  depth  of  about  the 
eighth  of  an  inch  ;  again  smooth  the  surface  by  gentle  pressing,  then 
cover  with  brown  paper,  which  will  t  eep  it  damp,  so  as  to  obviate  the 
necessity  for  giving  water  until  the  plants  appear.  Care  must  bo  taken 
that  the  paper  does  not  remain  on  longer,  or  it  would  can  e  tlnun  to 
become  drawn.  After  they  have  advanced  a  little  place  tliem  in  a  light 
situation,  shade  them  wdth  any  light  material  which  will  protect  them 
from  scorching  without  darkening  them  too  much.  Give  a  little  water 
as  they  require  it,  and  when  large  enough  prick  them  out  IJ  inch  apart 
in  pans  of  soil  similar -to  that  in  which  the  seed  w'as  sown. 
When  they  have  leaves  nearly  an  inch  in  length  they  must  be  placed 
singly  in  60-size  pots,  employing  the  compost  before  mentioned.  After 
potting,  the  best  place  for  them  will  be  a  shelf  in  a  light  house  or  pit  in 
an  open  situation.  Place  the  plants  close  to  the  glass.  This  is  of 
importance,  as  if  in  the  bottom  of  a  pit  or  house  and  near  together  their 
leaves  become  drawn,  and  the  plants  not  only  have  a  weak  appearance, 
but  also  will  not  produce  half  the  quantity  of  flowers  they  will  do  if 
strong  and  vigorous.  When  the  weather  is  very  bright  they  should  be 
slightly  shaded,  ventilating  freely  during  the  day,  and  at  night  when  mild. 
As  soon  as  they  have  filled  their  pots  with  roots  they  may  be  trans¬ 
ferred  to  6  or  7-inch  pots,  which,  for  all  ordinary  purposes,  arc  large 
enough  to  grow  and  flower  them  in.  The  soil  this  time  must  consist  of 
three  parts  good  loam  broken  with  the  hand,  one  part  of  leaf  soil  ;  add  a 
little  bone  dust,  and  as  much  sand  as  will  keep  the  whole  porous.  Pot 
firmly,  and  leave  sufficient  room  for  watering.  The  best  position  for 
them  until  September  is  houses  or  pits  as  already  advised,  up  to  which 
time  the  flowers  they  from  time  to  time  produce  should  be  removed, 
unless  early  blooming  is  required.  To  keep  the  atmosphere  free  from 
damp  employ  fire  heat  occasionally,  and  if  a  little  warmth  is  kept  on  so 
as  to  have  the  night  temperature  at  46°  the  flowers  will  be  much  larger. 
and  produced  through  the  winter  in  greater  quantities.  As  the  Rowers 
are  being  produced  give  liquid  manure  freely,  as  it  will  be  of  great 
assistance  to  them. 
The  double  and  semi-double  forms  of  this  Rower  are  increased  from 
seeds  sown  and  managed  as  described  in  the  case  of  the  single  varieties, 
also  by  cuttings  made  by  a  division  of  the  crowns  with  a  portion  of  stem 
attached.  These  root  best  in  small  pots  in  sandy  soil  in  a  moderate 
heat.  They  must  not  be  in  a  very  humid  atmosphere — only  sufficient  to 
keep  them  from  Ragging,  or  they  are  liable  to  damp.  When  they  are 
well  rooted  transfer  them  to  4-inch  pots,  employing  soil  similar  in  every 
way  to  that  advised  for  the  single  kinds.  Pot  them  low,  so  as  not  to 
leave  any  of  their  stem  bare.  iSo  tteated  they  will  thrive  much  better 
than  with  the  common  practice  of  leaving  a  considerable  space  between 
the  soil  and  the  bottom  leaves.  Through  the  summer  let  their  treatment 
be  the  same  as  that  of  the  single  sorts,  but  in  the  winter  they  do  far  the 
best  when  kept  in  an  intermediate  temperature  of  45°  or  50°  at  night,  and 
a  little  higher  in  the  daytime,  with  ventilation  when  the  weather  is 
suitable. — M.  T. 
