128 
JOURNAL  .OF  HORTICULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER, 
February  W,  1899. 
It  is  not  proposed  now  to 
attempt  such  a  task  as  that 
just  outlined,  but  to  glance  at 
the  advance  that  has  been 
made  in  Primulas  and  Cycla¬ 
mens  during  the  years  1879 
to  1898  inclu.'ive.  To  further 
reduce  the  scope  of  the  under¬ 
taking  only  one  firm’s  work 
will  be  noticed,  that  of  the 
great  Reading  house  of  Sutton 
and  Sons.  Prom  the  fact  that 
1879  is  given  as  the  primary- 
date  it  must  not  be  inferred 
that  the  cross  fertilisation  of 
Primulas  and  Cyclamens  did 
not  commence  at  Reading 
previously— indeed,  for  a  very 
extended  period  prior  to  that 
the  work  was  being  pressed 
forward  with  judgment  and 
discretion.  This  particular 
year  is  specified  simply  becaiiso 
It  marked  an  epoch  in  the 
nrogress  of  Primulas,  for  it 
was  then  that  Ruby  King  was 
given  forth  in  all  its  striking 
beauty.  It  was  the  attainment 
of  prosperity  after  assiduous 
labour,  and  from  then  till 
the  present  progress  and  pro¬ 
sperity  have  gone  hand  in 
hand,  for  no  year  passed  that 
did  not  bring  some  speciality 
that  was  an  advance  on  its 
predecessors  in  at  least  one 
respect.  _ 
That  this  same  Ruby  King 
was  a  Primula  of  Primulas 
is  more  than  proved  by  its 
popularity  to-day,  for  since 
Its  inception  scores  of  varietit  s 
have  come  and  gone.  They 
have  remained  for  perhaps 
half  a  decade  or  less,  and 
then  have  sunk  to  oblivion.  True,  few  of  the  varieties  from  Reading 
have  received  this  fate,  as  the  care  in  testing  every  one  before  it 
is  placed  in  commerce  is  so  great  that  when  a  variety  does  come  it  is  to 
stay.  As  typical  to  a  certain  degree  of  the  improvements  that  have  been 
made  look  for  a  moment  at  the  illustrations  (figs.  2fi  and  27).  The 
lormer  depicts  the  Star  Primula  of  to-day,  the  individual  flowers  of  which 
w  ill  convey  an  idea  of  w  hat  material  was  in  bygone  days  available.  Then 
observe  the  second  photographic  reproduction,  which  portrays  Sutton’s 
Giant  White  Primula,  and  a  rough  estimate  can  be  drawn  by  anyone.  In 
the  latter  there  is  every  desirable  attribute  that  goes  towards  the  making 
of  a  peril ct  Primula.  It  must,  of  course,  be  borne  in  mind  that  the 
modern  Star  is  fur  more  foriferous  than  P.  sinensis,  and  in  forming 
judgment  the  flower  alone  is  examined. 
On  a  parallel  w  ith  Ruby  King,  in  age  as  well  as  in  excellence,  is 
Pearl,  which,  needle>H  to  say,  is  white  in  colour.  Looking  some  weeks 
back  at  a  number  of  plants  en  masse  in  one  of  the  Reading  houses  fhe 
conviction  that  it  remains  one  of  the  finest  was  forced  upon  us.  The 
PROGRESS  AND  PROSPERITY. 
Though  the  actual  end  of  this  nineteenth  century  is  not  yet  with 
us,  we  have  not  .  now  long  to  wait  for  the  time  when  the  papers  of  the 
universe  will  teem  with  articles  on  the  world’s  progress  or  retrogression 
during  the  past  one  hundred  years.  That  horticulture  will  have  a 
prominent  position  in  any  records  of  this  nature  goes  without  saying, 
and  the  writer’s  task  will  be  no  easy  one  who  commences  an  essay  on 
“  The  Century’s  Progress  in  Horticulture.”  But  while  immeasurable 
strides  have  been  made  in  gardening  during  that  period,  the  results 
attained  to  in  more  limited  spaces  of  time  can  be  termed  nothing 
short  of  marvellous,  and  the  pen  of  a  fluent  writer  in  the  hands  of  a 
student  would  find  no  moan  task  in  taking  the  century  in  decades,  and 
treating  of  the  rise  and  fall  of  particular  plants.  Someone  will  probably 
undertake  this  work,  and  if  it  be  done  properly  it  will  form  as  interesting 
a  series  of  articles  as  has  ever  appeared  in  the  columns  of  the  gardening 
press.  It  cannot,  however,  yet  be  said  what  this  dying  century  may 
bring  us,  but  it  will  be  some¬ 
thing  more  than  miraculous 
if  the  paragraph  respecting 
Orchids  that  went  the  rounds 
of  the  daily  papers  a  week  or 
two  ago  prove  true.  Let  us 
tiust  it  will  not,  or  all  our 
Orchid  works  will  need  to 
be  rewritten. 
i  habit  of  the  plant  is  splendid,  both  in  the  leafage  and  its  mode  of  carrying 
the  flowers.  But  too  much  space  must  not  be  given  to  the  old-timers  or 
the  amount  available  will  be  exhausted,  with  consequent  neglect  to  those 
which,  if  they  have  not  reached  their  majority  in  years,  have  passed  it  in 
other  more  important  respects.  To  those  whose  fancy  trends  in  the 
direction  of  large,  symmetrical,  substantial  flowers,  with  correspondingly 
handsome  foliage,  must  be  commended  the  giant  section.  As  a  class  these- 
plants  were  not  at  their  best  when  this  visit  was  paid,  but  sufficient 
examples  were  in  evidence  to  warrant  the  highest  eulogium  on  the  white, 
pink,  and  crimson  varieties.  The  plant  (fig.  27)  admirably  represents  the 
first  named.  For  late  flowering  these  Primulas  are  invaluable,  and  make 
a  most  striking  display  over  a  very  considerable  period,  this  being  longer 
j  or  shorter  in  accordance  with  the  system  of  culture  adopted. 
I 
Belonging  to  the  same  section  of  Primula  sinensis  as  Ruby  King  and 
Pearl  there  are  a  larger  number  of  varieties  from  which  to  make  a 
selection,  and  all  are  of  dif¬ 
ferent  habit  from  the  giants 
just  mentioned.  Here  we 
have  compactness  of  growth 
in  the  plants,  with  floriferous- 
ress.  refinement,  and  a  more 
diversified  range  of  coloura¬ 
tion.  Broadly  speaking  the 
flowers  are  from  medium  to- 
large  in  size,  very  stout  in  the 
petals,  some  plain  andotheis- 
fimbriated,  but  all  closely  ap¬ 
proaching  to  an  ideal  form. 
As  the  most  striking  of  the 
whole  must  be  named  Crimson 
King,  which  is  quiie  a  new 
one  that  is  placed  in  commerce 
for  the  first  time  this  j-ear.  ItJ 
is  remarkable  as  well  for  its 
persistent  blooming  tendency 
as  for  the  intensity  of  the 
velvety  crimson  colour,  the 
effect  of  the  flower  being  de¬ 
cidedly  accentuated  by  the 
nlack  band  that  encircles  the 
yellow  centre.  The  richness- 
of  the  bold  trusses  standing 
well  above  the  clear  green 
leafage  entitles  Crimson  King 
to  be  styled  a  perfect  Primula.. 
What  is  perfection  at  the 
present  may  not  hold  that 
rank  next  year,  but  it  is  more 
than  probable  that  the  one  now 
referred  to  will  hold  sw  ay  ovc  r 
leveral  years.  No  one,  how¬ 
ever.  knows  what  the  Reading 
firm  will  produce,  so  it  is  not 
wise  to  make  predictions. 
Comparable  with  Crimson' 
King,  and  notwithstanding  its 
suptr-excellenee,  fit  associates, 
for  it  ore  Rosy  Queen  and 
Purity,  whose  specific  names 
tell  their  particular  hues.  The 
softness  of  the  tone  of  the 
former,  its  freedom  of  flower¬ 
ing,  and  its  fine  habit  justify 
every  word  that  has  been 
from  time  to  time  said  about 
it.  Of  Purity  no  more  ni'ed 
be  added  than  that  it  is  wholly 
Pig.  26. — Primula  Sutton’s  Star.  worthy  of  its  name.  As  one 
trio  has  now  been  formed  we 
would  lain  suggest  another 
that  will  be  little  less  striking  than  its  predecessor,  though  it  will  not 
include  an  1899  variety.  It  shall  comprise  Sutton’s  Rending  Blue,. 
Reading  Pink,  and  Gypsy  Queen.  Of  the  first  named  it  can  justly  be  said 
it  is  a  blue,  and  that  the  large  yet  refined  flowers  over  the  charinii  g  green- 
leaved  plant  place  it  amongst  the  most  desirable  Primulas  in  cultivniiop. 
The  shade  of  colour  in  Reading  Pink  is  peculiarly  fascinating,  and  it  is 
exceptionally  profuse  in  the  production  of  its  flowers.  Whui  reader  of 
the  Journal  of  Horticulture  desires  a  detcription  of  Gypsy  Qiuen  ?  None, 
for  it  is  assuredly  one  of  the  most  widely  known  and  uniwrsally  appre¬ 
ciated  Primulas  in  cultivation.  Then  there  are  Reading  Scarlet,  winch, 
seen  in  a  mass,  seems  to  glow  with  fiery  brilliancy,  and  Siiowdrilt, 
which  for  earliness  has  no  compeer.  Others  find  a  hi  me  at  Reading, 
and  do  their  share  towards  the  magnificent  display,  but  they  must  wait 
for  another  year  ere  receiving  individual  mention. 
Double  Primulas  have  long  enjoyed  a  favour  that  is  not  accorded  to 
all  plants,  but  their  beauty  is  such  as  commends  itself  te'  everyone.  Go 
where  one  may,  in  large  places  or  in  email,  double  varieties  of  Primulas 
