Prim. See Privet.
PRIMROSE, or Primula, L. a genus of plants comprising 19 species; four of which are indigenous: the following are the principal:
1. The vulgaris, or Common Primrose, is perennial, grows in woods, hedges, thickets, and on heaths; it flowers in the months of April and May.—The blossoms of this species form an ingredient in pectoral teas; and the young leaves may be eaten in the spring among other culinary herbs.—Bees visit the odoriferous flowers, which are also said to impart briskness to wines. The roots, immersed in a cask of beer, or ale, render it much stronger.—Linnæus asserts, that silk-worm may be fed with its leaves.—Sheep and goats eat this plant; but cows do not relish it, and it is wholly refused by horses and hogs
2. The veris. See Cowslip.
3. The Polyanthus, a beautiful exotic species, which is cultivated in gardens, on account of its fragrance. It is one of the earliest spring flowers, and numerous varieties have been raised by gardeners; some of which are so greatly admired, as to be sold at one guinea per root. These are propagated from seed, which ought to be sown in December, in boxes of light rich earth, and slightly covered. When the young plants appear, they must be sheltered from the heat of the meridian sun; and, if the spring be dry, it will be requisite to water, and keep them in the shade.—In the month of May, they may be removed into rich shady borders, that have previously been manured with neats'-dung, where they are to be set at the distance of four inches, till they have taken root.
Here they must be carefully weeded; and, towards the end of August, they should be finally transplanted into borders of rich, light earth, in rows of six inches apart, and occasionally watered. At an early period of the succeeding spring, the plants will flower; and, if intended to be preserved, it will be necessary to remove them, when their time of blowing is past, into another border of similar soil; where, being weeded, and sheltered during the winter, they will produce strong and beautiful flowers in the following spring.
PRINT, an impression taken from a copper-plate.
As prints are more durable than paintings, and form a valuable part of the furniture of almost every house, we shall subjoin a method of cleaning and bleaching them, in case they become stained by accident, or otherwise soiled. It was invented by Signior Fabbroni, an Italian chemist, who published it in Brugnatelli's Annali di Chimica.—He directs a strong glass bottle to be half-filled with a mixture of one-fourth part of red lead, and three-fourths of spirit of salt, and to be closely secured by a glass stopper. The vessel is then to stand in a cool shady place, till a certain degree of heat, which is spontaneously produced, indicates the forming of new combinations. The minium loses a considerable portion of its oxygen, which unites with the liquor, and communicates to it a rich gold colour, together with the smell of oxygenated muriatic-acid (bleaching liquor); and a small quantity of lead is held in solution, which does not, however, lessen its effects.
In order to employ the liquid, thus prepared, a border of white
