Page:The New International Encyclopædia 1st ed. v. 16.djvu/459

* PRIMULA. 397 PRINCE EDWARD ISLAND. The garden primroses prefer a rich, moist, loamy soil, and shad_v positions. The greenhouse varie- ties aie potted in light soil chiefly composed of leaf mold with some sand and loam. The varie- ties grown in the open are propagated by seed or bj' dividing the clumps. The seed is sown out of doors in summer, preferably in pans ; the young plants are potted and kept in a cold frame or the greenhouse over winter. In the spring the ~ iiietimes strong seedlings are planted in the open directly from the seed pans. The tender varieties grown under glass are also increased by seeds and ofl'sets started in the greenhouse. The name primrose has reference to the early flower- ing of the plants of this genus. See Auricula; PoLYAXTHUS; and Colored Plate of Gbeexiiouse Plants. In America certain species of CEnothera I il.v. I arc rallccl evening primrose. PRIMULA'CE^ (Xeo-Lat. nom pi., from !ML. primula, primrose), Primko.se Family. An order of dicotyledonous herbs, containing more than 350 known species, some of great beauty, mostly natives of temperate and cold regions. The flowers, often terminal on scapes, are regu- lar, usually five-parted, and followed by capsular fruits. Among the best known genera are Pri- mula. Androsaee, Lysimachia, Glaux, Cyclamen, and Dodecatheon. PRI'MUM MO'BILE (Lat., the first part movable). In the Ptolemaic system of astronomy, the tenth or outermost of the crystalline spheres, supposed to revolve from east to west every twenty-four hours, carrying the other spheres ■with it. PRINCE (OF., Fr. piiiwe, from Lat. prin- ceps, from primus, first -f- cnperc, to take). An epithet which was originally applied to the priii- ceps senatus of the Roman State, and afterwards became a title of dignity. It was adopted bj' Augustus and his successors ; hence the word was afterwards applied to persons enjoying kingly power. In various parts of Continental Euro|ie the title Prince is borne by families of eminent rank, but not possessed of sovereignty : and in England a duke is, in strict heraldic language, entitled to be styled 'high puissant and most noble prince,' and a marquis or earl as 'most noble and puissant prince.' Practically, how- ever, in England, the term prince is restricted to members of the royal family. In Germany and Austria the ambiguity of applying the *ame title to the members of the royal houses and princely families, not sovereign, is avoided, the former being styled "Prinz.' the latter 'Fiirst.' The Ger- man FUrst takes rank below the duke (Herzog). In France the title has frequently been borne by e.g. the son of a duke, thus denoting no special rank or precedence. PRINCE, Thomas (lfiS7-1758). An Ameri- can historian and antiquary, born in Sandwich, Mass., of an old colonial family. He graduated at Harvard in 1707, was ordained, traveled in the West Indies and England, returned to Bos- ton (1717). and was made assistant at the Old South Church (1718), with which he was con- nected till his death, which occurred at Boston, October 22, 1758. In 170.3 he began a collection of manuscripts and books on the history of Xew England, which were deposited in the Old South Church tower, and partly destroyed, by the Brit- ish (1775-70;. What remained forms the Prince collection in the Boston Public Library. Of the books, a catalogue was prepared by that institu- tion in 18G8, reedited in 1870. Prince's chief work is The Chronological History of Xew England (1736-55; new ed. 1826), which he was not sufficiently encouraged to prosecute. Thus it does not come bejond the year 1633; for a large portion was devoted, according to the custom of early writers, to an abridged annalistic history of the world before the landing of the Pilgrims. Prince was so accurate, however, that what he wrote was of great value. Xoteworthy, too, are his Account of the English Ministers at Martha's Vineyard (1727) and his Earth- quakes of Xew England (1755). He published sermons during his lifetime, and several were printed after his death. As a scholar he probably surpassed all colonial Americans save Cotton Mather. PRINCE ALBERT LAND. A large island of unknown area, lying to the north of the Mac- kenzie District of Canada, and constituting a part of the newly established Canadian District of Franklin (Map: Canada, G 2). It is typically Arctic in its character and has been but little explored. Its southern portions are known as Victoria Land and Wollaston Land. PRINCE EDWARD ISLAND. The small- est province of the Dominion of Canada. It is situated in the southern part of the Gulf of Saint Lawrence, being separated from Xew Brunswick and Xova .Scotia by the Strait of Xorthumberland (Map: Canada, S7). Length, 130 miles; breadth, 4 to 30 miles ; area, 2133 square miles. The sur- face is undulating; none of the hills, the chief of which are in the middle of the island and rtm from north to south, exceed 500 feet in height. The coasts are generally low and sandy, but in some places there are bold cliffs, varj-ing in height from 10 to 100 feet and composed of Triassic red sandstone, the principal underlying formation. The island is indented with numer- ous bays and inlets, several of which, as Cardi- gan Bay on the east, the approach to Georgetown, and Hillsborough Bay on the south, the approach to Charlottetown. are deep and spacious and af- ford safe anchorage for large vessels. The rivers are short tidal streams. The climate is very healthful, being milder than that of the conti- nental regions in the vicinity and free from the fogs which prevail on Cape Breton and Xova Scotia. Forests originally covered the entire island. About two-thirds of the area is now cleared. Aside from some of the boggy and swampy lands, the whole of the island is cultivable. The soil, which is well watered with numerous springs and rivers, rests upon red sandstone. It consists for the most part of a layer of vegetable matter above a light loam, which rests upon stiff clay above sandstone, and is of great fertility. The agricultural products are about double the quan- tity required for local consumption. The natural fertilitv of the soil was injured by too great a succession of cereal crops, but it has been renewed through the application of mussel mud (a natural fertilizer dredged from the bavs and rivers). According to the census of 1901 there were 164,- 472 acres of oats. 42.318 of wheat. 181.906 of hay, and 33,405 of potatoes. Turnips produce phenomenally and are extensively raised. Bar-
 * I.ints are set out in the pots where desired.