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The  Gift  of  Beatrix  Farrand 

to  the  General  Library 
University  of  California,  Berkeley 


Ex 

Libris 

BEATRIX 

JONES 


LANDSCAPE 

A  P^  '--"•-  --—"•  --J 


REEF  POINT  GARDENS 
LIBRARY 


s — * 


EDITED  BY 

R.  HOOPER  PEARSON 
MANAGING  EDITOR 
OF  THE  GARDENERS* 
CHRONICLE 

A  LIST  OF  VOLUMES 
IN  THE  SERIES  IS 
GIVEN  ON  THE  NEXT 
PAGE  . 


'Present-Day    gardening 

List  of  Volumes  in  the  Series. 

1.  SWEET  PEAS.    By  HORACE  J.  WRIGHT,  late  Secre- 

tary and  Chairman  of  the  National  Sweet  Pea  Society. 
With  Chapter  on  "Sweet  Peas  for  Exhibition"  by  THOS. 
STEVENSON. 

2.  PANSIES,  VIOLAS,  AND  VIOLETS.    By  WILLIAM 

CUTHBERTSON,  J.P.,  and  R.  HOOPER  PEARSON. 

3.  ROOT  AND  STEM  VEGETABLES.  By  ALEXANDER 

DEAN,  V.M.H.,  Chairman  of  the  National  Vegetable  Society. 

4.  DAFFODILS.     By  the  Rev.  J.  JACOB. 

5.  ORCHIDS.     By  JAMES  O'BRIEN,  V.M.H.,  Secretary 

of  the  Orchid  Committee  of  the  Royal  Horticultural  Society. 

6.  CARNATIONS  AND  PINKS.     By  T.  H.  COOK,  Head 

Gardener  to  H.M.  the  King  at  Sandringham ;  JAMES 
DOUGLAS,  V.M.H.  ;  and  J.  F.  M'LEOD,  Head  Gardener  to 
Mr.  J.  Pierpont  Morgan. 

7.  ROSES.     By  HERBERT  E.  MOLYNEUX,  Member  of  the 

Executive  Committee  of  the  National  Rose  Society. 

8.  RHODODENDRONS   AND   AZALEAS.     (The  first 

popular  "volume  published  on  this  subject.)  By  WILLIAM 
WATSON,  V.M.H.,  A.L.S.,  Curator  of  the  Royal  Botanic 
Gardens,  Kew. 

9.  LILIES.    By  A.  GROVE. 

These  will  be  followed  by  volumes  on  Annuals, 
Chrysanthemums,  Dahlias,  Pasonies,  Apples  and 
Pears,  Primulas,  Cucumbers,  Irises,  Melons,  Hardy 
Herbaceous  Plants,  Tomatoes  Bulbous  Plants,  &c. 


ansi&s  •  violas 


G4la  Si.,  VKC., 


LANDSCAPE 
AP-HrTCCTtmg1 

Farrand  GlfT 


PLATE   I  (Frontispiece)  A/ 

FOUR  YELLOW  VIOLAS 


N  *xv^ 


Redbraes  Yellow.  Maggie  Clunas. 


Klondyke. 

General  Baden-Powell. 


924 


PREFACE 

THE  title  to  this  volume  will  not  be  likely  to  confuse  the 
amateur,  for,  in  speaking  of  the  plants,  he  is  accustomed 
to  use  the  names  in  the  senses  they  are  now  employed. 
At  the  same  time,  for  reasons  pointed  out  by  Mr.  Cuth- 
bertson  in  his  Introduction,  the  terms  cannot  be  regarded 
as  appropriate,  for  in  botany  the  word  Viola  includes  every 
section  of  the  genus.  In  these  matters,  however,  it  is 
frequently  custom  rather  than  botanical  science  that  estab- 
lishes practice,  and  this  applies  to  the  present  case. 

The  lowly  plants  Mr.  Cuthbertson  treats  upon  are 
amongst  the  most  floriferous,  most  showy,  most  pleasantly 
fragrant  flowers  in  the  outdoor  garden,  and  no  one  has 
more  closely  studied  their  culture  than  the  present  author. 

By  including  Pansies  and  Violas  in  the  "  Present- Day 
Gardening"  series,  readers  are  provided  for  the  first  time 
with  coloured  plates  setting  forth  the  flowers  in  the  most 
natural  manner  photographs  can  illustrate  them. 

I  am  indebted  to  Mr.  W.  Irving  for  notes  on  some  of 
the  more  important  species  in  the  genus  Viola. 

THE  EDITOR. 

vu 


CONTENTS 


PAGE 

INTRODUCTION  i 


CHAV. 


I.  HISTORY  AND  DEVELOPMENT  OF  THE  PANSY     .        .  4 

II.  THE  HISTORY  OF  VIOLAS 10 

III.  PANSIES  AND  VIOLAS  FROM  SEED      .        .         .         .23 

IV.  CULTIVATION  FROM  CUTTINGS    .        .        .        ;        .28 
V.  CULTIVATION  OF  CHOICE  FLOWERS  FOR  EXHIBITION 

AND   OTHER    PURPOSES             .            .            .            .            •  35 

VI.  PANSIES  AND  VIOLAS  FOR  TABLE  DECORATION  .        .  50 

VII.  FANCY  OR  DECORATIVE  PANSIES        ....  54 

VIII.  THE  HARDIEST  VIOLAS      .        .        .        .        .        .  64 

IX.  FIFTY  VARIETIES  OF  VIOLAS      .  •    :  .        .        .        ,  71 

X.  THE  SWEET  VIOLET  .        .        .        .        .        •  _     •  77 

XI.  THE  GENUS  VIOLA    .         .        .        .        .        .        .  98 

XII.  CALENDAR  OF  OPERATIONS        .        .         .        .        .  109 

INDEX        .        .        .        .                 .        .        *        .  115 


LIST   OF   ILLUSTRATIONS 


PLATE 


I.  VIOLAS — REDBRAES    YELLOW,    KLONDYKE,    MAGGIE 

CLUNAS,  AND  GENERAL  BADEN-POWELL        Frontispiece 

PAGE 

II.  FANCY  PANSIES — MRS.  J.  SELLARS,  ARCHIE  MILLOY, 

AND  R.  M'KELLAR J3 

III.  FANCY    PANSIES — Miss    NEIL,    MRS.    J.    STEWART, 

AND  MARGARET  FIFE 25 

IV.  FANCY  VIOLAS — LOUIE  GRANGER,  MRS.  CHICHESTER, 

KATE  HOUSTON,  AND  DUKE  OF  ARGYLE     .        .      45 

V.  VIOLAS — PURITY,  MRS.  H.  PEARCE,  MAD.  A.  GRAY, 

AND  SNOWFLAKE 59 

VI.  VIOLAS — MAGGIE   MOTT,   ADMIRAL   OF   THE   BLUES, 

ARCHIBALD  GRANT,  AND  JENNY  M'GREGOR         .       73 

VII.  VIOLETS — MRS.  J.  J.  ASTOR,  MARIE  LOUISE,  PRINCESS 

OF  WALES,  COMTE  DE  BRAZZA     .        .        .        -87 

VIII.  THREE  VARIETIES  OF  VIOLA  CORNUTA  .     101 


DIAGRAMS  ILLUSTRATING  THE  DEVELOPMENT  OF  THE  PANSY       xi 
FLORIST'S  PANSY  OF  1841 .        6 


THE  DEVELOPMENT  OF  THE  PANSY. 

Top  flowers  (reading  from  left  to  right)  :  Wild  Pansy  and  Culti- 
vated Pansy  of  1830. 
Bottom  flowers  :  Show  Pansy  of  1870  and  Fancy  Pansy  of  1910. 


PANSIES,  VIOLAS  4P  VIOLETS 

INTRODUCTION 

"  The  pretty  Pansies  then  I'll  tie, 

Like  stones  some  chain  enchasing, 
The  next  to  them  their  near  ally 
The  purple  Violet  placing." 

ONE  of  the  first  flowers  children  learn  to  love  is  the  Pansy, 
and  the  love  thus  early  acquired  is  preserved  to  the  end  of 
life.  To  what  shall  the  preference  be  attributed  ?  Is  it  to 
the  modest  habit  of  the  flower,  its  sweet  fragrance,  its  rich 
velvety  texture,  or  its  easy  culture  and  adaptability  ?  When 
a  town  dweller  first  succeeds  in  obtaining  a  small  plot  of 
ground  for  the  cultivating  of  flowers^  he  invariably  begins 
with  Pansies  and  Violas.  He  may  aspire  to  higher  things, 
but  he  starts  with  Pansies,  than  which  no  flowers  are  more 
suited  for  cultivation  in  the  suburban  gardens  of  our  large 
towns.  In  many  situations  they  become  almost  perennial, 
whilst  some  of  the  Violas  are  so  precocious  in  spring  they 
will  bloom  under  the  snow.  The  reader  has  probably  seen 
the  effect  of  a  snowstorm  in  April  on  a  bed  of  Crocuses, 
when  the  yellow  or  purple  flowers  appeared  as  colour  lines 


2       PRESENT-DAY    GARDENING 

on  a  ground  of  pure  white ;  an  equally  charming  effect  is 
sometimes,  though  less  frequently,  seen  with  Violas. 

It  may  be  well  to  explain  at  the  beginning  of  this  book 
the  different  meanings  which  have  come  to  be  attached  to 
the  names  Show  Pansy,  Fancy  Pansy,  Viola,  Tufted  Pansy, 
and  Violetta. 

Prior  to  1850  there  was  only  one  kind  of  Pansy  known 
and  grown  in  Britain — it  was  entitled  to  be  called  simply 
"  The  Pansy/'  because  there  were  no  others.  It  was  the 
progenitor  of  what  are  known  as  Show  Pansies  (see  coloured 
illustration).  The  colours  were  confined  to  yellow,  white, 
blue,  and  purple,  but  the  remarkably  fine  velvety  texture 
which  so  many  associate  with  Pansies  was  most  apparent 
in  the  rich  purple  shades.  Show  Pansies  are  now  suffer- 
ing comparative  neglect,  their  place  in  popular  appreciation 
having  been  taken  by  their  more  gaudy  sisters  the  Fancy 
Pansies.  These  latter  are  of  continental  origin,  and  were 
first  known  as  Belgian  Pansies.  The  colours  of  this  race 
are  varied  as  the  rainbow,  and  include,  besides  the  old 
colours  which  appeared  in  the  Show  Pansies,  shades  of  pink, 
red,  rose,  orange,  salmon,  mahogany,  and  others  blended 
and  mixed  in  the  most  beautiful  and  often  fastastic  manner. 
The  old  school  of  florists  regarded  it  as  essential  that  the 
eye  of  the  Pansy  should  be  clearly  cut,  and  to  this  day  any 
one  who  has  had  a  florist's  training  instinctively  protests 
against  the  rayed  or  ragged  eyes  seen  in  so  many  strains  of 


INTRODUCTION  3 

Pansies.  However,  with  new  times  come  new  ideas,  and 
if  a  Pansy  is  big  enough  and  gaudy  enough  in  these  days 
it  is  approved  by  a  large  section  of  the  public. 

Viola  is  the  Latin  name  for  the  whole  genus,  and  from 
species  within  this  genus  all  modern  Pansies  and  Violas 
have  developed.  Why,  then,  has  Viola  been  made  an 
English  term  and  applied  to  merely  a  section  of  the  genus  ? 
It  is  impossible  to  say,  but  the  term  has  come  to  stay, 
and  every  one  recognises  that  the  so-called  Violas  provide 
the  finest  hardy  bedding  plants  known.  By  some  who 
object  to  the  term  "Viola"  this  strain  is  called  "Tufted 
Pansies  " ;  but  this  term  is  more  misleading  than  the  other, 
and  its  use  should  be  discouraged.  The  name  "Violetta" 
is  applied  to  a  small  growing  strain  of  Violas  which  has 
very  sweetly  scented  flowers  ;  the  plants  are  very  flori- 
ferous  and  dwarf  and  tufted  in  growth. 

Sweet  Violets,  which  are  well  known  even  to  dwellers  in 
the  great  cities,  where  they  are  constantly  offered  for  sale 
in  bunches  in  the  streets  and  shops  during  the  winter  and 
spring  months,  are  descendants  of  the  wild  species  Viola 
odorata,  so  plentiful  in  the  pastures  and  hedgerows  of 
Southern  Britain,  but  rare  in  Scotland. 


CHAPTER   I 
HISTORY  AND   DEVELOPMENT   OF   THE  PANSY 

"  A  little  Western  flower 
Before  milk-white  ;  now  purple  with  love's  wound." 

THE  development  of  the  present  magnificent  strains  of 
Pansies  from  the  wildlings  of  nature  has  taken  nearly  one 
hundred  years.  Writers  at  the  end  of  the  eighteenth  century 
have  left  on  record  that  the  Pansies  cultivated  in  gardens  at 
that  time  were  little  better  than  varieties  of  Viola  tricolor  to 
be  found  growing  wild.  In  addition  to  the  written  records, 
there  also  exist  some  coloured  illustrations  of  that  period, 
confirming  what  is  said  by  the  writers. 

In  the  year  1813  or  1814  Lord  Gambier,  who  had  a 
residence  at  Iver  near  Uxbridge,  Middlesex,  collected  a  few 
plants  of  Viola  tricolor  and  brought  them  to  his  gardener, 
instructing  him  at  the  same  time  to  cultivate  them  in  the 
garden.  The  gardener's  name  was  Thompson,  and  he  stated, 
in  a  communication  which  appeared  in  The  Flower  Gar- 
deners9 Library  and  Floricultural  Cabinet  for  1841,  that  the 
plants  which  his  master  brought  to  him  twenty-seven  or 
twenty-eight  years  previously  were  "  roots  of  the  common 


EARLY    CULTIVATION  5 

yellow  Heart's-ease  which  he  had  gathered  in  his  grounds 
at  Iver."  In  Glenny's  Garden  Almanack  for  1885,  George 
J.  Henderson  stated  that  about  the  year  1812  there 
lived  at  Walton-on-Thames  a  daughter  of  the  Earl  of 
Tankerville,  and  her  favourite  flower  was  the  common 
Pansy,  which  she  cultivated  over  a  large  portion  of  her 
garden.  By  giving  them  good  cultivation  and  selecting 
seeds  from  the  best  kinds  every  year,  this  lady  obtained 
varieties  possessing  remarkably  fine  flowers.  It  therefore 
appears  possible  that  two  growers  turned  their  attention 
almost  simultaneously  to  the  improvement  of  the  wild 
Pansy.  Thompson's  work  was  carried  on  systematically 
for  thirty  years,  and  he  became  known  among  flower-lovers 
in  the  south  of  England  as  "  the  father  of  the  Heart's-ease." 
No  better  method  could  be  adopted  to  illustrate  the  develop- 
ment of  the  Pansy  than  setting  forth  the  diagrams  at  the 
front  of  this  volume. 

From  1814  to  1830  the  florists  directed  their  efforts  to 
obtaining  flowers  of  increased  size  and  bearing  more  dis- 
tinct markings  than  in  any  of  the  wild  types  ;  and  in  regard 
to  form,  Thompson's  own  expression  was  they  "  were  lengthy 
as  a  horse's  head."  Nothing  daunted,  he  resolved  to  perse- 
vere, and  was  at  last  rewarded  by  obtaining  "rich  colouring, 
large  size,  and  fine  shape."  Up  to  this  time  (about  1830) 
nothing  in  the  way  of  blotches  had  been  secured  on  the 
flowers.  Blotches  are  the  dark  markings  of  the  three  lower 


PRESENT-DAY    GARDENING 


petals,  shown  in  the  figure.  By  some  growers  in  those  days, 
even  by  Thompson  himself,  the  blotch  on  the  under  petal 
was  called  an  eye.  This  is  erroneous,  as  the  eye  is  the 
little  yellow  or  golden  semicircle  on  the  under  petal,  on 

the  top  of  which  rests  the 
stigma.  In  the  illustration,  re- 
produced from  the  Gardeners' 
Chronicle  of  1841,  the  flower 
shows  the  beginnings  of  the 
blotches.  They  had  no  doubt 
been  in  process  of  develop- 
ment for  several  years  and 
were  being  fixed  by  selection. 
It  is  interesting  to  quote 
Thompson  on  this  point. 

Writing  about  his  work,  he  says  up  to  this  time  (somewhere 
in  the  thirties)  "a  dark  eye  (blotch),  which  is  now  con- 
sidered one  of  the  chief  requisites  in  a  first-rate  flower,  had 
never  been  seen.  Indeed,  such  a  feature  had  never  entered 
my  imagination,  nor  can  I  take  any  merit  to  myself  for 
originating  this  peculiar  property,  for  it  was  entirely 
the  offspring  of  chance.  In  looking  one  morning  over 
a  collection  of  heaths,  which  had  been  some  time  ne- 
glected, I  was  struck,  to  use  a  vulgar  expression,  all  of 
a  heap,  by  seeing  what  appeared  to  me  a  miniature  cat's 
face  steadfastly  gazing  at  me.  It  was  the  flower  of  a  Heart's- 


RISE    OF    THE    FANCY    PANSY     7 

ease,  self-sown,  and  hitherto  left  to  waste  its  beauty  far  from 
mortal's  eye.  I  immediately  took  it  up  and  gave  it  a  local 
habitation  and  a  name.  This  first  child  of  the  tribe  I 
called  Madora,  and  from  her  bosom  came  the  seed  which, 
after  various  generations,  produced  Victoria,  who  in  her 
turn  became  the  mother  of  many  even  more  beautiful  than 
herself."  We  here  see  the  transition  from  the  rays  or  pen- 
cillings  on  the  petals,  to  blotches.  The  rays  are  supposed 
to  be  guide  lines  for  insects,  to  guide  them  to  the  pollen 
and  nectar  of  the  flower.  As  they  disappeared,  would  the 
blotches  be  found  by  the  little  marauders  less  convenient  ? 
In  any  case,  it  is  a  known  fact  that  the  cultivated  forms  of 
the  Pansy  seed  less  freely  than  the  wild  types. 

From  1841  onwards  it  became  the  ambition  of  the  florists 
to  develop  in  the  Pansy  the  following  qualities  :  a  perfect 
outline,  well-defined  blotches  and  margins,  greater  substance, 
clearer  and  yet  deeper  colours.  By  1880,  the  heyday  of 
the  Show  Pansy,  these  qualities  were  well-nigh  obtained. 

THE  RISE  OF  THE  FANCY  PANSY 

Professor  V.  B.  Wittrock,  of  Stockholm,  wrote  as 
follows  in  the  Gardeners'  Chronicle  for  June  13,  1896  : 
"  In  the  early  thirties  the  English  Pansy  was  intro- 
duced into  France,  and  was  cultivated  there  by  skilful 
horticulturists,  who  took  great  pains  in  further  im- 
proving it.  In  Belgium  they  also  strove  to  improve 


8       PRESENT-DAY    GARDENING 

the  English  Pansies  in  the  thirties,  and  partly  in  the 
same  way  as  in  France,  without  regard  to  the  laws  of 
beauty  laid  down  in  England."  It  was  probably  the 
progeny  of  these  English  Pansies  which  returned  to 
this  country  about  1850,  and  became  the  parents  of  the 
Fancy  Pansy  as  we  know  it  The  first  we  hear  of  them 
in  this  country  was  in  the  year  1848,  and  at  first  they 
were  called  Belgian  Pansies,  presumably  for  the  simple 
reason  that  they  had  a  continental  origin.  An  English 
nurseryman,  Mr.  John  Salter,  who  had  been  for  some 
time  in  Versailles,  France,  brought  some  Pansy  seed 
with  him  on  returning  to  England.  This  he  sowed  in 
his  new  English  nursery,  where  the  plants  subsequently 
attracted  the  attention  of  many.  In  1849  Fancy  Pansies 
were  referred  to  in  the  columns  of  the  Gardeners' 
Chronicle  for  the  first  time.  From  1851  onwards, 
Fancy  Pansies  were  offered  in  Mr.  Salter's  Catalogue. 
In  1852  Mr.  John  Downie  of  Edinburgh,  who  later 
became  the  greatest  raiser  and  grower  of  these  flowers, 
is  credited  with  having  exhibited  six  kinds  of  Fancy 
Pansies  at  the  Botanic  Gardens,  Regent's  Park,  London. 
Mr.  William  Dean  (one  of  a  remarkable  trio  of  brothers, 
all  horticultural  authorities)  has  left  it  on  record  that 
to  Mr.  Andrew  Henderson,  proprietor  of  the  Pine  Apple 
Nurseries,  London,  belongs  the  credit  of  having  intro- 
duced the  improved  forms  of  Fancy  or  Belgian  Pansies 
to  English  growers  about  1858.  Mr.  William  Dean  was 


PANSY  CULTURE  IN  SCOTLAND  9 

entrusted  by  Mr.  Henderson  with  the  growing  of  these 
improved  Fancy  Pansies  in  his  (Mr.  Dean's)  gardens 
at  Shipley,  and  Mr.  Dean  grew  them  well  and  raised 
many  new  varieties.  It  was  he  who  first  suggested  the 
name  "  Fancy,"  instead  of  "  Belgian,"  for  them. 

From  1860  onward  Scotland  became  peculiarly  the 
home  of  the  cultivated  Pansy.  The  leading  Scots  florists 
devoted  themselves  enthusiastically  to  its  culture  and 
improvement.  The  cooler  temperature  of  the  north 
accounts  in  a  large  measure  for  the  success  obtained 
by  Scotsmen,  for  there  the  large  flowers  develop  slowly, 
and  the  full  character  and  beauty,  especially  of  the  large 
Fancy  varieties,  are  brought  out  to  perfection.  To  Messrs. 
Downie  &  Laird,  Messrs.  Dickson  &  Co.,  Mr.  William  Paul, 
Messrs.  Dobbie  &  Co.,  Mr.  John  Sutherland,  Mr.  Andrew 
Irvine,  Mr.  Matthew  Campbell,  Mr.  Alex.  Lister,  Mr.  John 
Smellie,  and  others,  belongs  the  credit  of  placing  Scotland 
in  the  forefront  of  Pansy  culture. 

The  brothers  William  and  Richard  Dean,  Mr.  C. 
Turner  of  Slough,  and  Mr.  Hooper  of  Bath  were  re- 
nowned Pansy  men  in  the  latter  half  of  the  last  century, 
while  Mr.  William  Sydenham  and  Mr.  Septimus  Pye,  as 
growers  and  raisers  of  named  varieties ;  and  Messrs.  R.  H. 
Bath,  Ltd.,  as  pioneers  in  the  choicest  seedling  strains,  are 
well-known  English  growers  of  the  present  day.  As  raisers 
in  past  years,  Mr.  J.  D.  Stuart  and  Mr.  Samuel  M'Kee 
of  Belfast  well  upheld  the  reputation  of  the  "sister  isle." 


CHAPTER   II 
THE   HISTORY  OF  VIOLAS 

WHEN  we  come  to  speak  of  the  development  of  the 
modern  Viola  we  are  on  surer  ground  than  in  the  case 
of  the  Pansy.  One  reason  for  this  is  that  a  great  deal 
of  the  work  has  been  done  within  living  memory. 

At  a  Viola  Conference  held  at  the  Botanical  Gardens, 
Birmingham,  in  May  1895,  under  the  presidency  of 
the  present  writer,  the  late  Mr.  Richard  Dean  read  a 
paper  on  "Old  Violas,"  which  was  reported  in  the  gar- 
dening press  at  the  time,  and  is  reproduced  here,  as  it 
is  one  of  the  most  valuable  contributions  ever  penned 
on  the  subject.  Mr.  Dean  said :  "  The  credit  of  first 
employing  the  Pansy  as  a  bedding  plant  for  forming 
lines  and  masses  belongs,  I  think,  to  Mr.  John  Fleming, 
formerly  of  The  Gardens,  Cliveden,  Maidenhead.  At 
the  time  he  commenced  his  famous  spring  gardening, 
somewhere  about  1854,  the  distinctive  term  Viola  applied 
only  to  the  odorata  section  and  such  species  as  found 
a  place  in  the  botanical  gardens.  He  had  raised  seed- 
lings, and  from  them  obtained  the  Cliveden  Yellow, 


"OLD    VIOLAS"  ii 

Cliveden  Dark  Purple,  and  Cliveden  White.  What  he 
grew  as  Cliveden  Blue  was  a  distinctively  blue  flower 
which,  I  was  once  informed,  came  originally  from  Russia, 
and  which  is  now  in  all  probability  lost  to  cultivation.  He 
also  employed  a  fine  white  flower,  named  Great  Eastern, 
raised  by  Henry  Hooper  of  Bath,  a  variety  which  re- 
mained in  cultivation  many  years ;  and  also  that  flower 
which  always  possessed  such  a  marked  individuality  of 
its  own,  the  old  Magpie,  the  La  Pie  of  the  French. 
Magpie  is  perhaps  the  oldest  of  the  Violas,  other  than 
true  species,  in  cultivation  ;  but  its  origin  has  never  been 
traced  beyond  a  cornfield  in  France,  where  it  was  said 
to  have  been  discovered  growing  wild.  It  was  offered 
for  sale  by  the  late  Mr.  John  Salter  at  what  was  then 
the  Versailles  Nursery,  Hammersmith,  in  1857,  and  since 
then  it  has  been  known  in  England  under  several  names, 
such  as  Mazeppa,  Paul  Pry,  and  Wonderful. 

"  I  think  it  was  the  publicity  given  to  Mr.  Fleming's 
use  of  the  Pansy  through  the  medium  of  the  gardening 
journals  which  induced  Mr.  James  Grieve  to  commence 
employing  Viola  lutea  and  other  species  as  seed  parents 
as  far  back  as  1859-60  ;  and  from  what  I  can  learn, 
Mr.  John  Baxter,  Daldowie,  was  at  that  time  interesting 
himself  in  a  similar  direction.  One  of  Mr.  Grieve's 
bantlings — Grievii — was  an  excellent  yellow  bedder  in 
those  days,  and  may  be  in  cultivation  still. 


12     PRESENT-DAY    GARDENING 

"It  was  the  boom  made  with  Viola  cornuta  about 
1863,  by  Mr.  John  Wills,  which  raised  this  species  to 
such  a  high  degree  of  popularity.  In  those  days  summer 
flower  gardening  was  much  practised,  and  Viola  cornuta 
became  largely  grown.  From  Viola  lutea  came  lutea 
grandiflora,  and  later  in  point  of  time  lutea  major 
and  My  Yellow  Boy — all  capital  bedding  varieties  in 
their  day. 

"About  1870,  Mr.  B.  S.  Williams  of  Holloway  intro- 
duced V.  cornuta  Perfection,  said  to  have  been  raised 
at  Rotherfield  Park,  Hampshire.  I  have  grave  doubts 
on  this  point,  as  at  the  very  time  Mr.  Williams  was 
announcing  he  had  the  entire  stock,  I  was  able  to  buy 
it  in  quantities  at  Salisbury.  It  made  a  distinct  advance 
as  a  bedding  Viola,  and  was  followed  by  Enchantress, 
Sensation,  and  Admiration,  all  of  the  same  type,  and 
showing  but  little  difference  in  colour.  The  four  varieties 
were  of  somewhat  tall  growth,  and  very  subject  to  mildew 
when  grown  in  the  south. 

"  In  1872-73  I  introduced  Blue  Bell.  It  came  as  a 
chance  seedling  in  my  little  garden  at  West  Baling, 
where  I  do  not  think  any  form  of  Viola  had  been 
previously  grown.  I  noticed  a  plant  of  close  tufted 
growth  spreading  itself,  and  I  let  it  bloom,  and  at  once 
stood  sponsor  to  it.  It  is  essentially  a  bedder,  and  when 
I  was  at  that  historical  mansion,  Syon  House,  Brentford, 


PLATE  II 
THREE   FANCY   PANSIES 


Mrs.  J.  Sellars, 


R  M'Kellar. 


Archie  Milloy. 


SOME    VARIETIES    OF    VIOLA     15 

a  few  days  ago,  I  found  Mr.  George  Wythes  was  using 
it  as  an  edging  to  many  of  his  flower-beds.  He  said 
nothing  in  the  way  of  a  Viola  he  had  tried  would  stand 
the  heat  and  drought  of  the  summer  in  the  south  like 
Blue  Bell.  About  this  time  I  got  from  Mr.  Grieve 
several  of  the  varieties  he  had  raised,  and  which  were 
figured  in  one  of  the  numbers  of  the  Floral  Magazine 
for  1872,  but  only  '  The  Tory '  did  well  in  our  warm 
southern  climate.  [The  Tory  is  still  grown,  and  is  this 
year  (1910)  offered  by  Messrs.  Grieve  &  Sons.  It  is 
deep  blue  in  colour,  with  dark  blotch.] 

"One  excellent  variety  which  about  this  time  became 
very  popular  in  the  south  was  Imperial  Blue  Perfection. 
It  was  quite  distinct  from  B.  S.  Williams'  cornuta  Per- 
fection ;  a  good  flower,  and  very  free.  I  think  it  was 
distributed  by  Messrs.  E.  G.  Henderson  &  Son,  then  of 
Wellington  Road  Nurseries,  St.  John's  Wood. 

"  As  far  as  my  own  seedlings  were  concerned,  cornuta 
Perfection  and  lutea  grandiflora  formed  the  material  I 
worked  upon  ;  Cliveden  Purple  Pansy  was  also  employed. 
Blue  Bell,  Lothair,  Princess  Teck,  and  Corisande  were  the 
first  four  I  put  into  commerce — all  true  Violas ;  and  with 
these  a  batch  of  Tom  Thumb  Bedding  Violas,  very  dwarf 
and  compact  in  growth,  producing  an  abundance  of  small, 
well-formed  flowers — the  varieties,  Blue  Gem,  Lily  White, 
Little  Gem,  Painted  Lady,  and  Yellow  Boy.  These  were 


16     PRESENT-DAY    GARDENING 

all  true  Violas.  I  had  batches  of  new  bedding  Pansies 
also. 

"  I  always  looked  upon  Dickson's  Sovereign,  sent  out  in 
1874,  as  one  of  the  most  useful  bedding  Violas  of  that  day. 
Alpha,  more  a  Pansy  than  a  Viola,  came  out  with  it,  and 
a  number  of  Violas  also  from  the  same  source.  In  1875 
I  put  into  commerce  of  my  own  raising  Crown  Jewel, 
Royal  Blue,  Lilacina,  Mulberry,  and  White  Swan — all  true 
Violas  ;  and  Mr.  B.  S.  Williams  distributed  Mrs.  Gray — 
a  good  white  variety. 

"  At  this  time  the  unobtrusive  Viola,  by  sheer  force  of  its 
inherent  beauty  and  great  usefulness,  had  so  forced  itself 
upon  public  attention  that  the  Council  of  the  Royal  Horti- 
cultural Society  originated  a  trial  on  an  extensive  scale  at 
their  Chiswick  Gardens.  A  large  number  were  sent  in, 
two  inspections  were  made  by  the  Floral  Committee  of  the 
Society,  and  the  following  were  awarded  first-class  certifi- 
cates of  merit  (chosen  from  the  point  of  view  of  showing 
compactness  and  dwarfness  of  habit,  profuseness  and  con- 
tinuity of  bloom,  and  useful  and  effective  colours  ;  chosen, 
in  fact,  for  those  special  features  which  made  them  effective 
as  bedding  plants) : — From  Messrs.  Dickson  &  Co. — Alpha, 
Golden  Gem,  Peach  Blossom,  Queen  of  Lilacs,  Sovereign, 
and  Tory.  From  Mr.  R.  Dean — Bedfont  Yellow,  Blue 
Bell,  Lilacina,  Lothair,  Lily  White,  Tom  Thumb,  The  Old 
Magpie  (so  named  on  account  of  the  strongly  contrasted 


NEW    VARIETIES    OF    VIOLA     17 

colouring  of  the  flowers),  Mulberry,  Princess  Teck,  Royal 
Blue,  and  White  Swan.  From  Dr.  Stuart — Dr.  Stuart  and 
Williams.  From  Messrs.  James  Cocker  &  Sons — Novelty. 
From  Mr.  G.  Westland— Blue  Perfection. 

"A  tribute  is  due  to  Dr.  Stuart  for  his  efforts  to  obtain 
new  varieties,  and  for  what  he  has  done  since  with  so  much 
success.  Since  writing  this  passage,  I  have  been  informed 
by  Dr.  Stuart  that  he  began  to  work  at  Viola-raising  in 
1872  or  '73.  He  sent  to  Chiswick,  probably  in  1874  or  '75, 
six  varieties  raised  from  crosses  between  Viola  cornuta 
and  Pansy  Blue  King,  and  received  six  first-class  cer- 
tificates. 'These,'  says  Dr.  Stuart,  'were  the  ancestors 
of  my  rayless  section/  Nor  should  my  dead  brother's 
work  be  forgotten  in  this  relation,  as  it  is  nearly  twenty 
years  since,  when  at  Walsall,  he  produced  his  first  batch 
of  seedling  Violas,  including  True  Blue,  a  variety  of  such 
sterling  qualities,  especially  as  a  bedding  plant,  that  it  will 
keep  his  memory  green  among  Viola  raisers,  cultivators, 
and  exhibitors  for  some  years  to  come. 

"What  has  been  produced  since  1878  comes  within 
the  range  of  contemporary  knowledge,  and  I  need  not 
particularise  further." 

The  work  done  by  Mr.  James  Grieve,  who  was  for  a  long 
series  of  years  nursery  manager  to  Messrs.  Dickson  &  Co., 
and  who  is  now  in  business  for  himself  in  Edinburgh,  is, 

viewed  as  a  whole,  the  greatest  of  all.     Mr.  Grieve  started  in 

B 


i8      PRESENT-DAY    GARDENING 

1862  to  cross  Viola  luteaoi  the  Pentland  Hills  and  the  ordi- 
nary Show  Pansies  of  that  day.  In  1863,  he  tells  us,  he 
procured  Viola  Amcena,  and  crossed  it  with  purple  Pansies, 
also  Viola  cornuta,  and  crossed  it  with  "  Dux  "  Show  Pansy, 
the  best  of  the  seedlings  from  this  cross  being  named 
Vanguard.  Viola  stricta  he  next  procured,  and  crossing 
it,  got  such  varieties  as  Ariel,  Bullion,  stricta  alba,  and 
a  number  of  varieties  without  blotches  or  rays.  In  1867 
Messrs.  Dickson  got  six  plants  of  Viola  cornuta  Perfection, 
and  Mr.  Grieve  "crossed  every  bloom  with  everything  he 
could  lay  his  hands  on/'  and  had  700  seedlings  as  a  result, 
among  which  were  Tory,  Lilacina,  Canary,  Holyrood,  &c. 
Grievii,  pallida,  and  Golden  Gem  were  raised  from  Viola  lutea. 
Sovereign,  so  long  and  favourably  known,  was  the  result  of 
a  cross  between  Golden  Gem  and  Golden  Bedder,  a  yellow 
Show  Pansy  sent  out  by  E.  J.  Henderson  &  Son,  London. 
When  it  is  mentioned  that,  in  addition  to  the  varieties 
named  above,  Stanley,  Mary  Gilbert,  Dorothy  Tennant, 
Royalty,  Souvenir,  Virginalis,  and  Merchiston  Castle  were 
raised  and  sent  out  by  Messrs.  Dickson  &  Co.,  it  will  be 
realised  how  important  was  the  work  of  Messrs.  Dickson 
and  Mr.  Grieve  in  the  earlier  days  of  the  Viola. 

Another  raiser  who  worked  contemporaneously  with  Mr. 
Grieve  was  the  late  Mr.  John  Baxter,  gardener  to  Colonel 
M'Call  of  Daldowie  near  Glasgow.  Many  of  his  seedlings 
were  introduced  by  Messrs.  Dobbie  &  Co.,  Rothesay,  and 


VIOLAS    OR    TUFTED    PANSIES     19 

now  of  Edinburgh,  who  have  long  been  associated  with 
Viola  culture. 

The  late  Dr.  Charles  Stuart  of  Chirnside,  Berwickshire, 
was  all  his  life  an  ardent  florist  and  a  successful  raiser  of 
Polyanthi,  Aquilegias  (Aquilegia  Stuartii),  and  Violas.  In 
a  volume  on  Pansies  and  Violas  published  in  1898  by 
Messrs.  Dobbie  &  Co.,  Dr.  Stuart  gave  a  short  account  of 
his  experience  as  a  raiser,  which  is  here  reproduced  : — 


A   FEW   NOTES  ON  VIOLAS  OR 
TUFTED  PANSIES 

"In  1874  I  took  pollen  from  a  garden  Pansy  named 
Blue  King,  a  bedding  variety  then  in  fashion,  and  applied 
it  to  the  pistil  of  Viola  cornuta,  a  Pyrenean  species.  There 
was  a  podful  of  seed,  which  produced  twelve  plants,  which 
were  well  taken  care  of.  The  next  season  they  flowered 
and  were  all  blue  in  colour,  but  with  a  good  tufted  habit. 
I  again  took  pollen  from  a  pink  garden  Pansy  and  fertilised 
the  flowers  of  my  first  cross,  with  a  limited  success.  The 
seed  from  this  cross  gave  me  more  variety  in  colour  of 
flower,  and  the  same  tufted  habit  of  growth,  which  evi- 
dently came  from  the  Viola  cornuta  influence.  The  best 
of  this  cross  were  propagated  and  grown,  some  of  the 
plants  being  sent  to  the  Royal  Horticultural  Society's 
Gardens  at  Chiswick  for  trial,  after  an  invitation  to  all 


20     PRESENT-DAY    GARDENING 

Viola  growers  to  send  their  best  there,  to  see  how  they 
would  thrive  in  a  southern  climate.  After  being  in  the 
ground  for  some  time,  I  received  a  letter  from  a  member  of 
the  Floral  Committee  inquiring  how  they  had  been  raised, 
as  they  were  entirely  different  in  growth  from  all  the  others 
sent  in.  In  reply  I  told  exactly  what  I  have  already  stated, 
and  heard  no  more  of  the  matter  till  the  autumn  of  1875* 
I  was  rather  surprised  when  informed  that  I  had  got  six 
first-class  certificates  and  was  first  in  the  competition, 
Messrs.  Dickson  &  Co.  of  Edinburgh  being  second. 
Nothing  more  was  done  at  this  time,  beyond  growing  the 
plants  I  had  already  raised,  and  sowing  the  seed  from  them 
in  a  bed  broadcast.  They  were  all  more  or  less  rayed. 
A  floral  ally,  seeing  one  of  these  certificated  plants,  a  fine 
white  Self,  remarked  :  i  If  you  could  only  get  that  flower 
without  rays  in  the  centre,  I  think  it  would  be  a  great  im- 
provement/ Keeping  a  sharp  look-out  on  the  seed-beds,  it 
was  ten  years  before  I  succeeded  in  finding  a  really  rayless 
Viola.  In  the  year  of  Queen  Victoria's  Jubilee,  while 
walking  round  the  seed-bed,  I  saw  what  I  had  been  seeking 
for,  in  a  pure-white,  rayless  Self.  The  plant  was  there  and 
then  pulled  to  pieces,  and  every  bit  propagated.  It  was 
a  warm,  summer  night,  and  the  perfume  from  the  blooms 
at  once  attracted  my  attention.  The  next  season  I  had  a 
little  plantation  of  the  rayless  Self  and  a  wealth  of  blooms. 
A  box  of  them  was  sent  to  Mr.  Robinson,  the  editor  of 


VIOLAS    OR    TUFTED    PANSIES     21 

the  Garden,  who  at  once  recognised  a  new  strain,  and 
promised  to  figure  the  variety  in  the  Garden.  Such  is  the 
true  history  of  Violetta,  one  of  the  most  popular  of  the  ray- 
less  tufted  Pansy  family.  Violetta  has  proved  the  mother 
of  thousands  of  a  rayless  race,  some  better,  some  worse 
than  the  parent.  Violetta  pollen  crossed  with  a  white  Self 
with  a  few  rays  gave  Sylvia,  too  well  known  to  require 
description.  Sylvia  crossed  with  a  Peacock  Pansy  gave 
me  Border  Witch — a  singular  flower,  which,  in  its  best 
dress,  in  moist  weather  is  very  striking.  I  found,  how- 
ever, that  this  Pansy  crossing  was  too  much,  for  out  of  a 
hundred  and  fifty  seedlings  Border  Witch  was  the  only  one 
without  rays.  Mr.  Robinson  has  more  than  any  one  ad- 
vanced the  strain  of  rayless  Violas.  Many  of  them  have 
been  figured  in  the  Garden  and  in  other  magazines,  and  he 
put  me  under  a  deep  debt  of  gratitude  in  dedicating  a 
volume  of  his  beautiful  publication  to  a  humble  amateur 
in  acknowledgment  of  original  work." 

In  hybridising  or  crossing  wild  varieties  of  Violas,  it  is 
necessary  that  the  pollen  should  be  taken  from  the  culti- 
vated species  of  Pansy  and  dusted  over  the  pistil ;  that  is, 
the  wild  species  should  be  the  mother.  Pollen  taken  from 
V.  cornutat  for  instance,  will,  if  put  on  the  common 
Garden  Pansy,  only  give  seed  which  will  produce  Bedding 
Pansies,  not  the  sturdy,  tufted-rooted,  dwarf  strain,  which 
Violetta  now  represents. 


22      PRESENT-DAY    GARDENING 

The  work  of  progression  has  in  recent  years  been  carried 
forward  by  many  growers  whose  names  are  known  to  all 
in  the  horticultural  world.  Among  so  many  it  is  almost 
invidious  to  set  forth  any,  but  to  Mr.  William  Sydenham, 
Mr.  D.  B.  Crane,  to  Messrs.  Bobbie  &  Co.,  and  Messrs. 
James  Grieve  &  Sons,  no  one  will  deny  honourable 
mention. 

There  is  another  factor  which  has  largely  aided  the 
popularity  of  the  Viola,  and  that  is  the  persistent  and 
consistent  advocacy  of  its  claims  in  the  horticultural  press. 
The  wonderful  exhibitions,  too,  of  collections  of  blooms, 
made  by  the  leading  growers  at  the  principal  flower-shows, 
have  brought  the  new  varieties  prominently  before  all  lovers 
of  flowers.  The  Royal  Horticultural  Society  has  conducted 
trials,  in  the  Wisley  Gardens,  of  all  known  varieties  of  Viola 
from  time  to  time,  and  has  sent  out  Reports  recommend- 
ing the  best.  These  Reports  are  published  in  the  Society's 
Journal,  and  may  be  purchased  by  all  interested  in  the 
subject. 


CHAPTER   III 
PANSIES  AND   VIOLAS   FROM    SEED 

"  There  are  divine  things  well  envelop'd, 
I  swear  to  you  there  are  divine  things  more  beautiful  than  words  can  tell. " 

THE  raising  of  seedlings  of  any  plant  is  always  interesting, 
because  it  is  from  seed  that  most  new  varieties  are  obtained ; 
therefore  the  amateur  has  a  chance,  provided  he  is  growing 
a  good  strain,  of  obtaining  some  new  colour  or  form.  The 
question  of  what  sort  of  seed  it  is  best  to  sow  is  one  of  the 
first  to  present  itself,  but  it  cannot  be  decided  satisfactorily 
until  the  grower  has  a  clear  idea  as  to  what  object  the 
plants  are  intended  to  serve.  If  the  plants  are  wanted  to 
form  a  mixed  bed  of  Pansies  or  to  dot  along  a  mixed  border, 
the  best  Fancy  Pansy  seed  obtainable  should  be  sown. 
If  they  are  needed  for  beds  of  one  colour  or  for  lines  of 
one  colour,  Violas  should  certainly  be  chosen,  and  all  the 
leading  seed  merchants  make  a  speciality  of  supplying  seed 
in  different  colours.  In  the  purchasing  of  Pansy  or  Viola 
seed,  always  avoid  what  is  cheap,  otherwise  all  the  labour 
and  care  is  likely  to  end  in  disappointment.  The  best 
Pansies  and  Violas  do  not  seed  freely,  and  therefore  the 

best  seed  can  never  be  plentiful. 

23 


24     PRESENT-DAY    GARDENING 

Time  to  Sow. — Pansies  and  Violas  are  so  amenable  to 
cultivation  that,  given  careful  treatment,  they  can  be  sown 
at  any  time  with  a  fair  prospect  of  success,  but,  to  obtain  the 
best  results,  they  should  be  sown  in  April  or  May,  in  boxes 
placed  either  in  a  cool  greenhouse  or  frame.  The  boxes 
should  be  covered  with  a  sheet  of  glass,  and  the  seed  ought 
to  be  sown  thinly,  so  that  the  plants  may  be  allowed  to 
remain  in  the  boxes  till  they  are  sturdy  little  fellows  with 
fine  healthy  leaves  about  an  inch  in  diameter.  In  June,  or 
early  in  July,  the  seedlings  must  be  transplanted  to  a  pre- 
pared frame  or  bed  in  the  open.  This  may  be  ordinary 
garden  soil  to  which  has  been  added  some  old,  well  de- 
composed manure  or  leaf-mould ;  and,  if  the  soil  is  of  a 
tenacious  character  some  sand  may  be  added,  but  not  other- 
wise. Plant  the  seedlings  in  it  three  or  four  inches  apart, 
and  give  careful  attention  to  watering  ;  if  the  position  is 
fully  exposed  to  the  sun  some  shading  will  be  required. 
Shortly  after  the  plants  become  established  blooms  will 
begin  to  appear,  but  these  should  be  removed,  as  the  special 
object  in  view  is  to  obtain  strong  healthy  plants  to  put 
out  into  their  flowering  quarters  in  September.  Seedlings 
raised  in  this  way  will  invariably  stand  the  winter  well  in 
the  open,  except  in  the  most  exposed  positions.  Where  it 
is  desired  to  have  a  display  in  such  a  position,  the  plants 
should  be  left  where  they  can  have  a  little  protection  by 
means  of  a  sash  or  otherwise  during  the  winter,  and  be 


PLATE   III 
THREE  FANCY  PANSIES 


Miss  Neil. 


Margaret  Fife. 


Mrs.  J.  Stewart. 


PANSIES    AND    VIOLAS  27 

moved  into  their  flowering  positions  in  March.  One  great 
advantage  of  the  treatment  here  recommended  is  that  plants 
are  obtained  with  a  great  mass  of  fibrous  roots,  and  when 
moved  it  is  rare  that  even  a  single  plant  fails.  If  plant- 
ing is  done  in  September,  growth  will  continue  all  through 
the  winter  months  whenever  the  weather  is  mild,  and  by 
the  time  the  plants  begin  to  bloom  in  April  and  May  they 
will  be  fine  clumps,  several  inches  in  diameter,  capable  of 
producing  large,  beautiful  flowers.  They  will  continue  for 
several  months  to  flower,  and  in  July  or  August  the  "old 
wood/'  or,  more  properly,  the  strong  shoots,  which  have 
flowered  should  be  cut  away,  and  the  young  fresh  shoots 
in  the  centre  of  the  plant  left  to  continue  the  flowering. 
Treated  thus,  most  of  the  plants  will  bloom  again  in 
autumn,  and  even  stand  over  another  winter.  Any  specially 
meritorious  variety  can  be  propagated  by  cuttings,  as  re- 
commended in  another  chapter,  just  the  same  as  named 
varieties. 


CHAPTER   IV 
CULTIVATION   FROM   CUTTINGS 

* '  Nature  does  require 
Her  time  of  preservation." 

AN  enthusiastic  Pansy  grower  used  to  say  that  the  same 
laws  held  good  in  the  plant  world  as  in  the  animal  world, 
and  there  is  far  more  in  the  old  gentleman's  remark  than 
appears  on  the  surface.  I  f  healthy,  robust  children,  or  healthy, 
robust  chickens  are  desired,  it  is  well  to  be  careful  about 
the  parentage.  Exactly  so  with  Pansies  and  Violas.  It 
gives  the  grower  an  enormous  advantage  if  he  can  start 
with  healthy,  young  plants.  If  he  is  quite  a  beginner  he 
may  either  have  to  purchase  his  plants  from  a  nurseryman, 
or  obtain  cuttings  from  a  friend  and  strike  (the  gardening 
term  for  "  root ")  them  himself.  Let  us,  in  the  first  place, 
assume  that  the  latter  method  is  adopted. 

During  the  early  summer  months  he  probably  visited  his 
friend's  garden,  jotted  down  the  varieties  he  liked  best,  and 
doubtless  bespoke  some  cuttings  at  the  proper  time.  What 
is  the  proper  time  ?  Any  time  from  July  onwards.  If  the 

plants  are  wanted  for  autumn  planting  and  early  blooming, 

28 


CULTIVATION   FROM    CUTTINGS  29 

the  earlier  the  cuttings  are  put  in  the  better.  In  the  south 
of  England,  where  the  atmosphere  is  dry  and  the  sun  often 
scorching  in  July,  more  care  must  be  exercised  to  obtain 
successful  "strikes"  than  in  the  cooler  atmosphere  of  the 
north.  It  is  well,  in  the  south,  to  select  a  position  facing 
west,  north-west,  or  north-east  for  the  frame.  Do  not  let 
any  one  be  frightened  by  the  mention  of  a  frame  ;  it  is  merely 
advocated  for  ensuring  safety  and  security.  The  simplest 
way  to  make  one  is  to  procure  some  boards,  9  or  10  inches 
broad,  and  nail  them  strongly  together  at  the  corners  so  as  to 
make  a  box,  without  top  or  bottom,  of  course,  exactly  the 
width  of  the  sash,  and  2  inches  shorter.  The  sash  may  be 
any  size  that  is  most  convenient.  The  orthodox  frame  is 
6  feet  by  4  feet,  but  a  smaller  size  is  handier  for  the  amateur. 
The  frame  should  have  guides  nailed  on  the  sides,  so  that 
the  sash  can  be  moved  up  and  down  with  safety.  The 
frame  must  be  placed  on  the  soil  so  that  it  slopes  gently 
from  back  to  front.  This  can  easily  be  done  by  sinking 
the  front  of  the  frame  3  inches  into  the  soil.  Much  de- 
pends on  the  nature  of  the  soil  what  preparation  is  required 
to  be  made  for  the  cuttings.  If  it  is  free  and  well  drained 
it  will  only  require  a  little  sharp  sand  well  incorporated 
with  it  to  make  an  ideal  bed.  If,  however,  it  is  strong 
clay,  it  must  be  removed  to  the  depth  of  9  inches  and  the 
bottom  dug  with  a  fork  to  give  drainage,  and  the  space 
thereafter  filled  up  with  some  free  soil  or  compost — old 


3o     PRESENT-DAY    GARDENING 

potting  soil  or  anything  of  that  nature  passed  through  an 
inch  sieve  will  do  well.  This  soil  should  be  made  up  to 
within  6  inches  of  the  glass,  and  it  should  be  given  the 
same  slope  as  the  glass.  We  will  suppose  everything  is 
in  readiness  for  a  start  as  follows  :  If  the  frame  is  a  big  one, 
a  piece  of  broad  board  to  stand  or  kneel  on ;  a  straight- 
edge to  make  the  lines  ;  a  dibber  ;  and  some  freshly  painted 
6-inch  labels.  The  beginner  has  perhaps  to  step  over  to 
his  friend's  garden  for  the  cuttings.  He  takes  the  labels 
with  him  and  gets  twelve,  twenty,  or  more  cuttings  of  a 
variety  of  a  Viola  for  bedding,  or  perhaps  only  one  or  two, 
if  it  happens  to  be  a  new  and  choice  variety.  In  the  case 
of  Show  and  Fancy  Pansies,  which  are  treated  exactly  as  we 
are  describing,  some  half-dozen  cuttings  of  each  variety  is 
usually  considered  ample.  The  cuttings  themselves  ought 
to  be  taken  from  the  most  vigorous  plants,  and  they  ought 
to  be  root  cuttings,  which  are  short  growths  pulled  from 
the  centre  of  the  plant.  Only  if  they  are  too  long  should 
they  be  cut  obliquely  across,  close  under  a  joint,  with  a 
sharp  knife.  If  the  shorter  ones  come  away  with  a  portion 
of  the  white  underground  growth,  they  require  no  cutting 
except  to  remove  anything  ragged  at  the  base.  Many  of 
the  growths  so  pulled  out  will  have  little  rootlets  attached, 
and  in  olden  days  these  used  to  be  called  "  Highlandman's 
cuttings." 


STRIKING    CUTTINGS  31 

In  taking  cuttings,  always  write  the  label  or  tally  first,  and 
as  soon  as  the  cuttings  are  taken  off,  tie  them  and  the  label 
securely,  but  not  too  firmly,  together.  Take  them  to  the 
frame  in  which  they  are  to  be  inserted  as  soon  as  possible, 
and  put  them  in  the  shade.  If  the  operator  is  a  real  gardener 
he  will  take  off  his  coat  and  put  the  little  bundles  of  cuttings 
carefully  under  it.  Open  one  bundle  and  insert  the  label 
at  the  bottom  left-hand  corner  of  the  frame,  and  put  in  the 
cuttings  in  a  row  behind  it,  working  up  the  frame  at  about 
3  inches  from  the  edge  and  about  3  inches  between  each 
cutting,  which  should  be  inserted  with  the  dibber  about  an 
inch  and  a  half  deep,  and  made  very  firm  at  the  base — so 
firm  that  it  can  hardly  be  pulled  out.  This  is  one  of  the 
great  secrets  of  success  in  striking  all  sorts  of  cuttings. 
When  a  variety  is  finished,  leave  a  space  of  6  inches,  then 
insert  another  label,  and  go  on  as  before,  dibbling  in  the 
cuttings  behind  the  label.  When  the  first  row  is  finished, 
mark  another  row  with  the  straight-edge  by  pressing  it  into 
the  soil  3  or  4  inches  away  from  the  first  row.  Come 
right  to  the  bottom  of  the  frame  again  and  work  up  as 
before.  After  all  have  been  inserted,  give  a  thorough 
drenching  with  water  from  a  watering-pot  with  a  fine  rose. 
Shut  up  the  frame  quite  close,  and  if  it  is  in  a  position  to 
get  direct  sunshine  the  simplest  way  to  obviate  danger  of 
the  cuttings  getting  shrivelled  is  to  give  the  inside  of  the 
glass  a  coat  of  thin  whitewash. 


32      PRESENT-DAY    GARDENING 

For  about  ten  days,  unless  the  weather  is  very  hot  and 
sunny,  the  sash  may  be  kept  almost  continuously  closed, 
giving  slight  dewy  waterings  if  the  surface  soil  gets  dry. 
After  the  first  eight  or  ten  days  it  will  be  advisable  to  begin 
to  give  air  by  raising  the  sash  i  or  2  inches  at  the  back  for 
the  first  week,  and  increasing  it  to  3  or  4  inches  the  second 
week.  As  soon  as  the  cuttings  show  evidence  of  having 
made  roots,  the  whitewash  must  be  washed  off  the  glass, 
and  more  air  given  until  the  sashes  are  removed  altogether, 
not  to  be  replaced  again  if  the  plants  are  for  autumn-plant- 
ing ;  but  if  for  spring-planting  they  will  require  the  pro- 
tection of  the  sashes  in  severe  weather  in  winter,  especially 
if  the  cuttings  are  from  fine  varieties  of  Pansies. 

Propagating  Out-of-doors. — One  of  the  most  noted 
and  successful  cultivators,  Mr.  ].  F.  McLeod,  gardener  to 
J.  Pierpont  Morgan,  Esq.,  of  Dover  House,  Roehampton, 
propagates  all  his  Violas  out-of-doors  ;  and  such  was  largely 
the  practice  of  the  late  talented  superintendent  of  Regent's 
and  Hyde  Parks,  Mr.  Charles  Jordan.  For  this  purpose  a 
border  facing  west  or  north-west  is  chosen,  and  it  is  prepared 
much  the  same  way  as  recommended  in  the  foregoing  pages 
for  the  frame.  Cuttings  are  inserted  in  a  similar  way,  and 
a  very  large  proportion  are  found  to  strike.  This  plan  has 
much  to  recommend  it  when  large  quantities,  hundreds,  even 
thousands,  of  one  variety  are  required,  and  with  the  hardy 


PROPAGATION    BY    DIVISION      33 

popular  Bedding  Violas  90  to  95  per  cent,  will  root  and  make 
good  plants ;  but  choice  varieties  of  Violas,  and  especially 
Pansies,  cannot  be  rooted  in  this  way  with  any  degree  of 
certainty.  We  advised  the  frame  for  safety  at  the  beginning, 
and  we  repeat  the  advice,  because  the  small  cultivator,  who 
has  only  a  few  dozen,  or  at  the  most  a  few  hundred,  plants 
cannot  take  the  risks  from  cats  and  other  vermin  that  fre- 
quent suburban  gardens.  We  only  bracket  cats  and  other 
vermin  together  from  a  gardener's  point  of  view. 

Propagation  by  Division  of  the  Plants. — This  method 
is  very  often  adopted  for  the  purpose  of  obtaining  large 
plants  for  autumn  planting.  It  was  largely  practised  by 
the  late  Mr.  Jordan  in  Regent's  Park.  He  related  that 
he  had  some  25,000  plants  to  propagate  each  year,  and  he 
obtained  them  with  the  greatest  facility.  It  was  the  practice 
in  Mr.  Jordan's  time  to  fill  the  huge  beds  in  Regent's  Park 
with  bulbs  and  Violas ;  as  the  bulbs  passed  out  of  bloom  the 
Violas  came  into  flower,  and  an  effective  display  was  obtained 
during  April,  May,  and  June.  At  the  end  of  June,  or  early 
in  July,  the  beds  were  cleared  both  of  bulbs  and  Violas  and 
filled  with  summer-blooming  plants  just  coming  into  flower. 
When  the  Viola  plants  were  lifted  the  old  growths  were 
trimmed  away,  and  the  clumps  pulled  into  three  or  four 
pieces,  which  were  planted  in  nursery  beds  in  the  open.  It 

will  be  easily  understood  how,  provided  these  nursery  beds 

c  * 


34     PRESENT-DAY    GARDENING 

were  shaded  and  attended  to  with  water,  fine  strong  clumps 
of  Violas  would  be  obtained  for  planting  again  with  the 
bulbs  in  October.  In  a  future  chapter  will  be  found  a  list 
of  the  varieties  which,  being  more  tufted  and  perennial  in 
habit,  lend  themselves  best  to  division. 


CHAPTER  V 

CULTIVATION    OF    CHOICE    FLOWERS    FOR 
EXHIBITION  AND  OTHER  PURPOSES 

"Are  not  Pansies  emblems  meet  for  thoughts? 
The  pure,  the  chequer'd-gay  and  deep  by  turns : 
A  line  for  every  mood,  the  bright  things  wear 
In  their  soft  velvet  coat." 

THE  cultivation  of  the  choicest  flowers  is  an  entirely 
different  matter  from  ordinary  border-culture.  To  obtain 
such  flowers  as  are  frequently  seen  at  the  flower-shows, 
measuring  3  inches  to  3^  inches  in  diameter,  of  splendid 
colours  and  beautiful  form,  requires  very  skilful  culture. 
In  the  chapter  on  the  rooting  or  striking  of  cuttings,  every- 
thing that  is  necessary  to  know  about  raising  the  plants 
is  related  in  full.  In  this  chapter  will  be  described  the 
preparation  of  the  beds  to  receive  the  young  plants,  and  the 
treatment  to  be  given  them  afterwards.  In  the  large  nurseries 
where  Pansies  and  Violas  are  grown  for  exhibition  pur- 
poses, it  is  usual  to  have  long  beds  about  6  feet  wide,  so  that 
the  plants  can  easily  be  protected  by  being  "  sashed  " — that 
is,  by  sashes  or  lights  being  placed  over  the  beds,  to  pro- 
tect them  from  storms — a  week  or  so  before  the  flowers  are 

35 


36      PRESENT-DAY    GARDENING 

required.  The  sashes  are  usually  shaded  with  whitewash 
to  prevent  the  blooms  being  scorched  by  the  sun.  The 
small  grower  will  find  it  advisable  to  grow  his  plants  in 
much  narrower  beds,  it  being  more  convenient  to  protect 
individual  flowers  rather  than  entire  beds  of  them.  To 
begin  at  the  beginning,  the  site  of  the  Pansy  or  Viola 
bed  should  be  decided  upon  in  the  autumn,  and  it  should 
then  be  deeply  cultivated  and  manured  liberally  with  good 
cow,  or  horse  manure.  The  edges  should  be  nicely  trimmed, 
but  the  surface  ought  to  be  left  rough  to  the  winter  weather. 
The  situation  of  the  bed  should  not  be  one  that  is  exposed 
directly  to  the  full  rays  of  the  noonday  sun,  especially  in 
gardens  in  the  southern  counties. 

In  dry  weather  in  January  or  February  the  beds  should 
be  given  a  good  dusting  of  soot  and  bone  meal.  Don't  lay 
it  on  half  an  inch  thick,  but  sprinkle  it  so  that  the  ground  is 
just  thinly  powdered.  If  there  is  some  leaf-mould  about, 
or  thoroughly  decomposed  manure,  it  might  be  passed 
through  an  inch  sieve  and  also  scattered  over  the  top  of 
the  bed.  The  beds  should,  after  these  things  are  applied, 
be  turned  over  to  the  depth  of  9  or  10  inches  with  a  dig- 
ging fork,  so  that  the  ingredients  will  be  thoroughly  incor- 
porated with  the  soil.  The  bed  or  beds  should  again  be 
trimmed  up,  as  this  is  the  last  attention  they  will  require 
before  planting  is  done  in  the  latter  half  of  March  or  very 
early  in  April.  If  the  grower  has  the  plants  beside  him  in 


FLOWERS    FOR    EXHIBITION     37 

a  frame,  he  can  choose  his  own  time  better  than  if  he 
is  obtaining  them  from  a  nursery.  The  bed  should  be 
marked  off  in  lines  12  to  15  inches  apart,  the  plants  being 
placed  in  these  lines  about  9  inches  apart  from  each  other. 
If  the  beds  are  narrow,  it  is  well  to  arrange  to  have  one  or 
two  lines  of  each  variety,  which  brings  all  the  labels  along 
the  front  of  the  bed ;  a  broad  board  should  be  placed 
across  the  bed,  on  which  the  planter  should  stand  when 
planting.  With  an  ordinary  garden  trowel  a  hole  must  be 
scooped  out  about  4  inches  in  depth,  the  plant  laid  care- 
fully in,  and  made  firm  by  the  aid  of  the  fingers.  All  blooms 
and  buds  which  may  be  on  the  plant  at  planting  time 
should  be  removed,  and  if  there  is  the  slightest  trace  of 
green  or  brown  fly  on  the  plants,  each  plant  should  be 
dipped  in  a  solution  of  soft  soap  and  water — 2  oz.  of  soap 
to  one  gallon  of  water — before  being  planted.  The  plant 
ought,  of  course,  to  be  turned  upside  down  and  the  foliage 
only  immersed,  not  the  roots.  Watering  after  planting  will 
depend  entirely  on  the  weather  conditions  which  prevail. 
If  showers  are  plentiful  no  artificial  watering  may  be  re- 
quired, but  otherwise  the  plants  must  be  watered  fre- 
quently. No  definite  instructions  can  be  given  regarding 
this,  but  the  grower's  own  judgment  must  be  his  guide. 
The  chief  object  to  be  kept  in  view  is  to  get  the  plants 
to  start  away  quickly  into  strong  and  vigorous  growth. 
Vigorous  plants  are  seldom  attacked  by  insects.  People  used 


38      PRESENT-DAY    GARDENING 

to  say  that  aphides  came  with  the  east  wind  in  spring,  but 
it  is  now  well  known  they  make  their  appearance  when  the 
plant  has  its  growth  checked  by  adverse  influences.  The 
best  and  safest  cure  is  the  solution  of  soft  soap  referred 
to  above,  to  which  has  been  added  some  quassia  made  by 
boiling  quassia  chips  in  water.  This  preparation  can  either 
be  applied  with  a  syringe,  or,  if  only  a  few  plants  are  to  be 
dealt  with,  the  liquid  can  be  dropped  from  a  sponge  into 
the  centre  of  the  plants,  where  the  fly  mostly  lodges.  If 
the  leaves  are  seen  to  curl,  the  plants  ought  to  be  examined 
at  once,  as  more  than  likely  the  flies  are  doing  the  mischief 
and  must  be  got  rid  of  without  delay. 

Slugs  or  small  snails  frequently  cause  serious  loss 
among  newly  planted  Pansies  and  Violas  by  eating  them 
partly  through  just  at  the  surface  of  the  soil.  If  there 
is  any  reason  for  thinking  the  ground  is  infested  with 
slugs,  it  should  be  dusted  with  powdered,  newly  slaked 
lime  once  or  twice  before  planting,  on  an  evening  after 
dark,  when  the  weather  is  mild.  After  the  beds  are 
planted  the  only  safe  cure  is  hunting  for  the  depre- 
dators with  a  lantern  after  dark,  removing  them  and 
killing  them.  As  has  been  already  recommended,  flowers 
and  buds  should  be  removed  when  planting,  and  no 
flowers  should  be  left  to  develop  until  the  plants  are 
getting  well  established.  Not  more  than  four  growths 
ought  to  be  allowed  to  develop  on  each  plant.  These 


PROTECTING    PANSY    BLOOMS     39 

growths,  as  they  get  long,  must  either  be  pegged  down 
or  tied  to  short  stakes  inserted  in  the  ground  for  the 
purpose.  Discontinue  removing  the  flower  buds  three 
or  four  weeks  before  the  flowers  are  wanted  for  the 
show,  and  the  result  will  be  a  crop  of  large,  richly 
coloured  blossoms.  Pansy  blooms  are  often  disfigured 
by  dirt  which  is  splashed  upon  them  by  heavy  rains.  It 
must  be  remembered  that  they  are  lowly  flowers  growing 
very  near  to  the  ground,  which  is  one  of  the  reasons 
why  they  require  to  be  covered  by  any  contrivance 
which  will  prevent  them  getting  bespattered.  Many 
quaint  and  curious  plans  are  adopted  for  this  purpose, 
but  a  penny  earthenware  bowl  supported  in  a  cleft  in 
an  inch-square  stick  is  as  effectual  as  any.  The  writer 
has  seen  many  hundreds  of  beautiful  blooms  taken  from 
beneath  such  covers,  to  be  shown  with  pride  and  satis- 
faction by  their  cultivators. 

It  is  necessary  to  caution  growers  that  slugs  and 
snails  are  just  as  fond  of  the  blooms  as  they  are  of 
the  green  plants,  for  nothing  is  more  disappointing 
than  the  disfigurement  of  an  otherwise  perfect  bloom 
by  a  half-circle  eaten  out  of  its  side  by  a  slug.  Plants 
must  never  be  dosed  with  soft  soap  or  any  other  soluble 
insecticide  just  previous  to  a  show,  as  such  would  ruin 
all  the  buds  by  bleaching  them.  If  fly  appears,  the 
centre  of  the  plants  can  be  lightly  dusted  with  the  best 


40     PRESENT-DAY    GARDENING 

tobacco  powder,  or  the  soap  solution  can  be  dropped  into 
them  with  the  greatest  care  from  a  small  sponge. 

To  procure  fine  flowers  of  Violas  and  Pansies  in 
quantity  for  other  than  competitive  purposes,  the  grower 
could  not  do  better  than  follow  the  instructions  given 
in  this  chapter,  but  he  need  not  thin  and  disbud  quite 
so  severely.  He  will  no  doubt  be  satisfied  with  flowers 
2j  inches  in  diameter  if  these  are  produced  in  abund- 
ance, whereas  the  competitor,  on  the  contrary,  wants 
only  a  few  dozen  blooms,  but  each  specimen  must  be 
3  to  3^  inches  in  diameter,  and  of  great  substance,  if 
they  are  to  win  prizes.  All  through  the  spring  and 
early  summer,  the  surface  of  the  beds  must  be  kept 
clean  and  friable  by  being  frequently  hoed  or  moved 
with  a  small  hand-fork.  In  June,  a  top-dressing  should 
be  applied,  in  order  to  get  the  plants  to  flower  well 
throughout  the  summer.  Before  applying  the  top-dress- 
ing the  surface  soil  should  be  loosened  and  all  weeds 
removed ;  then  a  sprinkling  of  a  good  artificial  manure 
should  be  dusted  between  the  rows,  and  on  the  top 
of  that  the  top-dressing  should  be  spread  one  inch 
deep,  or  rather  more.  This  top-dressing  is  usually  a 
compost  consisting  of  thoroughly  decayed  manure  mixed 
with  a  small  proportion  of  soil  and  passed  through  a 
sieve  with  one-inch  mesh.  This  treatment  serves  to  keep 
the  roots  cool,  and  it  encourages  the  plants  to  continue 


LIQUID    MANURE  41 

growing  through  the  summer.  The  dressing  is  also  most 
useful  to  the  support  of  the  young  growths,  which  will 
come  up  in  the  centre  of  the  plants  later,  and  make  the 
best  cuttings  to  propagate  the  stock  for  another  year. 

Liquid  Manure. — This  is  used  by  many  good 
growers,  and  when  applied  judiciously  it  has  a  wonderful 
effect  in  heightening  the  brilliancy  of  the  colours.  Many 
different  plans  are  adopted  to  make  it.  Dissolving 
artificial  manures  in  the  proportions  recommended  by 
the  various  makers  is  one  way,  but  the  old-fashioned 
method  is  hard  to  beat  if  it  can  be  carried  out.  Gather 
a  peck  of  sheep's  dung  and  place  it  in  a  canvas  bag  ; 
then  put  the  bag  in  a  3<>gallon  cask  of  water ;  another 
small  bag  filled  with  soot  should  also  be  placed  in  the 
cask.  The  goodness  from  the  dung  and  soot  will  soon 
get  into  the  water.  When  this  liquid  has  been  used,  fill 
up  the  cask  again  with  water  (the  dung  and  soot  will  last 
for  weeks  before  requiring  renewing),  and  stir  the  liquid 
with  a  pole.  A  good  watering  once  a  week  with  this 
manure-water  will  be  most  beneficial  to  the  plants. 

We  have  assumed  that  the  grower  is  dealing  with 
plants  which  he  has  propagated  himself,  and  therefore 
has  beside  him  in  a  frame,  so  that  planting  out  can 
be  done  at  the  most  opportune  moment,  and  the  plants 
can  be  lifted  with  fine  balls  of  soil  attached  to  the 
roots.  With  young  plants  received  from  a  nursery  rather 


42      PRESENT-DAY    GARDENING 

more  care  must  be  exercised.  These  plants  should  be 
planted  in  the  evening,  and  on  the  following  day  an  in- 
verted flower-pot  should  be  placed  over  each,  removing  it 
at  night  unless  frost  is  likely  to  occur,  when  it  should  be 
allowed  to  remain.  This  treatment  for  two  or  three  days 
is  usually  sufficient  to  get  the  plants  established  in  their 
new  home.  With  such  plants  it  is,  however,  even  more 
necessary  than  with  others  to  keep  the  flower-buds  pinched, 
so  that  all  the  plant's  strength  may  go  towards  increasing 
the  root-action. 

This  chapter  has  been  written  solely  with  one  object  in 
view,  that  of  giving  instructions  how  to  grow  the  choicest 
varieties  of  Violas  and  Pansies  in  such  a  way  as  to  obtain 
with  certainty  the  finest  flowers ;  for  this  reason  spring- 
planting  only  has  been  recommended.  In  days  long  past 
Pansies  for  exhibition  were  nearly  all  grown  in  pots  in 
frames,  after  the  manner  of  Auriculas.  They  were  potted 
up  in  the  autumn,  and  attended  to  through  the  winter  in 
the  frames  with  great  solicitation  and  care.  In  May,  the 
plant  produced  perfect  blooms  of  the  old  English  Show 
Pansy,  and  similar  treatment  would  be  followed  by  excellent 
results  at  the  present  day ;  but  the  practice  has  fallen  out 
of  favour,  and  the  cultivation  in  beds,  as  here  recommended, 
has  superseded  it. 


STAGING    THE    FLOWERS        43 


STAGING   THE   FLOWERS 

There  is  no  better  method  of  acquiring  the  knowledge 
of  how  best  to  set  up  Pansies  and  Violas  for  show,  than 
by  visiting  an  exhibition  and  observing  how  the  work  is 
done  by  prize-winning  growers.  Pansies  are  generally 
exhibited  on  flat  trays  made  for  the  purpose.  Sometimes 
six,  sometimes  twelve,  and  occasionally  twenty-four  blooms 
are  asked  for  in  a  competition.  The  flowers  are  inserted  in 
the  trays  so  that  they  assume  an  almost  horizontal  position, 
and  their  points  or  qualities  can  easily  be  seen  by  the 
judges.  In  some  districts  the  bloom  is  first  fitted  into  a 
paper  collar,  and  held  in  position  by  a  small  pin  being 
passed  through  the  stem  behind  the  collar.  This  makes 
the  staging  easier,  but  the  practice  is  condemned  by  many 
lovers  of  these  flowers.  Violas  are  usually  set  up  in  flat 
sprays  of  six  or  nine  blooms,  but  at  some  shows,  notably 
at  the  Wolverhampton  Floral  Fete,  they  are  splendidly 
arranged  in  wide-mouthed  dwarf  jars.  In  staging  there  is 
much  room  for  an  exhibitor  to  show  his  taste  and  skill,  and 
it  often  happens  that  a  clever  stager  gains  points  over  a  less 
capable  one  who  has  better  flowers.  Flowers  intended  for 
exhibition  should  be  large,  well  formed,  well  marked,  of 
good  substance,  fresh  and  clean.  The  names  should  be 
legibly  written  (or  printed)  on  small  neat  labels. 


44     PRESENT-DAY    GARDENING 


PANSIES  AND  VIOLAS  IN  A  GREENHOUSE 
IN  SPRING 

On  a  previous  page  reference  was  made  to  the  old 
custom  of  growing  Pansies  in  pots  in  frames.  To  those 
who  wish  to  get  a  great  amount  of  beauty  and  pleasure 
with  comparatively  little  trouble,  the  growing  of  Pansies 
or  Violas — especially  the  latter — for  spring  blooming  in  a 
cool  greenhouse  or  conservatory  is  strongly  recommended. 
In  the  month  of  October,  healthy,  young  plants  which 
have  been  propagated  from  summer  cuttings,  should  be 
potted  in  a  compost  of  good  loam  and  leaf-mould,  with 
a  little  coarse  sand  to  keep  the  mixture  sweet.  Single 
plants  may  be  put  into  four-inch  pots,  but  a  better  effect 
is  obtained  by  putting  three  plants  into  a  five-inch  pot. 
They  should  be  grown  in  a  cold  frame  through  the  winter, 
admitting  air  almost  continuously,  as  success  depends  largely 
on  keeping  the  plants  dwarf  and  stubby.  During  severe  frost 
mats  should  be  placed  over  the  frame  to  prevent,  if  possible, 
the  soil  and  roots  getting  frozen.  Very  little  water  will  be 
required,  especially  if  the  pots  are  plunged  in  ashes  or 
fibre.  Towards  the  end  of  January,  remove  the  pots  to 
a  cool  greenhouse  or  conservatory,  where  they  will  soon 
commence  to  bloom,  and  yield  charming  flowers  through 
March  and  April.  Any  of  the  named  Pansies  and  Violas 


PLATE  IV 
FOUR  FANCY  VIOLAS 


Louie  Granger. 


Kate  Houston. 


Mrs.  Chichester. 


Duke  of  Argyle. 


ifT 


VIOLAS    FOR    BEDDING          47 

are  suitable  for  treatment  in  this  way,  but  Violas  with  clear 
self  colours  are  always  most  appreciated,  and  they  give  the 
best  results. 

VIOLAS  FOR  BEDDING  AND  MASSING 

These  are  sometimes  wanted  in  very  large  quantities,  and 
there  are  the  three  methods  of  obtaining  them — from  seed, 
from  cuttings,  and  from  division  of  the  old  plants.  How 
to  obtain  a  stock  by  either  method  is  explained  in  pre- 
ceding pages.  The  possibilities  in  massing  and  bedding 
are  so  great  that  these  remarks  are  offered  only  as  sugges- 
tions. It  is  desirable  to  avoid  planting  in  straight  lines. 
When  Violas  are  employed  for  an  edging  to  wide  borders, 
an  irregular  line  in  the  inside  should  be  followed,  so  that 
the  occupants  of  the  border  may  extend  forward  amongst 
the  Violas  at  different  points.  If  one  will  have  a  ribbon 
border  of  Violas,  let  nothing  else  be  associated  with  them, 
and  let  the  varieties  be  most  carefully  selected  for  the 
purpose.  The  following  arrangement  would  be  very  effec- 
tive, as  the  varieties  would  all  bloom  at  the  same  time  and 
the  height  would  gradually  rise  towards  the  back  row : — 
Front  row,  Seagull  or  Violetta,  white  ;  second  row,  Jubilee, 
purple  ;  third  row,  Mrs.  E.  A.  Cade,  deep  primrose  ;  fourth 
row,  Blue  Rock,  blue ;  fifth  row,  Kingcup,  yellow ;  sixth 
row,  Bridal  Morn,  deep  lavender ;  seventh  row,  Snowflake, 
white.  Few  people,  however,  are  likely  to  want  anything 


48      PRESENT-DAY    GARDENING 

quite  so  formal  as  this,  therefore  it  may  be  said  that  the 
same  varieties  planted  in  patches  through  a  large  border 
are  much  more  pleasing. 

It  is  a  wise  and  popular  practice  to  use  Violas  as  a 
groundwork  for  other  plants.  If  they  are  planted  in  autumn 
along  with  bulbs,  many  charming  combinations  can  be 
made.  It  is  only  necessary  to  suggest  crimson  or  cardinal 
late  flowering  Tulips  on  a  groundwork  of  white,  cream, 
or  pale-yellow  Violas ;  Emperor  Narcissus  planted  thickly 
among  violet  or  purple  coloured  Violas  ;  pale-blue  Spanish 
Iris  and  cream  Violas;  yellow  Spanish  Iris  and  white  Violas; 
Spanish  Iris  "  Thunderbolt "  and  lavender  coloured  Violas. 
Other  combinations  rise  up  before  the  mind — blood-red  Wall- 
flower with  cream  Violas,  and  Canterbury  Bells  with  Violas. 

In  June,  it  is  often  possible  to  remove  the  bulbs  and  leave 
the  Violas.  Then  cut  away  the  old  growths  from  the  Violas 
and  replant  the  beds  with  summer-flowering  plants  from 
pots,  such  as  Pelargoniums,  Celosias,  and  Fuchsias.  When 
treated  in  this  way  the  Viola  plants  continue  blooming 
throughout  the  summer.  A  little  reflection  will  show  that 
numberless  combinations  can  be  obtained,  but  the  plans 
must  be  made  well  in  advance  if  success  is  to  be  assured. 

Violas  are  used  very  largely  as  a  groundwork  for  Rose 
beds,  and  here  again  they  are  most  effective  when  used  in 
beds  which  contain  distinct  varieties  of  Roses,  associating 
with  the  Roses  such  Violas  as  will  harmonise  with  them. 


VIOLAS    FOR    BEDDING          49 

It  is  not  necessary  to  say  much  about  the  special  prepara- 
tion of  beds,  because  beds  which  are  prepared  for  bulb 
culture  in  September  will  invariably  grow  Violas  well.  In 
Rose  beds  there  are  more  difficulties  to  contend  with,  and 
Violas  with  a  dwarf  or  creeping  character  should  be  selected 
for  planting  as  early  as  possible  after  the  Rose  beds  have 
been  dressed  for  the  winter.  In  combinations  of  this  kind 
it  is  best  to  employ  only  well-tried  varieties,  it  being  unwise 
to  risk  failure.  New  varieties  often  prove  disappointing, 
and  in  every  case  they  should  be  experimented  with  in 
a  small  way  before  they  are  employed  on  a  large  scale. 
One  can  never  go  wrong  with  Snowflake,  White  Beauty, 
Duchess  of  York,  Pencaitland,  and  Sylvia  among  whites  ; 
Ardwell  Gem  and  Sulphurea  among  primrose  shades ; 
Kingcup,  Klondyke,  Grievii,  Redbraes  Yellow,  and  Walter 
Welsh  among  yellows  ;  Florizel  and  Kitty  Bell  among 
lavenders  ;  Lilacina  (Bedding  Pansy),  Maggie  Mott,  Blue 
Duchess,  and  Favourite  among  blues  ;  and  True  Blue, 
Councillor  Waters,  and  Archibald  Grant  among  dark 
blues. 


CHAPTER  VI 
PANSIES  AND  VIOLAS  FOR  TABLE  DECORATION 

"Jove's  own  floweret  where  three  colours  meet." 

IF  Pansies  and  Violas  are  to  be  grown  specially  for  this 
purpose,  varieties  should  be  selected  which  produce  flowers 
with  long  stems  and  are  clear  and  distinct  in  colour.  The 
blooms  should  always  be  gathered  in  the  early  morning 
and  placed  for  an  hour  or  two  in  jars  of  water  in  a  cool, 
shady  position.  This  will  cause  them  to  become  stiff  and 
firm  and  much  more  easily  handled.  Pansies  and  Violas 
associate  well  with  almost  any  light,  green  foliage,  but 
nothing  is  so  suitable  as  their  own  foliage  when  that  can  be 
procured  bright  and  fresh  and  of  good  colour.  A  number 
of  strong-growing  seedlings  are  often  cultivated  for  their 
foliage  alone,  and  this  practice  is  to  be  recommended,  as 
there  is  then  no  necessity  to  cut  from  choice  varieties. 
There  are  no  receptacles  so  suitable  for  table  adornment 
as  clear  glass  or  crystal  vases,  and  these  should  be  rather 
short  and  wide.  A  most  appropriate  centre-piece  may  be 
formed  with  several  small,  rather  wide,  trumpet-shaped 

vases.     The  foliage  sprays   should  be  inserted  first,  and 

so 


RAISING    NEW    VARIETIES      51 

the  flowers  then  placed  in  carefully,  so  as  to  face  whatever 
direction  is  required.  If  some  flowers  have  a  tendency  to 
twist  about,  this  can  be  remedied  by  pushing  a  piece  of 
thin  wire  up  the  inside  of  the  stem  and  allowing  it  to  pro- 
ject half  an  inch.  This  projection  can  usually  be  inserted 
into  a  piece  of  foliage  or  stem,  and  the  flower  thus  retained 
in  the  desired  position.  Colour  schemes  must,  of  course, 
be  worked  out  with  what  is  available.  In  Violas,  for 
example,  charming  combinations  can  be  worked  in  cream 
and  lavender ;  in  white  and  dark  violet ;  in  yellow  and 
cream  ;  and  in  mauve  and  white.  Large,  fine  blooms  of 
Fancy  Pansies  are  always  admired  on  a  table,  and  when 
well  arranged  no  combination  can  be  more  attractive. 


RAISING  NEW  VARIETIES 

Pansy  and  Viola  flowers  are  so  frequently  visited  by 
insects  that  they  never  produce  seed  true  to  variety  if  grown 
in  mixed  beds  or  in  proximity  to  other  varieties.  It  is  never- 
theless the  case  that  seeds  can  be  purchased  which  come 
fairly  true  to  colour.  These  are  produced  by  planting  large 
batches  of  one  variety  in  isolated  positions.  Intending 
purchasers  are  often  disappointed  when  they  are  told  by 
the  nurseryman  or  seedsman  that  they  cannot  have  seeds 
of  special  varieties,  say  of  fine  Fancy  Pansies.  The  nursery- 
man could  gather  seeds  from  such  varieties,  but  they  would 


52      PRESENT-DAY    GARDENING 

not  come  true.  There  is  no  other  method  of  propagation 
than  by  cuttings  to  perpetuate  distinct  varieties  true  to 
character.  The  raising  of  new  varieties  is  a  very  interesting 
pursuit,  and  it  can  be  carried  out  by  any  amateur.  If  a 
mixed  bed  of  Pansies  is  being  grown,  seeds  should  only 
be  saved  from  the  very  choicest  varieties.  If,  in  the  case 
of  Violas,  a  new  white  variety,  for  example,  is  desired,  a  few 
plants  of  two  or  three  of  the  best  white  varieties  obtain- 
able should  be  planted  in  an  isolated  corner  of  the  garden, 
and  seeds  saved  from  them.  Both  Pansies  and  Violas  are 
visited  by  bees,  moths,  beetles,  and  flies,  either  in  search 
of  nectar,  which  is  to  be  found  in  the  spur  behind  the 
lower  petal,  or  to  feed  on  the  pollen  which  drops  out  of 
the  anthers  into  the  hairy  groove  formed  where  the  spur 
joins  the  petal.  Making  these  visitations,  the  insects  carry 
pollen  from  one  flower  to  the  other,  and  the  lip-like  arrange- 
ment on  the  point  of  the  stigma  lends  itself  admirably  to 
cross-fertilisation.  The  lip  is  viscid  on  the  upper  side,  and 
pollen  brought  by  an  insect  from  a  previously  visited  flower 
easily  adheres  to  it.  It  is  possible,  of  course,  to  fertilise 
by  hand,  but  to  obtain  satisfactoiy  results  plants  must  be 
grown  in  pots  and  protected  from  insect  visitors  at  the 
crucial  time  by  screens  of  fine  netting.  The  blooms  re- 
quire to  be  emasculated  at  a  very  early  stage — an  operation 
of  extreme  delicacy.  If  insects  are  excluded  and  hand 
fertilisation  is  not  practised,  few,  if  any,  seeds  will  be  ob- 


RAISING    NEW    VARIETIES      53 

tained.  This  points  to  another  method  of  cross-fertilisation 
which  has  been  successfully  adopted.  The  blooms  are 
secured  in  an  upright  position  to  short  sticks  at  an  early 
stage  of  their  development.  Held  in  this  position,  and 
insects  being  excluded,  they  cannot  become  either  cross 
or  self  pollinated  except  by  hand.  If  the  desired  pollen 
is  carefully  applied  to  the  viscid  lip  of  the  stigma  at  the 
right  time,  a  true  cross  is  obtained  without  emasculation. 
Raisers  are  working  for  new  colours  and  improved  habits, 
and  there  is  plenty  of  room  for  improvement  in  these 
directions. 


CHAPTER   VII 
FANCY   OR   DECORATIVE    PANSIES 

"There's  Pansies,  that's  for  thoughts." 

THE  following  selection  includes  fifty  of  the  best,  named 
varieties.  All  are  good  growers  and  capable  of  producing 
large  and  beautiful  flowers  on  long  stems  : — 

Alexander  B.  Douglas  has  glossy  black  blotches  margined 
with  crimson  and  white. 

A.  H.  Martin  is  a  purple  blotched  flower  belted  with  yellow; 
the  top  petals  are  reddish  purple  shaded  with  yellow. 

Archd.  Milloy  (Lister).  This  has  dark,  violet  blotches  mar- 
gined with  chrome  yellow  and  rose  ;  the  top  petals 
are  yellow  and  rose  with  violet  base. 

Coronation  (Smellie)  has  plum-coloured  blotches,  edged 
with  a  creamy  white ;  upper  petals  cream,  heavily 
edged  with  violet. 

Duke  of  Argyle  (Ollar),  a  flower  marked  with  large,  dark 
blotches,  edged  with  lemon-yellow  and  rose  ;  the  upper 
petals  are  dark  purple  suffused  with  rose. 

David  Wilson  (Dobbie),  a  violet  blotched  variety  belted  with 

54 


DECORATIVE    PANSIES  55 

crimson  and  white  ;  the  upper  petals  are  the  same  as 

margins. 
Emmie  Bateman  (Dobbie),  a  large  creamy  white  self,  with 

dense,  violet  blotches  and  slight  edging  of  yellow  on 

lower  petals. 
Everard  Jones  (Dobbie).     This  flower  is  a  shade  of  canary 

yellow,  being  rather  lighter  on  upper  petals,  with  large, 

very  dark   blotches ;   the   top  petals  are   occasionally 

marbled  with  rosy  purple. 
Holroyd  Paul  (Dobbie),   a   finely   blotched   flower   edged 

with  yellow  and  pink  ;  the  upper   petals  are   bronze 

and  pink. 
Hugh  Mitchell  (Dobbie).    This  has  large,  violet  blotches,  with 

edgings  of  sulphur  flushed  and  margined  with  blue. 
James  M'Nab  (Dobbie),  a  densely  blotched  variety,  edged 

with  yellow  ;  the  upper  petals  are  deep  yellow. 
Jenny  Morris  (Kay).    This  has  large,  circular,  blue  blotches, 

with  margins  and  top  petals  light  crimson. 
John  Harle  (Lister),  a  dark,  bronzy-purple,  blotched  variety, 

with   clean-cut    margins   of   creamy  white ;    the   top 

petals  are  creamy  white,  shaded  with  dark  purple. 
John   Picken    (Smellie).      This    flower    has    large    smooth 

blotches,   edged   with   bronzy-yellow   and   pink ;    the 

upper  petals  are  bronze  and  pink. 
King  Edward  (Dunsmore),    a  flower  with   deep    maroon 

blotches,  edging  of  mulberry,  and  belting  of  yellow; 


56     PRESENT-DAY    GARDENING 

the  top  petals  are  white,  with  heavy  belting  of  purple 
maroon,  and  white,  wire-like  edging. 

Lawton  Wingate  (Kay),  dark  crimson  blotches,  margined 
with  yellow  and  crimson  ;  upper  petals  yellow,  mar- 
gined crimson. 

Mrs.  R.  P.  Butler  (Dobbie)  has  dark  violet,  well-formed 
blotches ;  the  edges  are  creamy- white,  mottled  with 
purple  crimson,  and  the  upper  petals  are  cream  and 
purple-crimson. 

Mrs.  Campbell  (Dobbie),  a  grand,  yellow  self  of  the  same 
shade  throughout,  with  immense,  circular-shaped,  claret- 
coloured  blotches. 

Mrs.  Ferguson  (Kay)  has  circular,  dark-crimson  blotches, 
margined  with  straw  colour  ;  the  top  petals  are  reddish- 
violet. 

Mrs.  R.  Fife  (Dobbie)  has  crimson-purple  blotches,  edged 
with  crimson  and  white  ;  the  upper  petals  are  French 
white,  with  a  band  of  crimson  lake. 

Mrs.  S.  Mitchell  (Kay),  a  bright-yellow  flower,  with  brownish- 
black  blotches. 

Mrs.  M' Alpine  (Dobbie),  a  large,  white  flower,  with  very 
dark  blotches  of  first-rate  form. 

Mrs.  Macfadyen  (Dobbie)  has  chocolate-coloured  blotches, 
belted  with  bright  yellow  and  rose ;  upper  petals 
yellow  and  rose. 


DECORATIVE    PANSIES  57 

Mrs.  J.  Scllars  (Lister).    This  flower  has  large,  violet  blotches, 

with  broad  margins  of  primrose  yellow  ;  the  top  petals 

are  pale  yellow  with  base  of  dark  violet, 
Mrs.  James  Smith  (Dobbie)  has  very  dark  blotches,  and 

white  belting  mottled  with  crimson  ;  the  upper  petals 

are  white  with  crimson  edging. 
Mrs.  James  Stewart  (Kay)  has  large,  blue  blotches,  margined 

with  white  ;  the  top  petals  are  purple  and  white. 
Miss  Albinia  Brown  Douglas  (Kay),  a  flower  with  dense 

blotches,   edged    with    crimson   and    white,    the    top 

petals  being  magenta. 
Miss  Nell  (Smellie)   has  immense,  velvety  blotches,  edged 

white  and   bright  crimson  ;    upper  petals  are  white, 

pencilled  with  purple  and  crimson. 
Mr.  B.  Wellbonrne  (Kay),  a  flower  with  large  brown-black 

blotches,  laced  with  primrose  ;   the  upper  petals  are 

bluish  drab. 
Madge  Montgomery  (Dobbie)  has  claret-coloured  blotches, 

with  creamy-white  edges  ;    the  top  petals  are  claret, 

with  slight  cream  edging. 
Margaret  Fife  (Dobbie),  a  flower  with  blue-black  blotches 

edged   with    creamy-white,    the    upper    petals    being 

bluish-purple. 
Mary  D.  Fitzpatrick,  violet  blotches  edged  with  pure  white ; 

top  petals  white,  veined  violet. 


58      PRESENT-DAY    GARDENING 

Mary  Kay  (Kay)  has  large,  circular,  violet  blotches,  mar- 
gined with  white  ;  the  upper  petals  are  violet  and 
white. 

Meg  Walker  (Dobbie).  This  flower  has  bluish-mauve 
blotches,  edged  with  pure  white  ;  the  upper  petals  are 
crimson-purple. 

Neil  M'Kay  (Smellie)  has  large,  circular  blotches,  edged 
with  golden  yellow;  the  top  petals  are  golden  yellow 
flaked  with  crimson. 

Nellie  Campbell  (Paul),  a  variety  with  large  circular  blotches 
laced  with  primrose  ;  the  upper  petals  are  blotched 
with  black  and  laced  with  primrose. 

R.  C.  Dickson  (Kay)  has  dark  crimson  blotches,  with 
margins  and  top  petals  cream,  spotted  with  rose. 

Robert  Logan  (Dobbie)  has  dark,  mulberry  -  coloured 
blotches,  laced  with  golden  yellow  and  bronze  ;  the 
upper  petals  are  shades  of  mulberry,  yellow,  and 
bronze. 

Robert  M'Caughie  (Lister)  has  violet  blotches,  margined 
with  sulphur-yellow  and  edged  with  dark  rose  ;  the 
upper  petals  are  sulphur-coloured,  but  heavily  edged 
with  dark  rose. 

Robert  M'Kellar  (Dobbie).  This  flower  has  large,  black 
blotches,  heavily  margined  with  yellow  ;  the  upper 
petals  are  yellow,  with  a  heavy  band  of  purple-violet. 


PLATE  V 
FOUR  WHITE  RAYLESS  VIOLAS 


Mad.  A.  Gray. 
Purity. 


Snowflake, 


Mrs.  H.  Pearce. 


DECORATIVE    PANSIES  61 

Robert  White  (Kay)  has  glossy  black  blotches,  laced  with 

bright  yellow  ;  the  upper  petals  are  yellow. 
Rev.  D.   R.   Williamson    (Dobbie),   a    flower    with    large, 

velvety  blotches,  belted  with  clear  yellow. 
Tom  M'Callum  (Lister)  has  dense,  plum-coloured  blotches, 

the  margins  being  of  light  chrome-yellow  with  rose, 

light-purple,   and   carmine   shadings  ;   the   top   petals 

are  an  enchanting  shade  of  violet,  with  whitish  wire 

edge. 
Thomas  Stevenson  (Paul),  a  flower  with  large,  black  blotches 

edged  with  primrose  ;  the  upper  petals  are  primrose, 

blotched  with  black  and  pencilled  with  crimson. 
T.  F.  Stewart   (M'Lachlan)    has   deep-blue   blotches,  with 

primrose  edgings ;  the  upper  petals  are  white,  with  a 

blue  band  and  sulphur  edging. 
W.  B.  Child  (Sydenham),  a   purple-blotched  flower,  with 

yellow  margin,  the  upper  petals  being  purple. 
William    M'Kenzie    (Dobbie),    a    sulphur-yellow    coloured 

flower,  having  large,  dark-violet  blotches  ;  the  upper 

petals  are  sulphur-blotched  and  pencilled  with  violet 

and  rose. 
W.  H.  Watson  (Kay),  a  flower  with  large,  circular  blotches, 

margined  with  straw  colour  ;  top  petals  straw-coloured 

and  violet. 
W.  P.  Harvey  (Dobbie)  has  dark  violet  blotches  of  fine 


62      PRESENT-DAY    GARDENING 

circular  form,  edged  with  creamy  white  and  violet ; 
the  upper  petals  are  purple  violet  and  white. 
Wilfred  Staton  (Lister)  has  plum-coloured  blotches,  mar- 
gined with  chrome-yellow  and  shaded  with  light  rose  ; 
the  top  petals  are  chrome-yellow,  edged  and  shaded 
with  violet. 


SHOW  OR  OLD  ENGLISH  PANSIES 

The  selection  given  below  includes  thirty-six  named 
varieties  representative  of  the  different  classes  and  sec- 
tions : — 


Dark  Selfs 

Alex.  Black. 
Allan  Stewart. 
J.  T.  Howard. 
Leslie  Melville. 
Wm.  Fulton. 
W.  M'Queen. 

Primrose  Selfs 

Allan  Primrose. 
Annie  D.  Lister. 
Gladys  Murray. 
John  Kidd. 
Jane  Stirling. 
Lizzie  Paul. 


Yellow  Grounds 

Busby  Beauty. 
Claud  Hamilton. 
Dr.  J.  K.  Campbell. 
James  Craik. 
James  Harvey. 
Morning  Star. 

White  Selfs 

Busby  White. 
Jane  Grant. 
Jeannie  Carswell. 
Mrs.  W.  Peacock. 
Mrs.  C.  Kay. 
Mrs.  John  Neil. 


OLD    ENGLISH    PANSIES 


Yellow  Selfs 

Busby  Yellow. 

Charles  Fraser. 

James  Bell. 

John  Henderson. 

Katie. 

Mrs.  John  Hunter. 


While  Grounds 

Helen  Smellie. 
Miss  Silver. 
Mrs.  Cuthbertson. 
Mrs.  A.  Ollar. 
Mrs.  A.  Ireland. 
Mrs.  M.  Stewart. 


Like  the  old  Florist's  Tulip,  the  Stage  Carnation  and 
Auricula,  and  the  Florist's  Pink,  the  Show  Pansy  is  only 
now  grown  by  a  few  enthusiasts. 


CHAPTER   VIII 
THE   HARDIEST  VIOLAS 

"  Daughter  of  Spring's  pure  virgin  light, 

That  bringest  unto  me 
More  joys  than  Autumn's  splendours  bright 
Of  grove  and  sky  and  sea." 

IN  the  summer  of  1907  the  present  writer  arranged  to  carry 
out  an  experiment,  to  extend  over  three  years,  for  the  pur- 
pose of  discovering  those  varieties  of  Violas  which  were 
most  perennial  in  their  character.  It  is  well  known  that  a 
great  number  of  the  most  beautiful  exhibition  varieties  will 
not  survive  over  a  single  winter  if  left  standing  in  the  open. 
These  varieties  are  often  purchased  because  they  look  so 
effective  when  staged  on  an  exhibition  table ;  but  dis- 
appointment very  often  follows,  unless  they  get  into  skilled 
hands  and  are  carefully  propagated  by  cuttings  each  season. 
It  cannot  be  gainsaid  that  varieties  which  possess  the 
character  of  growing  into  clumps  and  surviving  through 
several  winters  in  the  open  border  are  most  advantageous 
for  many  purposes.  The  trial,  therefore,  was  undertaken 
with  the  object  of  discovering  which  varieties  would  behave 
in  this  way.  The  situation  selected  was  in  an  open  field 


THE    HARDIEST    VIOLAS        65 

of  strong  loam  overlying  clay  situated  in  the  county  of 
Essex.  The  ground  was  dug  deeply  and  manured  at  the 
end  of  the  summer  of  1907,  and  the  plants  were  planted 
in  the  month  of  October. 

Varieties  with  White  Flowers.— The  following  well- 
known  white  flowered  varieties  were  planted :  Bethea, 
Countess  of  Hopetoun,  Christiana,  Duchess  of  York, 
Marchioness,  Pencaitland,  Purity,  Snowflake,  White  Em- 
press, Redbraes  White,  Virgin  White,  Alexandra,  Mrs.  H. 
Pearce,  White  Beauty,  Mrs.  A.  D.  Parker,  Seagull,  E.  C. 
Barlow,  Peace. 

In  the  summer  of  1908  all  the  plants  were  living,  and 
a  Committee  of  Inspection  then  considered  the  following 
the  most  effective  ray  less  varieties  :  Snowflake,  Purity,  Mar- 
chioness, Mrs.  A.  D.  Parker,  and  Countess  of  Hopetoun  ; 
the  best  rayed  varieties  being  Alexandra  and  Duchess  of 
York.  Pencaitland,  a  rayed  variety  with  heavy  yellow 
shading  on  the  under  petal,  was  extra  good,  and  so  was 
Peace,  which  at  times  had  a  flush  of  pale  lavender  on  the 
upper  petals. 

Creamy  White. — The  following  were  planted  :  Cream 
King,  Devonshire  Cream,  Iliffe,  and  Sylvia.  The  best 
were  Sylvia  and  Cream  King. 

Primrose. — The  following  varieties  are  placed  in  their 
order  of  merit :  Primose  Dame,  Sulphurea,  Ardwell  Gem, 
Maggie  Clunas,  and  Daisy  Grieve. 


66      PRESENT-DAY   GARDENING 

Yellow. — The  following  eleven  varieties  were  planted  : 
Kingcup,  A.  J.  Rowberry,  Bullion,  Klondyke,  Royal  Sove- 
reign, Canary,  Grievii,  Redbraes  Yellow,  Walter  Welsh, 
Mrs.  E.  A.  Cade,  Wm.  Lockwood. 

The  best  rayless  varieties  were :  Redbraes  Yellow, 
Royal  Sovereign,  and  Kingcup ;  the  best  rayed  being 
Walter  Welsh  and  Bullion,  also  Grievii,  which  was  very 
dwarf  and  pretty. 

Lavender  Shades. — Six  varieties  were  planted,  and 
the  order  of  merit  was  as  follows :  Kitty  Bell,  Florizel, 
Belfast  Gem,  Lady  Marjorie,  Miss  Harding,  Ariel. 

Light- Blue  Shades. — Seven  varieties  were  planted,  and 
they  succeeded  in  the  following  order :  Maggie  Mott,  Blue 
Duchess,  Mauve  Queen,  Favourite,  Ithuriel,  Bridal  Morn, 
Lilacina. 

Dark- Blue  Shades.  —  The  following  were  planted: 
Ophelia,  Chas.  Jordan,  Mrs.  C.  Turner,  Admiral  of  the 
Blues,  Royal  Scot,  True  Blue,  Archd.  Grant,  Councillor 
Waters,  Jubilee,  Blue  Rock,  Lady  Warwick. 

The  best  were  adjudged  to  be  Councillor  Waters, 
Jubilee,  Archd.  Grant,  True  Blue,  Royal  Scot,  Admiral 
of  the  Blues,  and  Ophelia. 

Unclassed  and  Fancy  Varieties.  —  The  following 
were  planted  :  Glencoe,  Countess  of  Kintore,  Dr.  Mac- 
farlane,  Blue  Cloud,  White  Duchess,  Ada  Anderson, 
Lady  Grant,  Mrs.  Chichester,  Mrs.  J.  H.  Rowland,  Wm. 


THE    HARDIEST    VIOLAS        67 

Neil,  Iris,  Crimson  Redder.  Those  selected  for  special 
notice  were  :  Glencoe,  bright  bronze ;  Dr.  Macfarlane, 
purple  and  lavender ;  Blue  Cloud,  white  with  deep- 
blue  edging  ;  Ada  Anderson,  white  with  rosy  edging  ; 
Mrs.  Chichester,  white  with  violet  edging ;  Wm.  Neil, 
rose  colour,  of  very  dwarf  habit ;  and  Crimson  Bedder, 
a  fine  crimson  purple  variety.  The  foregoing,  as  already 
stated,  is  the  substance  of  a  report  made  in  the  summer 
of  1908. 

At  the  end  of  the  flowering  season  of  1908  the  old 
growths  were  cut  away  and  the  beds  were  top-dressed 
with  a  little  old  manure.  After  passing  through  the 
winter  of  1908-9,  the  following  varieties  were  found  to 
show  up  best  in  the  summer  of  1909  : — 

White. — Snowflake,    a    beautiful,   pure    white,    rayless 
flower    of  excellent  substance,    and    a    strong 
grower. 
Seagull,   a   charming,   rayless   flower   of  fine  form, 

the  plant  being  compact  and  rather  dwarf. 
Peace,   similar  in  form  and    habit  to   Seagull,  but 
shows  a   lavender  shading  in  continued  damp 
weather ;  rayless. 
Sylvia   (Dr.   Stuart's),   a  fine   rayless,   creamy-white 

variety. 

White  Empress,  a  large-flowered,  rather  tall-growing, 
cream-coloured  variety ;  rayless. 


68      PRESENT-DAY    GARDENING 

Pencaitland,   white,   with   yellow  blotch    and    rays, 
dwarf  in  habit,  and  very  effective  as  a  bedder. 
Yellow. — Kingcup,    a    clear  yellow,   rayless    flower  of 
rather  tall  growth. 

Royal    Sovereign,    dwarfer    than     Kingcup,    golden 
yellow  ;  rayless. 

Redbraes    Yellow,    a    splendid    variety  of  medium 
habit ;  rayless. 

Mrs.  E.  A.   Cade,  a  fine  flower  medium  in  shade 
and  habit ;   rayless. 

Bullion,   very  bright  and    dwarf,   early    in    bloom- 
ing;  rayed. 

Walter  Welsh,  a  tall,  deep-coloured  rayed  variety ; 

excellent  for  a  back  row  in  a  bed  of  Violas. 
Primrose. — Primrose  Dame,  a   clear  primrose  colour, 
rather  tall,  rayless,  a  most  effective  variety. 

Sulphurea,  dwarf  in  habit,  very  free   in  flowering ; 

the  large  flowers  are  slightly  rayed. 
Light  Blue  and  Lavender. — Blue  Duchess,  a  distinct 
variety  of  a  pale-blue  shade,  rayed  like  Duchess 
of  Fife,  from  which  variety  it  is  a  sport. 

Kitty  Bell,  lavender,  hardy  and  free  ;  rayless. 

Florizel,  similar  in  colour  to  Kitty  Bell  ;  rayless. 

Wm.  Neil,  rosy  lavender. 

Dark  Blue. — Blue  Rock,  a  most  effective  variety,  and 
extremely  hardy. 


THE    HARDIEST    VIOLAS         69 

Royal  Scot,  similar,  in  a  mass,  to  Blue  Rock,  but  not 

such  a  fine  flower. 
Archibald   Grant,   deepest  violet,   a  strong  grower, 

rather  late  in  blooming. 

Edina,  deep  purple  violet,  with  blotch,  really  a  bed- 
ding Pansy. 

Crimson  Purple. — Jubilee  proved  to  be  the  hardiest  of 
the  crimson-purple  varieties ;  it  is  medium  in 
height,  and  most  floriferous. 

In  the  autumn  of  1909  the  surviving  plants  were  treated 
again  as  they  were  in  1908.  In  the  spring  of  1910  the 
following  varieties,  after  having  stood  undisturbed  for  three 
winters  in  the  same  place,  give  promise  of  excellent  results 
in  the  summer  of  1910  : — 

WWfc.— Seagull,    Peace,    White    Beauty,    Pencaitland, 

Christiana. 
Cream. — Sylvia. 
Primrose. — Sulphurea. 
Yellows. — Grievii,    Redbraes    Yellow,    Klondyke,    Mrs. 

E.  A.  Cade. 

light  Blue. — Blue  Duchess,  Lilacina  (bedding  Pansy). 
Dark  Blue. — Royal  Scot,   Archd.  Grant,   Edina,    Blue 

Rock,  Jubilee. 

Unclassed  and  Fancy. — Wm.  Neil,  Blue  Cloud. 
Some  varieties  appear  in  this  last  list  which  appear  only 
in  the  first  list.     This  is  explained  through  their  being  less 


70      PRESENT-DAY    GARDENING 

effective  during  the  first  two  years,  but  have  now  proved 
to  be  more  perennial  than  some  of  the  others  which  were 
more  effective  in  1908  and  1909.  It  is  well  known  that 
seedlings  are  much  hardier  and  more  perennial  in  their 
character  than  most  of  the  named  varieties.  This  is  so  not 
only  with  Pansies  and  Violas  but  with  all  florists'  flowers. 
The  difficulty  is  to  secure  in  any  fair  proportion  of  the 
seedlings  the  same  high  quality  possessed  by  the  parents. 


CHAPTER   IX 
FIFTY  VARIETIES   OF   VIOLAS 

"  He  saw  her  charming,  but  he  saw  not  half 
The  charms  her  downcast  modesty  conceal'd." 

THE  fifty  Violas  enumerated  below  are  large-flowered  and 
mostly  long-stemmed  varieties  suitable  for  exhibition  ;  also 
for  growing  to  obtain  good  flowers  for  cutting  for  other 
purposes  : — 

A.  S.  Prater,  a  large,  cream-white  flower,  rayless,  with 

a  distinct  margin  of  rich  mauve. 
*  Agnes  Kay,  white  centre,  almost  rayless,  edged  with 

heliotrope. 
*Archd.  Grant,  rich,  indigo-blue  flowers  on  fine,  long 

foot-stalks. 

Belfast  Gem,  smoky  heliotrope  on  cream  ground  ;  rayed. 
Bethea,  large,  pure-white  rayed  flower. 
Blanche,  large,  creamy-white  flower  ;  rayless. 
Bronze  Kintore,  a  dark-bronze  coloured  flower. 
Cheshire  Cream,  pure  cream  self  ;  almost  rayless. 
Cream  King,  rayless,  cream-coloured  flower. 
Daisy  Grieve,  pale  yellow,  petals  crimped  at  the  edge. 


72      PRESENT-DAY    GARDENING 

Dr.  M'Farlane,  upper  petals  mauve,  under  petals  very 

dark,  with  a  white  eye. 

*Duke  ofArgyle,  glossy-purple,  striped  with  rose. 
Ethel  M'Culloch,  lower  petals,  very  dark — almost  black  ; 

top  petals,  bright,  azure-blue. 
*Geo.  C.  Murray,  smooth  black  bottom  and  side  petals  ; 

top  petals  light,  sky-blue. 

* General  Baden-Powell,  large,  orange-coloured,  ray  less  self. 
*Glencoe,  lower  petals  rich  mahogany,  deepening  towards 

the  centre  ;  upper  petals  copper  colour. 
Hector  M'Donald,   pure  white   centre,   with  fine   rays, 

edged  with  a  broad  margin  of  bluish  purple. 
Helen  Paul,  a  rayless  yellow  flower  of  immense  size. 
*Helen  Smellie,  pure  white  centre  without  rays,  distinctly 

and  evenly  edged  blue. 

*Hugh  Reid,  rosy  purple,  a  shade  lighter  on  the  top  petals. 
Jenny  M{Gregor,   violet,   shaded   with   mauve ;    a  new 

colour. 

Jennie  Houston,  maroon  shading  to  grey. 
Jessie  Baker,  rayless,  creamy-white,  bordered  with  plum 

purple. 
*Kate  Cochrane,  lower  petals  crimson  purple,  with  a  trace 

of  lavender  ;  upper  petals  pale  lavender. 
Katie    Cuthbertson,   white,   slightly  flushed  with   clear 
pink,  centre  of  flower  gradually  deepening  to  rich 
pinkish  purple. 


PLATE  VI 
FOUR  SHADES  OF  BLUE  VIOLAS 


Maggie  Mott. 

Archd.  Grant. 


Admiral  of  the  Blues. 


Jenny  M'Gregor. 


FIFTY    VARIETIES    OF    VIOLAS     75 

*Kate  Houston,  white  ground,  heavily  belted  with  rosy 

mauve. 

*Lady  Knox,  large  primrose  self ;  rayless. 
*Lawmuir,  rich  crimson  streaked  with  magenta. 
*  Lizzie  Storer,  glossy  black  under  petals,  each  tipped  with 

lavender  ;  upper  petals  clear  lavender. 
Lollie  Roberts,  white,  rayless  centre,  beautifully  bordered 

with  purple-lilac. 

*Louie  Granger,  rose-coloured  self. 
*Mad.  A.  Gray,  large  white  ;  rayless. 
*Madge  Craig,  lower  petals  deep  rose,  a  little  darker  in 

centre  ;  upper  petals  lavender  flushed  with  rose. 
Maggie  Mott,  soft  mauve. 
*Mary  Burnie,  creamy-white  or  primrose,   edged  with 

dark  heliotrope ;  rayless. 

Matthew  Alexander,  rosy  ground  striped  with  purple. 
*Mrs.  Chichester,  white  ground,  flaked  and  edged  with 

purple. 

*Mrs.  C.  M'Phail,  heliotrope  deepening  to  pale  purple. 
*Mrs.  H.  Pearce,  large,  pure-white,  rayless  self. 
Mrs.  J.  H.  Rowland,  distinct  shade  of  rose  colour. 
Nancy  Marsh,  deep  violet,  tipped  with  bluish  mauve ; 

upper  petals  mauve. 
Neidpath  Castle,  under  petals  milky  white ;  top  petals 

lavender. 
*Nellie  Chapman,  white,  edged  and  shaded  with  blue. 


76     PRESENT-DAY    GARDENING 

Nellie  Vine,  large  beautiful  primrose  self. 

Nora  Marrows,  upper  petals  blush  pink ;   lower  petals 

yellow ;  slightly  rayed. 
*Rose  Noble,  rich  orange-yellow  ;  rayless. 
Snowflake,  a  perfectly  pure-white,  rayless  flower. 
*  Viola  Stirling,  creamy- white,  edged  with  heliotrope. 
*W.  P.  A.  Smyth,  cream  ground  clouded  and  edged  with 

heliotrope,  very  large. 
Wm.  Lockwood,  a  large,  rayless,  yellow  self. 

*  An  asterisk  is  placed  at  twenty-four  distinct  varieties,  which 
would  form  a  good  beginning  for  any  grower,  and  a  fine  basis 
for  a  larger  collection. 


CHAPTER  X 
THE   SWEET  VIOLET 

(BY  THE  EDITOR) 

"Violets  dim 

But  sweeter  than  the  lids  of  Juno's  eyes 
Or  Cytherea's  breath  I  " 

NOTWITHSTANDING  the  attractions  of  other  sections  of 
Violas,  they  are  surpassed  by  the  matchless  perfume  of  the 
Sweet  Violet.  Some  of  the  flowers  are  single,  others 
double,  whilst  they  exhibit  shades  in  blue,  purple,  and 
mauve,  in  addition  to  certain  varieties  which  are  pure- 
white.  These  Violets  are  all  varieties  of  Viola  odorata, 
a  species  indigenous  to  many  parts  of  Europe,  includ- 
ing Britain.  Just  as  the  Pansy  (Viola  tricolor)  is  the  first 
flower  a  child  usually  desires  to  cultivate,  so  Violets  are 
amongst  the  first  wild  flowers  children  learn  to  gather 
from  the  roadside.  They  are  not  the  less  sought  after 
because  their  habit  is  so  humble  that  the  fragrant 
blossoms  are  frequently  hidden  by  the  ranker  vegetation 
around  them. 

"  It  takes  us  so  much  trouble  to  discover, 
Stands  first  with  most  and  ever  with  a  lover." 

77 


78     PRESENT-DAY    GARDENING 

In  their  natural  habitats  in  Britain,  Violets  bloom  from 
about  March  to  May,  but  it  is  possible  to  extend  the  season 
a  little  at  both  ends  by  cultivating  them  in  various  aspects 
out-of-doors.  It  is  not,  however,  for  this  reason  alone  that 
Violets  are  cultivated  in  gardens,  but  also  because  cultivated 
flowers  are  superior  in  size  to  those  gathered  from  the 
hedgerow  or  sparse  plantation,  whilst  the  varieties  in  them- 
selves are  of  better  quality  than  the  wild  type.  A  more 
artificial  form  of  cultivation  is  practised  in  order  to  obtain 
the  flowers  in  winter  and  spring.  This  forcing  is  usually 
carried  out  in  frames,  and,  in  districts  free  from  the  pre- 
judicial atmospheric  conditions  of  large  towns,  it  is  done 
with  comparative  ease  and  gratifying  success,  provided  the 
few  rules  of  procedure  are  thoroughly  understood  and 
rigidly  observed.  On  the  contrary,  if  the  cultivation  is 
careless  or  haphazard,  failure  is  more  certain  to  follow 
in  Violet  culture  in  frames  than  in  many  other  depart- 
ments of  gardening. 

The  great  bulk  of  the  flowers  on  sale  in  the  markets 
during  winter  are  imported  from  Italy  and  France,  but 
after  Christmas  the  supplies  are  augmented  by  home-grown 
blooms  from  outdoor  plants  in  the  warmer  counties,  but 
only  a  very  few  frame-forced  Violets  ever  appear  in  the 
markets.  Every  one  is  familiar  with  the  general  manner 
in  which  the  flowers  are  bunched  for  the  market,  but  the 
bunches  vary  in  the  different  markets.  What  is  termed 


THE    SWEET    VIOLET  79 

a  "  Market "  bunch  is  the  bunch  as  sent  to  the  market  by 
the  growers.  These  are  frequently  loosened  and  the  same 
quantity  of  flowers  divided  into  two  or  more  bunches  for 
the  retail  trade.  It  is  one  of  the  floral  wonders  in  London 
that  Violets  can  be  sold  so  cheaply  by  the  numerous 
flower-girls,  whose  cry  of  "  Penny  a  bunch,  sir/'  is 
familiar  to  every  one.  Whilst  Violets  are  purchasable  at 
every  street  corner,  they  are  none  the  less  popular  in  the 
high-class  florist  shops  in  Regent  Street  and  the  Central 
Avenue  in  Covent  Garden  Market.  They  are  used  exten- 
sively for  all  kinds  of  decoration,  at  funerals  no  less  than 
at  weddings ;  occasionally  crosses,  anchors,  and  other 
devices  are  formed  almost  entirely  with  Violets. 

On  the  Continent,  Sweet  Violets  occupy  similar  positions 
to  that  given  them  in  Britain,  and  in  America  and  Canada 
they  are  not  less  appreciated.  An  American  writer  has 
stated  that  in  that  country  the  Violet  ranks  third  in  com- 
mercial importance  amongst  florists'  flowers,  and  its  season 
extends  for  about  seven  months.  Until  a  few  years  ago 
the  cultivation  in  America  was  not  of  the  best,  although  so 
general,  but  latterly  much  greater  care  has  been  taken  to 
produce  flowers  of  the  highest  quality,  and  the  trained 
horticulturists  at  the  experiment  stations  have  devoted 
themselves  to  studying  the  several  fungus  diseases  that 
attack  the  plants. 


8o     PRESENT-DAY    GARDENING 


VIOLET  CULTURE  OUT-OF-DOORS 

The  first  things  to  consider  are  aspect  and  soil.  In  most 
localities  in  Britain,  but  not  all,  the  plants  succeed  best  in 
a  north  or  north-west  position — at  any  rate  during  the 
summer  months,  because  they  do  not  like  exposure  to  much 
sunshine.  These  aspects  are  not  conducive  to  early  flower- 
ing, but  this  can  be  got  over  by  transplanting  some  of  the 
plants  in  September  to  a  more  sunny  position — even  a 
border  under  a  south  wall.  The  soil  should  be  of  a  fairly 
retentive  character,  for  Violets  require  moist,  cool  condi- 
tions ;  and  it  should  be  fairly  well  enriched  with  thoroughly 
decayed  manure.  If  the  manuring  is  excessive  or  the 
manure  too  fresh  and  strong,  its  effect  will  be  to  produce 
extra  vigorous  foliage,  which  is  not  desirable.  The  soil 
should  be  tilled  deeply,  whatever  system  of  manuring  is 
adopted. 

Propagation  is  effected  by  offsets  (or  runners),  cuttings, 
or  by  division  of  the  crowns ;  division  being  more 
generally  practised.  This  is  done  directly  after  the  plants 
have  flowered,  by  taking  them  up  and  sorting  out  the 
young  but  well-rooted  crowns,  rejecting  the  old,  woody 
stems  which  are  unfit  for  planting.  The  younger  crowns 
are  planted  at  distances  of  about  12  inches  apart  each 
way.  If  the  soil  has  been  treated  as  described  above,  a 


CULTURE    OUT-OF-DOORS       81 

little  leaf-mould  or  similar  light  material  may  be  mixed 
with  the  surface  soil  before  planting  the  Violets.  When 
the  plants  have  become  well  established  and  are  capable 
of  being  lifted  with  a  good  ball  of  soil  attached  to  the 
roots,  they  can  be  transplanted  into  any  position  where 
they  are  to  flower,  or,  if  desirable,  left  to  bloom  where 
they  are.  The  summer  cultivation  consists  in  pinching 
out  all  runners,  stirring  the  surface  soil  repeatedly  with 
the  Dutch  hoe,  and  affording  water  during  dry  weather, 
the  object  being  to  encourage  the  development  of  strong, 
perfectly  matured  crowns  by  autumn.  Spraying  with  clear 
water  late  in  the  afternoon  of  fine  days  is  beneficial.  Some 
growers  prefer  to  set  their  plants  rather  wider  apart  than 
the  distance  already  stated,  and  peg  down  three  runners 
around  each  plant.  Excellent  results  are  obtained  from 
either  system,  and  as  regards  the  latter  method,  it  may  be 
applied  to  Strawberries  with  equally  good  results.  A  word 
of  caution  is  here  necessary.  Although  the  three  runners 
may  be  permitted,  this  should  be  the  maximum  number, 
for  it  is  just  as  impossible  to  get  the  best  results  from 
Violets  as  from  Strawberries  if  the  runners  are  allowed 
to  grow  as  they  please. 

CULTIVATION  IN  FRAMES 

Assuming  this   method  of   cultivation   is   adopted  for 
the  purpose  of  supplying  blooms  in  winter,  the  transplanta- 


82     PRESENT-DAY    GARDENING 

tion  to  the  frames  should  be  carried  out  in  September. 
Plants  cultivated  as  already  described  are  suitable  at 
that  time  for  putting  into  the  frames,  being  good  big 
specimens  8  or  10  inches  across.  Before  planting  can 
be  done,  however,  the  frames  must  be  prepared ;  there- 
fore let  us  turn  our  attention  to  these.  The  character 
of  the  frames  will  depend  upon  the  resources  of  the 
garden,  but  in  any  case  they  should  have  a  south 
aspect.  The  amateur  will  often  have  to  prepare  an 
improvised  or  temporary  frame  with  sunken  boards  and 
lights  placed  over  them,  whilst  in  many  other  cases 
proper  brick  frames  will  be  available.  In  either  case 
it  is  best  not  to  use  fire  heat,  for  of  all  plants  none  is 
more  sensitive  to  its  ill  effects  than  the  Sweet  Violet. 
What  little  heat  is  employed  must  be  got  from  ferment- 
ing materials.  First,  then,  there  must  be  placed  in  the 
frame  a  bed  of  stable  litter  and  leaves  ;  this  must  be  at 
least  one  foot  deep,  and  more  if  it  is  possible.  The 
materials  should  be  prepared  for  this  purpose  some 
time  previously  by  turning  them  every  alternate  day, 
and  allowing  the  volatile  gases  to  escape  from  the  litter. 
Having  formed  the  bed,  and  made  it  firm  by  treading, 
a  layer  of  soil  about  6  inches  deep  must  be  placed  over 
it.  The  soil  may  consist  of  pasture  turf  of  a  rich  loamy 
nature,  rather  than  sandy,  and  it  should  have  been  in 
stack  for  12  months.  Some  thoroughly  decayed  and 


CULTIVATION    IN    FRAMES     83 

dried  cow-manure  should  be  mixed  with  it,  or  failing 
this  some  decomposed  manure  from  a  spent  hotbed ; 
but  fresh  horse-manure  should  not  be  employed.  Some 
good  leaf-mould  from  decayed  oak  leaves  will  -have  an 
excellent  effect,  if  the  soil  is  inclined  to  be  of  a  heavy 
nature.  Where  good  loam  cannot  be  got  the  amateur 
must  make  up  his  compost  of  old  potting  soil,  decayed 
vegetable  refuse,  and  such  materials.  The  lighter  the 
compost,  the  more  necessary  it  is  to  add  cow-manure. 
The  frame  and  its  contents  should  be  so  arranged  that 
when  all  is  completed,  and  the  Violets  are  planted  in 
the  bed,  the  leaves  of  the  plants  will  be  2,  or  at  most 
3  inches  from  the  glass,  thus  getting  full  exposure  to 
the  light. 

When  all  is  ready  the  cultivator  will  proceed  to  the 
out-of-door  plantation  and  lift  the  best  of  his  plants  for 
putting  into  the  frame.  He  must  do  this  work  very 
carefully,  in  order  to  avoid  giving  the  plants  a  greater 
check  than  is  necessary.  They  must  be  lifted  with  big 
balls  of  roots  and  soil  and  conveyed,  without  much 
shaking,  to  the  frame.  In  this  they  should  be  planted 
at  such  distances  that  they  will  not  quite  touch  each 
other,  but  at  the  same  time  nicely  furnish  the  frame. 
When  all  have  been  planted,  afford  them  a  thorough 
watering  to  settle  the  roots,  and  afterwards  keep  the 
frame  closed  for  a  few  days  until  the  plants  begin  to 


84     PRESENT-DAY    GARDENING 

make  roots,  but  no  longer.  This  little  proviso  is  insisted 
upon,  for  Violets  must  have  fresh  air  or  perish.  There- 
fore, so  soon  as  they  have  become  re-established,  admit 
air  to  the  frame  whenever  the  state  of  the  weather  will 
permit  of  this  being  done,  and  continue  this  practice  all 
through  the  winter,  removing  the  sash  lights  altogether 
during  fine,  warm  days.  Keep  the  glass  as  clean  as  pos- 
sible, for  dirty  glass  is  an  obstruction  to  light.  During 
exceptional  frost  a  few  garden  mats  may  be  thrown 
over  the  frames  early  in  the  afternoon,  removing  them 
again  the  next  morning.  Fog  is  the  greatest  deterrent 
to  Violet  culture  in  frames.  It  causes  the  leaves  to  damp 
off,  and  in  severe  cases  suffices  to  kill  the  plants  out- 
right. This  is  one  reason  why  Violets  cannot  be  forced 
successfully  in  the  neighbourhood  of  large  towns,  the 
other  reason  being  that  the  amount  of  light  is  insufficient 
to  meet  the  requirements  of  the  plants.  In  crowded 
manufacturing  districts  it  is  not  worth  the  effort  to 
attempt  their  cultivation.  There  are  plenty  of  places, 
however,  where  they  will  succeed  well ;  but  although  it 
is  not  desired  to  discourage  the  beginner,  it  has  to  be 
pointed  out  that  careful  attention  to  details  is  necessary 
to  preserve  the  plants  from  Red  Spider  and  the  various 
fungus  diseases  to  which  they  are  subject.  These  pests 
will  be  referred  to  presently ;  for  the  moment  the  cul- 
tivator should  further  note  that  the  chief  requirements 


VIOLET  CULTURE  AT  WINDSOR   85 

during  winter  and  spring,  beyond  the  operations  of 
watering  and  ventilating,  will  consist  in  stirring  the 
surface  soil  frequently,  and  observing  the  most  scrupu- 
lous cleanliness  in  removing  any  decayed  foliage  from 
the  Violets.  Such  is  the  management  of  the  plants 
whilst  in  the  frame.  If  these  details  are  faithfully  carried 
out  the  result  will  be  plenty  of  large,  sweetly  perfumed 
flowers,  borne  on  long,  stiff  stems,  equal  to  the  best 
Violets  obtainable.  In  April,  or  at  the  latest  in  May, 
the  work  of  propagating  will  commence  afresh,  and  it 
should  be  carried  out  in  the  manner  described  already. 
The  youngest  and  best  of  the  crowns  should  be  planted 
on  a  north  or  north-west  border,  and  be  kept  free  from 
runners  until  the  following  September,  by  which  time 
another  batch  of  excellent  plants  will  be  ready  for  the 
freshly-prepared  frames. 

VIOLET  CULTURE  AT  WINDSOR 

In  the  Royal  Gardens  at  Windsor,  as  many  as  3000 
Violet  plants  are  cultivated  in  frames  with  exceptional 
success.  The  method  of  propagation  practised  there  is 
by  cuttings  taken  in  September.  The  following  details  of 
cultivation  have  been  furnished  by  Mr.  John  Dunn,  under 
whose  care  the  Windsor  plants  are  grown  : — 

"The   plants  are  propagated  early  in   September  by 


86     PRESENT-DAY    GARDENING 

cuttings.  These  are  inserted  4  inches  apart,  either  in  a  cold 
frame,  or  on  a  south  border  where  protection  can  be  given 
them  in  rough,  winter  weather.  The  cuttings  chosen  are 
those  possessing  a  crown  bud,  for  these  are  usually  plentiful 
at  the  time  the  runners  are  being  removed  from  the  plants 
grown  for  winter  flowering.  By  this  method  strong  young 
plants  are  ready  for  planting  out  by  the  first  week  in  April ; 
they  have  a  great  advantage  over  plants  propagated  by 
division  in  May,  as  practised  by  some  growers.  In  April 
the  young  plants  are  planted  in  a  border.  Before  planting, 
a  liberal  supply  of  decayed  leaves  is  dug  in,  in  preference 
to  any  kind  of  farm-yard  manure.  During  summer  the 
plants  should  be  syringed  every  afternoon  or  evening  to 
encourage  clean,  healthy  growth.  Red  Spider  is  the  result 
of  poverty  caused  by  want  of  moisture.  Slight  dustings 
of  soot  should  also  be  given  during  damp  weather.  The 
runners  must  be  removed  from  plants  intended  for  winter 
flowering  in  frames,  so  that  good,  plump  crowns  may  be 
ready  for  planting  in  pits  by  the  first  week  in  September. 
The  hotbed  is  composed  of  leaves,  saved  for  the  purpose, 
and  trodden  lightly  together  to  the  depth  of  3  feet  or  more. 
Over  this  bed  we  place  the  compost  9  inches  deep,  consist- 
ing of  loam  and  leaf -mould  in  equal  parts.  The  leaf-mould 
is  collected  from  plantations  where  the  leaves  have  lain 
without  fermenting,  and  thus  they  have  not  become  sour. 
"  The  plants  are  carefully  lifted  for  planting  in  the  pits, 


PLATE  Vll 
SWEET  VIOLETS 

Marie  Louise. 

Princess  of  Wales. 


Mrs.  J.  J.  Astor. 


Marie  Louise. 

Comte  de  Brazza. 


VIOLET    CULTURE    IN    POTS     89 

and,  when  planting  has  been  done,  a  liberal  watering  is 
given  to  settle  the  soil  about  the  roots.  The  gentle  heat 
created  by  the  bed  of  leaves  soon  promotes  root  growth. 
The  lights  are  left  off  until  the  approach  of  frost,  and 
although  the  bed  is  well  filled  with  young,  healthy  roots, 
the  plants  have  so  far  made  very  little  top-growth.  Violets 
treated  in  this  way  provide  flowers  all  through  the  winter. 
Ventilation  is  given  freely,  and  watering  is  done  thoroughly 
when  this  is  necessary,  which  is  not  more  than  three  or 
four  times  during  the  winter  months. 

"  At  Windsor,  3000  Violet  plants  are  cultivated  in  pits, 
and  the  success  achieved  is  largely  due  to  the  liberal  use 
of  leaf-mould,  and  the  system  of  propagating  the  plants 
in  September. 

"  Only  three  varieties  are  grown  ;  these  are  Princess  of 
Wales,  Lady  Hume  Campbell,  and  Marie  Louise." 

CULTURE  OF  VIOLETS  IN  POTS 

Having  said  so  much  about  the  cultivation  of  Violets 
in  the  open  ground  and  in  frames,  brief  reference  may 
be  made  to  yet  a  third  method  by  which  plants  are  cul- 
tivated for  supplying  blooms  in  winter.  Although  the 
public  is  not  accustomed  to  see  Violets  growing  in  pots, 
the  plants  nevertheless  succeed  as  well  as  other  kinds  when 
grown  in  these  convenient  receptacles  ;  and  there  are  few 


9o     PRESENT-DAY    GARDENING 

more  agreeable  vase  plants  than  a  Violet  bearing  numerous 
expanded  blossoms.  If  used  for  this  purpose  in  a  dwell- 
ing room,  however,  they  do  not  remain  decorative  for 
long,  and  they  seldom  continue  blooming  well  after  they 
are  returned  to  the  growing  house  or  frame. 

We  will  suppose  that  division  of  the  crowns  takes  place 
in  May ;  the  younger  crowns  may  be  put  singly  into  pots 
straight  away,  or  be  planted  in  the  shady  border  for  the 
summer  and  potted  up  early  in  September.  The  plants 
can  be  kept  in  6  or  7  inch  pots,  if  they  are  permanently  cul- 
tivated in  these  receptacles  ;  but  on  the  contrary,  if  they  are 
potted  up  from  the  border  at  the  end  of  the  summer,  it  will 
be  found  that  6-inch  pots  are  too  small ;  probably  8-inch 
pots  will  be  more  convenient — for  the  roots  must  not  be 
sacrificed.  So  much  has  been  said  in  regard  to  maintain- 
ing proper  conditions  in  the  frame,  it  is  unnecessary  to 
repeat  it,  for  the  reader  will  know  that  the  nearer  he  can 
grow  his  pot  plants  to  those  conditions,  the  more  likely 
he  is  to  succeed  in  their  culture.  .The  pot  plants  need 
light  and  fresh  air  just  as  the  others  do,  and  the  atten- 
tion to  watering  must  be  much  more  frequent ;  when  the 
flowers  are  being  produced,  some  diluted,  non-smelling, 
manurial  stimulant  may  be  given  in  the  water.  Nothing 
has  been  said  about  the  potting  compost.  If  the  cultivator 
can  choose  his  materials,  then  he  had  better  select  good 
turfy  loam,  which  has  been  stacked  for  at  least  twelve 


VARIETY    IN    SWEET    VIOLETS     91 

months,  and  mix  with  this  some  well-rotted  leaf -mould,  a 
little  rough  silver  sand,  and  some  dry  cow-manure,  first 
rubbing  the  manure  through  a  half-inch  meshed  sieve. 

Amateurs  in  country  districts  are  recommended  to  try 
a  few  Violets  by  this  system  of  culture,  and  those  who 
succeed  in  getting  strong,  floriferous  plants  in  winter  and 
early  spring  will  be  very  likely  to  regard  it  as  one  of  the 
most  pleasant  incidents  in  their  horticultural  experience. 
We  will  now  consider  a  few  of  the  varieties. 


VARIETY  IN  SWEET  VIOLETS 

In  common  with  most  garden  plants,  the  Sweet  Violet 
has  responded  very  liberally  to  man's  desire  for  variety. 
Under  cultivation  the  modest  little  flower  has  given  forth 
variation  after  variation,  and  cultivators  appear  to  have 
selected  their  sorts  for  two  qualities,  colour  and  size.  The 
number  of  shades  has  been  materially  increased,  for  whilst 
some  varieties  are  of  the  deepest  purple  conceivable, 
others  are  quite  of  a  Violet  tint,  some  are  blue  and  others 
white,  and  one  or  two  approach  to  a  shade  of  pink.  In 
size,  the  development  has  been  so  considerable  that  there 
is  now  what  is  termed  the  "  Pansy  "  strain,  embracing  such 
varieties  as  California,  Princess  Beatrice,  and  Princess  of 
Wales.  The  flowers  of  the  two  latter  varieties,  more 
especially,  are  like  small  flowered  Pansies,  and  their  attrac- 


92     PRESENT-DAY    GARDENING 

tiveness  suffers  somewhat  in  the  fact  that  the  characteristic 
and  pleasing  form  of  the  wild  Violet  has  become  modified 
in  these  large  blooms.  Nevertheless,  they  are  first  in  the 
public  estimation,  and  their  market  value  is  unquestioned ; 
many  of  the  new  sorts  have  been  introduced  from  the 
Continent,  and  others  from  America,  whilst  few  have 
originated  in  our  own  country. 


DOUBLE  FLOWERS 

De  Parme. —  This  is  of  pale  lavender  -  purple,  and 
specially  suited  for  frame  culture.  It  flowers  earlier 
than  Neapolitan. 

King  of  Violets. — This  flower  lacks  refinement,  and 
should  only  be  cultivated  out-of-doors.  The  colour  is 
deep  indigo-blue. 

Lady  Hume  Campbell. — One  of  the  very  best  late- 
flowering  kinds. 

Marie  Louise. — One  of  the  most  popular  of  all  double 
Violets.  The  colour  is  mauve-blue  with  a  white  eye.  Two 
blooms  are  illustrated  in  the  plate,  one  lighter  and  the 
other  richer  coloured,  owing  to  details  in  the  cultivation. 

Mdlle.  Bertha  Barron. — This  variety  is  also  known  as 
Victoria.  The  plants  are  vigorous  but  of  compact  growth. 
The  colour  is  rich  blue. 

Mrs.  J.  J.  Astor. —  In   this    flower   may  be   seen  an 


DOUBLE    VIOLETS  93 

approach  to  a  double,  pink-coloured  Violet.  A  flower 
is  shown  in  the  plate  between  two  blooms  of  Marie  Louise. 

Mrs.  Arthur. — A  new  variety  at  present  considered 
better  than  Marie  Louise,  which  it  much  resembles.  A 
few  plants  should  be  given  a  trial. 

Mrs.  D'Arcy. — Another  new  sort  with  flowers  of  a 
distinct  shade  of  mauve. 

Neapolitan. — A  lavender-coloured  flower  with  white 
eye.  One  of  the  very  best  for  forcing, 

New  York. — A  variety  much  like  Marie  Louise,  except 
that  the  flowers  are  a  shade  of  mauve. 

BEST  DOUBLE  WHITE  VIOLET 

The  best  double  white  Violet  is  Comte  de  Brazza,  also 
known  as  Swanley  White.  The  flowers  are  very  fine,  but 
in  some  districts  the  plants  show  a  weakness  in  constitution. 
This  variety  is  illustrated  in  the  plate. 

SINGLE   FLOWERS 

Amiral  Avellan. — A  very  old  variety,  but  still  grown 
for  its  very  sweetly  scented  reddish-coloured  flowers. 

Argentaflora. — This  flower  is  white,  tinged  with  pink, 
of  small  size,  but  possessing  strong  stems. 

Baronne  A.  de  Rothschild. — A  fine  new  variety  with 
large,  purple  flowers. 


94     PRESENT-DAY    GARDENING 

Cyclops. — The  peculiarity  of  this  variety  is  that  the 
blue  flowers  have  a  rosette  of  white  petals  in  the  centre. 

La  France. — This  is  one  of  the  newer  type,  having  large 
roundish  flowers  of  a  violet-blue  shade. 

Princess  of  Wales. — The  purple  flowers  of  this  variety 
are  as  large  as  many  Violas.  It  was  first  exhibited  from 
Windsor,  but  was  probably  introduced  there  from  the 
Continent.  A  fine  bloom  is  illustrated  in  the  plate. 

Rose  Perle. — One  of  the  most  distinct  of  Violets,  being 
of  a  rose  colour  with  white  centre.  The  blooms  are -of 
medium  size. 

St.  Helena. — This  variety  is  said  to  have  been  introduced 
from  St.  Helena.  The  flowers  are  bluish  mauve,  and  are 
most  freely  produced. 

Victoria  Regina. — This  variety  belongs  to  the  low- 
habited  section,  having  small  foliage  but  producing  a  great 
number  of  runners,  which  flower  abundantly. 

White  Czar. — The  White  Czar  is  not  always  constant, 
owing  to  some  of  the  flowers  coming  blue. 

Sulphurea. — The  newest  approach  to  a  single  yellow 
Sweet  Violet. 

PESTS 

To  mention  pests,  undoubtedly  one  of  the  worst  is 
Red  Spider.  Out-of-doors,  it  is  most  prevalent  when  the 
plants  are  cultivated  in  hungry,  dry  soils  exposed  to  sun- 


FUNGUS    DISEASES  95 

shine,  or  so  placed  that  the  plants  fail  to  get  sufficient 
moisture.  In-  frames  the  same  pest  abounds  if  much  fire 
heat  is  used  or  the  matter  of  ventilation  is  treated  with 
carelessness.  It  will  soon  spread  if  drought  is  present.  A 
little  sulphur  applied  as  a  powder,  or  mixed  with  water  and 
syringed  on  the  plants,  will  usually  check  the  pest,  pro- 
vided the  general  conditions  are  what  they  ought  to  be. 
If  aphides  or  green-fly  appears  in  frames  they  should  be 
treated  with  occasional  vapourings  with  one  of  the  nicotine 
compounds.  Wire-worms  are  very  destructive  if  these  are 
present  in  the  loam.  In  addition  to  these  pests  there  is 
the  slug,  which  feeds  most  voraciously  upon  the  tender 
young  leaves  if  allowed  to  have  its  own  way ;  therefore 
traps  must  be  set,  and  in  addition  this  pest  must  be  hunted 
for  at  night  with  a  good  lamp. 


FUNGUS  DISEASES 

As  a  general  rule  it  is  the  frame-grown  plants  that  suffer 
most  from  fungus  diseases,  but  those  growing  out-of-doors 
are  not  immune  from  attacks.  An  instance  has  just  come 
to  the  writer's  notice  of  two  collections  suffering  from 
attacks  of  Urocystis  violae.  This  disease  causes  the  leaves 
and  leaf  petioles  to  become  swollen  and  eventually  burst. 
At  first  sight  the  condition  looks  as  if  it  were  the  result  of  a 
gall-forming  insect,  but  when  the  rupture  takes  place  the 


96     PRESENT-DAY    GARDENING 

black  spores  can  be  seen  easily,  and  the  character  of  the 
malady  is  thereupon  disclosed.  This  is  such  a  deep-seated 
disease  that  spraying  is  of  little  use.  The  only  thing  to  be 
done  is  to  pick  off  and  burn  any  diseased  foliage  before 
the  spores  are  distributed ;  or  in  very  bad  attacks,  to  burn 
all  the  plants  and  get  a  fresh  stock. 

Violet  Rust  (Puccinia  violce). — This  disease  is  due  to 
another  parasitic  fungus  that  grows  in  the  tissues  of  the 
plant.  Its  presence  is  denoted  by  pustules  of  powdery 
uredospores  which  appear  on  the  leaves.  The  disease  is 
somewhat  like,  but  not  identical  with,  that  which  attacks 
the  Hollyhock.  On  its  first  appearance  all  affected  leaves 
should  be  removed  from  the  plants  and  burnt. 

Violet  Black  Mould  (Cercospora  violce). — The  presence 
of  this  disease  may  be  detected  by  pale  spots  appearing  on 
the  leaves.  These  spots  eventually  develop  tufts  of  short, 
erect  threads.  It  is  not  so  serious  as  the  diseases  already 
mentioned  ;  nevertheless  the  plants  should  be  sprayed  with 
the  Bordeaux  mixture  directly  the  disease  is  detected. 
This  preparation  can  be  purchased  from  horticultural 
sundries-men. 

Violet  Mildew  (Peronospora  violce). — This  fungus  is 
like  that  which  attacks  the  potato  haulm  and  tubers.  It 
attacks  Pansies  as  well  as  Sweet  Violets,  and  causes  a 
whitish,  felt-like  covering  on  the  under  surface  of  the  leaves. 
Like  all  mildews,  this  disease  spreads  quickest  in  damp 


FUNGUS    DISEASES  97 

weather  or  in  a  stagnant  atmosphere  ;  it  will  be  less  likely 
to  attack  Violets  in  frames  if  careful  attention  is  given  to 
ventilating  the  frames  ;  in  severe  cases  the  plants  may  be 
syringed  with  potassium  sulphide,  at  the  rate  of  i  oz.  of 
potassium  sulphide  (or  liver  of  sulphur)  to  i\  gallons  of 
water.  Dissolve  the  potassium  sulphide  in  a  quart  of  hot 
water  ;  then  make  it  up  to  2  \  gallons  with  cold  water. 

Ascochyta  violae. — This  is  another  disease  that  Violets 
have  exhibited  in  this  country  when  cultivated  in  frames. 
An  attack  may  be  identified  by  the  presence  of  scorched- 
like  patches  on  the  leaves.  From  these  patches  numerous 
minute  spores  are  produced,  and  these,  falling  from  the 
leaves  to  the  ground,  are  liable  to  perpetuate  the  disease. 
Where  a  bad  attack  is  experienced,  the  most  satisfactory 
plan  is  to  burn  the  plants,  sterilise  the  soil  or  remove  it 
to  an  out-of-the-way  part  of  the  garden,  and  thoroughly 
disinfect  the  frame  before  planting  fresh  stock.  When  the 
plants  are  well  established,  the  plant  and  soil  may  be 
sprayed  at  intervals  of  a  fortnight  with  potassium  sulphide, 
at  the  strength  of  i  oz.  to  3  gallons  of  water. 


CHAPTER   XI 

THE   GENUS  VIOLA 

SOME  OF  THE  PRINCIPAL  SPECIES 

THE  Viola  family  is  a  large  one,  consisting  of  about  200 
species,  the  greater  number  being  spread  over  the  northern 
temperate  regions,  while  thirty  are  found  in  South  America, 
two  in  South  Africa,  and  eight  in  Australia  and  New 
Zealand.  They  are  beautiful,  woodland  plants,  and  they 
also  inhabit  hedge  banks,  open  pastures,  and  cultivated 
fields.  Most  of  the  species  are  perennial,  and  the  plants 
are  of  dwarf  habit.  In  this  country  they  are  nearly  all 
easy  to  grow  in  light,  rich  soil,  preferably  in  half-shady 
situations,  although  many  of  them  flourish  in  the  open 
border.  In  many  of  the  species  the  flowers  are  cleisto- 
gamous,  the  larger  petalled  flowers  appearing  first,  but 
producing  little  or  no  seed,  while  later,  small  petalled 
fertile  flowers  are  produced  which  furnish  seed.  The 
section  to  which  the  Pansy  (V.  tricolor)  belongs  is  an  ex- 
ception, for  in  this  case  all  the  flowers  are  fertile.  Violas 
can  be  propagated  by  division  of  the  roots,  by  seeds, 
runners,  or  cuttings.  About  fifty  species  are  in  cultivation, 


PRINCIPAL    SPECIES   OF   VIOLA    99 

the  greater  number  of  which  are  only  found  in  Botanic 
Gardens. 

V.  alpina. — This  grows  at  high  elevations  on  the 
Eastern  Alps.  It  has  small,  oval-shaped  leaves  borne  on 
long  stalks.  The  flowers  are  purple  and  have  a  short  spur. 

V.  altaica. — This  species  is  supposed  to  be  one  of  the 
parents  of  the  cultivated  Pansy  ;  all  those  with  pale-yellow 
petals  with  an  undulated  margin  being  derived  from  this 
plant.  It  is  a  native  of  the  Altai  Mountains,  and  has  large 
pale-yellow  flowers,  with  a  few  dark-purple  lines  near  the 
base  of  the  petals.  It  was  introduced  into  cultivation  in 
1805,  and  the  plants  are  easily  propagated  by  seeds  or 
cuttings. 

V.  arenaria. — This  is  a  rare  native  plant  found  in 
Teesdale.  It  has  small  leaves  and  pale-blue  flowers.  Its 
native  habitat  extends  into  various  parts  of  Europe. 
,  V.  biflora,— The  twin-flowered  Violet  is  a  dainty  little 
plant  found  on  the  Alps  of  Europe,  and  also  in  Siberia. 
It  has  small,  bright-yellow  flowers,  and  must  be  given  a 
moist  position.  It  was  introduced  in  1752. 

V.  blanda. — An  early  flowering  species  from  North 
America,  with  pubescent  leaves,  and  white,  small,  faintly- 
scented  flowers  ;  the  lateral  petals  are  veined  with  lilac. 

V.  calcarata.— The  alpine  Pansy  is  a  lovely  plant, 
forming  tufts  of  foliage,  and  bearing  large  violet  and 
purple  flowers  in  the  typical  plant.  There  are  white, 


ioo     PRESENT-DAY    GARDENING 

yellow  (var.  Zoysii),  and  pale  lilac  forms  in  cultivation, 
it  being  a  most  variable  plant.  It  was  introduced  from 
the  European  Alps  in  1752. 

V.  canadensis. — This  is  a  handsome  plant,  growing 
nearly  one  foot  high,  with  white  sweetly-scented  flowers 
tinged  with  violet.  It  is  a  native  of  Canada,  and  was 
introduced  in  1783.  V.  Rydbergii  is  the  Colorado  form 
of  this  species.  Both  plants  require  a  shady  situation. 

V.  canina  (Dog  Violet). — This  well-known  species  is 
a  native  of  Britain  and  other  countries.  The  flowers  are 
blue,  and  they  have  a  yellow  spur.  The  species  is  very 
variable,  one  variety  having  pure  white  flowers. 

V.  cenisia. — A  lime-loving  species  from  the  Alps,  with 
violet  flowers  and  a  slender,  arching  spur.  It  grows  about 
6  inches  high,  and  has  slightly  hairy  leaves.  1759. 

V.  cornuta  (Horned  Viola). — A  free-growing  species 
forming  dense  carpets  of  foliage,  and  large,  light-purple 
flowers.  It  is  a  valuable  spring  and  summer  flowering 
plant.  There  is  also  a  pure  white-flowered  form,  as  well 
as  other  colour  varieties,  some  of  which  are  shown  on  the 
coloured  plate.  It  was  introduced  from  the  Pyrenees 
in  1776,  and  is  supposed  to  be  one  of  the  parents  of  the 
bedding  Violas. 

V.  cucullata. — This  Violet  has  the  margins  of  the  leaves 
turned  up  so  as  to  resemble  a  kind  of  cup.  It  is  a  common 
North  American  Violet,  and  will  grow  almost  anywhere. 


PLATE  VIII 


THREE  VARIETIES  OF    VIOLA   CORNUTA 


PRINCIPAL   SPECIES   OF   VIOLA    103 

The  flowers  of  the  type  are  purple  and  of  good  size.  There 
is  also  a  pure  white  variety.  V.  septentrionale,  with  striped, 
white  flowers,  is  also  a  form  of  this  species,  which  has  been 
in  cultivation  since  1795. 

V.  elatior. — This  is  a  very  distinct  species  growing 
over  one  foot  high,  having  a  bush  habit  and  erect  stems ; 
the  flowers  are  pale  blue.  It  is  a  native  of  Europe. 

V.  gracilis. — A  beautiful,  dwarf,  free -flowering  kind 
from  Greece,  with  large,  deep-purple  flowers  that  appear  in 
spring  and  summer.  It  is  a  valuable  plant  for  the  rock 
garden  or  border.  Although  introduced  in  1817,  it  has 
only  recently  become  plentiful  in  gardens.  The  variety 
Valderia  (heterophylla)  is  a  charming  variety  from  the 
Tyrol,  and  with  smaller  violet-blue  flowers  spotted  with 
darker  violet  and  white. 

V.  hastata  is  a  North  American  species  with  hastate 
leaves  and  pale,  violet-coloured  flowers. 

V.  hederacea. — A  charming  species  of  creeping  habit, 
only  2  inches  high,  with  lovely,  lilac-blue  and  white  flowers. 
These  are  produced  freely  in  summer,  and  are  very  attrac- 
tive. The  plant  likes  a  moist  position.  It  is  also  known 
as  Erpetion  reniforme,  and  is  a  native  of  Australia,  and  is 
only  hardy  in  very  sheltered  situations. 

V.  hirta A  native  and  European  plant  closely  allied 

to  V.  odorata,  but  very  faintly  scented,  and  with  paler 
flowers. 


104     PRESENT-DAY    GARDENING 

V.  Jooi. — A  compact-growing  European  species  with 
fragrant  flowers. 

V.  lutea. — This  is  considered  to  be  a  form  of  V.  tricolor, 
and  has  large,  yellow  flowers  with  purple  blotches.  It  is 
very  free  in  flowering,  and  has  a  spreading  habit.  This 
species  has  been  used  for  crossing  with  the  Show  Pansy  to 
produce  the  modern  Violas. 

V.  mirabilis. — This  species  bears  sweetly-scented,  pale 
violet-coloured  flowers  in  April  and  May. 

V.  Munbyana. — This  plant  produces  a  profusion  of 
large,  rich-violet  flowers  through  spring  and  summer.  It 
is  a  free-growing  plant,  soon  forming  a  broad  carpet  of 
creeping  stems.  Closely  allied  to  V.  lutea.  Native  of  Spain 
and  other  places. 

V.  Nuttallii. — This  species  grows  on  the  sandy  plains  of 
the  Missouri  in  North  America  ;  it  has  pale-yellow  flowers. 

V.  odorata  (Sweet  Violet).— -The  delightful  fragrance  of 
this  species  makes  it  a  favourite  in  every  garden.  It  is 
a  native  of  this  country,  and  is  found  over  the  whole  of 
Europe,  extending  even  into  Asia.  There  are  numerous 
varieties,  which  have  been  greatly  improved  for  garden  pur- 
poses. The  flowers  range  in  colour  from  blue  to  red,  purple, 
and  white.  V.  odorata  pallida-plena,  the  Neapolitan  Violet, 
has  sweet-scented,  double  flowers  of  a  pale-lavender  shade. 

V.  paimata. — A  North  American  species,  closely  allied 
to  V.  cucullata,  but  its  mature  leaves  are  palmately-lobed. 


PRINCIPAL   SPECIES   OF   VIOLA     105 

Its  native  habitat  is  in  low  grounds  and  woods,  and  it  bears 
bright  blue,  rarely  white,  flowers. 

V.  palustris. — This  is  a  marsh-loving  species,  with  reni- 
form  leaves  and  lilac-coloured  or  white  flowers  with  short 
spurs.  It  is  widely  spread  over  the  northern  temperate 
regions,  including  Britain. 

V.  Patrinii. — This  species  is  also  widely  distributed 
from  Russia  to  Japan.  It  is  distinct  on  account  of  the 
leaves  having  winged  petioles.  The  purple  flowers  are  of 
medium  size. 

V.  pedata — A  beautiful  species  found  growing  in  dry 
sandy  woods  and  rocky  hills  in  North  America.  The 
leaves  are  pedately  divided  into  about  seven  linear  divisions, 
while  the  large,  bright-blue  flowers  are  freely  produced. 
V.  p.  var.  bicolor  is  a  handsome  kind,  with  the  two  upper 
petals  of  a  deep  violet  colour.  There  is  also  a  pure  white 
form.  It  was  introduced  in  1759. 

V.  pedatifida  (syn.  V.  delphinifolia). — This  species  is 
closely  allied  to  V.  pedata,  but  has  fewer  divisions  of  the 
leaves,  and  smaller,  brilliant-blue  flowers.  It  grows  on  the 
prairies  of  Missouri  in  North  America. 

V.  persicifolia  (syn.  V.  stagnina)  is  a  form  of  V. 
canina,  but  rather  taller  in  habit,  with  pale-blue  or  white 
flowers.  It  is  usually  found  in  boggy  ground,  and  is  a 
native  of  this  country  and  other  parts  of  Europe.  The 
leaves  are  rather  long  and  narrow. 


106     PRESENT-DAY    GARDENING 

V.  pinnata  (syn.  V.  dissecta). — This  species  grows  about 
6  inches  high,  and  has  palmati -partite  leaves  with  toothed 
segments.  It  is  found  in  mountain  pastures  on  the  Alps 
of  Europe,  and  is  somewhat  rare.  The  violet-coloured 
flowers  are  produced  in  June.  The  species  has  been  in 
cultivation  since  1752.  A  form  of  this  species,  var.  chcero- 
phylloides,  with  larger  and  more  attractive  flowers,  is  found 
in  Japan. 

V.  pratensis. — This  is  similar  to  V.  persicifolia,  but  is 
usually  found  in  drier  meadows  and  woods. 

V.  primulaefolia. — A  species  inhabiting  wet  meadows 
in  North  America.  It  has  sweet-scented  white  flowers,  the 
lateral  petals  being  bearded. 

V.  pubescens. — A  free-growing,  North  American  plant, 
6  inches  to  12  inches  high,  found  in  dry  woods.  It  is 
softly  pubescent,  with  large  leaves  and  yellow  flowers  ;  the 
lower  petals  are  veined  with  purple.  The  variety  scabrius- 
cula  is  a  form  with  decumbent  stems,  and  smaller,  some- 
what scabrous  leaves. 

V.  rostrata. — This  is  also  a  North  American  species 
found  in  moist,  rocky  situations.  The  large  flowers  are 
pale  blue  and  have  a  slender  spur. 

V.  rothomagensis. — This  belongs  to  the  same  type  as 
V.  cornuta.  It  has  bright-blue  flowers,  the  side  petals  and 
lip  striped  with  black.  It  flowers  from  April  to  August,  and 
is  a  native  of  France  and  Belgium. 


PRINCIPAL   SPECIES   OF   VIOLA     107 

V.  rotundifolia.— At  flowering  time  the  leaves  of  this 
North  American  plant  are  small,  but  later  they  develop 
to  a  large  size,  4  inches  in  diameter.  It  is  found  in 
shady  rocky  situations,  and  bears  good-sized  pale-blue 
flowers. 

V.  sagittata.— Found  on  hillsides  and  fields  in  North 
America.  It  has  hastate  leaves  and  bright-blue  flowers. 

V.  Sarmentosa. — A  creeping  species,  with  stolons  and 
cordate  leaves.  The  flowers  are  yellow. 

V.  striata. — A  strong-growing,  attractive  plant,  often 
12  inches  high.  The  flowers  are  cream-coloured,  the  lower 
petals  being  veined  with  purple.  It  grows  in  wet  meadows 
in  mountainous  districts  in  North  America. 

V.  suavis. — The  Russian  Violet  is  closely  allied  to  our 
native  Sweet  Violet,  but  is  distinguished  by  its  pale- 
green  leaves  and  larger,  paler  flowers.  It  was  introduced 
from  the  Caucasus  in  1820. 

V.  sylvestris  (Wood  Violet). — A  well-known  native 
plant  with  bluish-purple  and  lilac-coloured  flowers,  pro- 
duced on  axillary  branches  from  a  radical  rosette.  It  is 
also  known  as  V.  sylvatica.  There  are  several  forms  of 
this  species,  such  as  the  varieties  Reichenbackiana  and 
Riviniana. 

V.  tricolor. — (Heartsease  ;  Pansy). — A  common  very 
variable  annual,  found  in  cultivated  fields.  The  flowers 
vary  from  small  yellow  blooms  to  large  tricolored  ones,  blue, 


io8     PRESENT-DAY    GARDENING 

purple,  and  yellow.  It  is  one  of  the  parents  of  the  garden 
Pansy.  The  variety  arvensis  has  small,  yellow  flowers. 

V.  uliginosa. — This  European  species  is  similar  in  habit 
to  the  American  V.  cucullata,  but  the  leaves  are  flat.  The 
blue-purple  flowers  have  no  scent. 

V.  variegata. — A  species  from  Eastern  Asia,  with  varie- 
gated leaves  and  pale  violet-coloured  flowers.  It  blooms 
in  May  and  June. 

The  above-mentioned  species  are  merely  the  commonest 
of  those  in  cultivation. 


CHAPTER  XII 
CALENDAR  OF  OPERATIONS 

JANUARY 

IF  the  beds  where  the  Pansies  and  Violas  are  to  be 
planted  in  spring  were  not  prepared  in  the  autumn,  they 
should  be  prepared  this  month.  The  ground  ought  to 
be  trenched  and  enriched  with  well-decayed  cow  or  horse 
manure*  The  bottom  spit  should  be  moved  to  ensure 
perfect  drainage,  but  it  should  not  be  brought  to  the 
surface.  A  small  proportion  of  fresh  material  should  be 
incorporated  with  the  surface  soil.  There  is  nothing 
better  for  this  than  some  good,  turfy  loam  which  has 
been  carefully  picked  over  to  remove  any  wire-worms. 
Plants  in  frames  will  require  to  be  aired  every  fine  day, 
and  only  shut  up  closely  when  frost  is  likely  to  occur. 
Violets  in  frames  should  be  kept  scrupulously  clean. 

FEBRUARY 

Plants  in  frames  require  the  same  attention  as  in 
January.  Stir  the  surface  of  the  soil  between  the  rows 
with  a  very  narrow  fork  or  with  a  pointed  stick,  removing 


109 


no     PRESENT-DAY    GARDENING 

at  the  same  time  any  decayed  foliage.  February  is  a 
trying  month  for  plants  in  frames  ;  the  lights  should  never 
be  shut  up  quite  closely  except  during  frost.  It  is  not 
likely  the  plants  will  require  water,  but  should  the  surface 
get  very  dry  a  gentle  watering  should  be  given  in  the 
forenoon  of  a  fine  day.  This  is  a  good  time  to  sow  seed 
under  glass  to  produce  plants  to  bloom  in  summer.  Violets 
in  frames  will  now  be  yielding  large  quantities  of  bloom. 

MARCH 

The  frames  must  now  be  ventilated  more  freely,  so  as 
to  get  the  plants  well  hardened  by  the  end  of  the  month. 
On  fine  days  the  sashes  can  be  removed  altogether  for 
an  hour  or  two  in  the  middle  of  the  day,  and  by  the  end 
of  the  month,  unless  the  weather  is  unusually  cold,  the 
sashes  may  be  dispensed  with  if  the  plants  have  been 
gradually  hardened  off.  This  month  all  plans  for  planting 
should  be  completed,  and  beds  being  lightly  forked  over 
as  recommended  in  the  chapter  on  culture.  It  is  quite 
time  the  ground  was  prepared  for  Violets  to  be  removed 
shortly  from  the  frames. 

APRIL 

In  some  districts  it  is  desirable  to  plant  out  in  March, 
and  in  all  districts  planting  should  be  completed  as  early 
as  possible  in  April.  This  applies  to  seedlings  as  well  as 


CALENDAR    OF    OPERATIONS     in 

t6  named  varieties.  A  sharp  look-out  must  be  kept  for 
slugs  and  snails  in  beds  of  newly  planted  Pansies,  as  one 
of  these  creatures  will  destroy  a  plant  in  a  night.  If  green- 
fly appears,  the  plants  must  be  syringed  as  recommended. 
Early  flower-buds  should  be  removed,  to  allow  the  plants 
to  gain  strength.  The  Violets  in  frames  should  be  divided 
this  month  and  the  best  crowns  planted  on  an  outside 
border,  according  to  the  directions  given  in  the  chapter  on 
Violets. 

MAY 

The  surface  of  the  beds  should  be  stirred  and  kept 
free  of  weeds.  The  growths  as  they  elongate  will  require 
attention  in  the  way  of  pegging  and  staking  if  exhibi- 
tion flowers  are  required,  and  surplus  growths  must  be 
pinched  out.  By  the  end  of  the  month  some  very  fine 
flowers  will  be  obtained.  It  is  usual  at  the  Temple  Show 
in  London  at  the  end  of  this  month  to  see  remarkably 
fine  flowers  of  both  Pansies  and  Violas.  This  month  and 
next  is  a  good  time  to  sow  seeds  in  frames  to  get  strong 
plants  for  September  planting. 

JUNE 

In  the  southern  counties  Pansy  beds  should  be  mulched 
with  old,  sifted  manure  and  well  watered  in  dry  weather. 
Grand  flowers  should  be  had  all  this  month,  and  it  should 


ii2     PRESENT-DAY    GARDENING 

be  the  happiest  of  all  for  the  Pansy  grower.  If  a  few  pods 
of  seed  are  desired,  flowers  should  be  left  on  special  plants 
for  this  purpose.  It  is  well  to  bear  in  mind  that  blooms 
should  be  removed  whenever  they  begin  to  fade  if  a  long 
period  of  bloom  is  desired.  In  any  case  they  should  be 
removed  on  the  score  of  tidiness. 

JULY 

This  is  a  trying  month  for  Pansies  and  Violas  in  the 
south,  and  it  is  often  well  to  remove  a  large  number  of  the 
strong  growths  and  to  encourage,  by  attention  to  watering, 
&c.,  the  young  growths  from  the  centres  of  the  plants  to 
develop.  For  autumn-planting,  cuttings  should  be  in- 
serted this  month  in  a  shaded  situation,  either  in  a  cold 
frame  or  in  the  open.  A  rather  sharp  compost  of  sand, 
loam,  and  leaf-mould  is  a  fine  medium  for  rooting.  Violas 
should  be  sprayed  with  clear  water  at  the  end  of  the 
afternoon  on  hot  days. 

AUGUST 

Pansies  and  Violas  will  still  be  doing  well  in  the  north, 
but  by  the  end  of  the  month  propagation  should  begin 
in  earnest  for  next  year's  stock.  Flowers  are  exhibited 
at  the  southern  shows  well  up  -to  the  middle  of  July,  and 
in  August  and  September  they  are  always  found  at  north- 
country  shows,  being  remarkably  fine  in  September  at 


CALENDAR    OF    OPERATIONS     113 

exhibitions  in  Scotland.     Frames  should  be  prepared  for 
Sweet  Violets. 

SEPTEMBER 

Cuttings  may  be  put  in  frames  any  time  during  this 
month,  and  they  will  make  fine  plants  for  spring-planting. 
Beds  for  autumn-planting  should  be  prepared,  and  the 
planting  begun  by  the  end  of  the  month.  Sweet  Violets 
should  be  lifted  from  the  outside  border  and  planted  in 
frames. 

OCTOBER 

Autumn-planting  ought  to  be  completed  during  the 
first  eight  or  ten  days  of  this  month.  This  applies  not 
only  to  summer-struck  cuttings  but  also  to  seedlings  sown 
in  May  or  June.  Frames  filled  with  newly  inserted  cut- 
tings must  be  shaded  in  bright  weather,  and  gently  watered 
in  dry  weather.  Sweet  Violets  which  were  planted  in  frames 
last  month  need  all  the  air  possible  during  October. 

NOVEMBER 

Plants  in  frames  will  require  air  on  bright  days.  It  is 
a  good  plan  to  leave  an  inch  or  two  of  air  continuously 
by  raising  the  back  of  the  sash,  as  damp  is  a  greater 
enemy  than  cold.  This  month  the  preparation  of  ground 

for  spring-planting  should  be  begun. 

H 


ii4     PRESENT-DAY    GARDENING 

DECEMBER 

The  work  this  month  is  similar  to  that  in  November, 
but  as  the  weather  will  probably  be  colder,  mats  should 
be  in  readiness  to  place  over  the  frames  when  there  is 
more  frost  than  one  or  two  degrees.  It  will  be  well  to  take 
advantage  of  a  fine  day  to  stir  the  surface  soil  between 
the  lines  of  the  plants.  These  remarks  apply  to  Sweet 
Violets,  Pansies,  and  Violas. 


INDEX 


BEDDING,  Violas  for,  45 

Blotch  confused  with  eye,  6 

Blotches,  commencement  of,  as  shown 

in  Gardeners'  Chronicle  figure,  6 
Border  Witch,  21 

CALENDAR  of  Operations,  109 
Cliveden  Blue  from  Russia,  1 1 
Conference  in  Birmingham  Botanic 

Gardens,  10  . 

Cuttings,  culture  from,  28 

planting  of,  in  a  frame,  31 

planted  out-of-doors,  32 

DECORATIONS,  table,  50 
Diseases,  fungus,  95 

Ascochyta  violse,  97 

Violet  black  mould,  96 

Violet  mildew,  96 

Violet  rust,  96 

Division  of  the  plants,  propagation  by, 
33 

EXHIBITIONS,  arrangement  of  Pansies 
and  Violas  at,  43  ;  cultivation  of 
choice  flowers  for,  35 

GREENHOUSE  in  spring,  culture  of 
Pansies  and  Violas  in  a,  44 

HARDINESS,  trials  to  ascertain,  64 
History :  Bath,  R.  H.,  9  ;  Baxter,  John, 

n,  18;  Campbell,   Matthew,   9; 

Cocker  &  Sons.  17  ;  Crane,  D.  P., 


22;  Dean,  Richard,  9,  10  16; 
Dean, William,  8, 17 ;  Dicksons  and 
Co.,  9, 16,  17,  18,  20;  Dobbie  and 
Co.,  18, 19,  22  ;  Downie,  John,  8 ; 
Downie  &  Laird,  9 ;  Fleming, 
John,  10 ;  Grieve,  James,  II,  17, 
22  ;  Henderson,  Andrew,  8  ;  Hen- 
derson &  Son,  E.  G.,  15  ;  Hooper, 
Henry,  9 ;  Irvine,  Andrew,  9; 
Lister,  Alex.,  9 ;  Lord  Gambier  and 
Viola  tricolor,  4  ;  M'Kee,  Samuel, 
9;  Pansies  at  end  of  eighteenth 
century,  4;  Pansies,  show  or  old 
English,  62;  Paul,  William,  9; 
Robinson,  W.,  20;  Salter,  John, 
8,  ii ;  Smellie,  John,  9;  Stuart, 
Charles,  19  ;  Stuart,  J.  D.,  9,  17, 
19 ;  Sutherland,  John,  9 ;  Syden- 
ham,  William,  9,  22;  Turner, 
Charles,  9;  Westland,  G.,  17; 
Williams,  B.  S.  (Introduction  of  V. 
cornuta),  1 1 ;  Wythes,  Mr.  George, 
15  ;  Wittrock,  Prof.  V.  B.,  7 

INTRODUCTION,  i 
LIQUID  manure,  use  of,  41 

MAGPIE,  the  variety,  1 1 
Massing,  Violas  for,  47 

PANSY,  fancy,  rise  of  the,  7 

Pansy,  history  and  development  of  the,  4 


INDEX 


Pansy,  the  Fancy,  2 
Pansy,  the  Show,  2 
Pansies,  select  list  of  fifty  varieties  of, 

55 
Pests,  94 

ROSE  beds,  Violas  in,  48 
Royal  Horticultural  Society's  Reports, 
22 

SCOTTISH  raisers,  9 
Seed,  culture  from,  23 
Seedling  varieties,  raising  new,  51 
Seeds,  time  to  sow,  24 

TABLE  decorations,  50 
Tufted  Pansies,  the  term,  3 

VARIETIES,  raising  new,  51 
Viola  cornuta  "Perfection,"  II,  18 


Viola  lutea,  u,  12 

Viola,  the  Latin  name  for  genus,  3 

Viola,  the  principal  species  of,  98 

Viola  tricolor,  Thompson's  early  culti- 
vation of,  4 

Violas,  history  of,  9  ;  hybridising  or 
crossing  wild  varieties  of,  21  ;  ray- 
less,  21  ;  list  of  fifty  varieties  of, 
71  ;  the  hardiest,  64 

Violet,  the  Sweet,  77  ;  list  of  varieties 
of,  91 

Violet-culture  in  frames,  81  ;  in  pots, 
89 ;  out-of-doors,  81 

Violetta,  3  ;  history  of,  21 

WINDSOR,  Violet-culture  in  the  royal 
gardens  at,  85 


THE   END 


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