THE FLORAL WORLD AND GARDEN GUIDE. 263 



must be established in their summer quarters long before the latter 

 go cut of bloom. Many of the failures of the two violas mentioned 

 at the commencement, may be safely attributed to late planting. The 

 early part of March is the most suitable period for filling the beds, 

 and then the plants have sufficient time to become well established 

 before the hot weather sets in. Independent of this consideration, 

 it is most important to plant early, for the period of their coming into 

 bloom is regulated by the time they are planted, and as our summer 

 seasons are so very short, every day is of consequence. To be able 

 to plant early, the cuttings must be struck comparatively early in the 

 autumn and be well established by the winter, to admit of the plants 

 being wintered without protection, beyond that required to protect 

 them from an excessive amount of moisture or severe frosts. They 

 are all reputed hardy ; but in soils in which they succeed most 

 satisfactorily during the summer, a great risk is run of losing a 

 considerable part of the stock from the combined action of the frost 

 and rains during the winter. Damp is a greater enemy than cold, 

 and if they are kept moderately dry, and the frame in which they are 

 wintered ventilated freely whenever the weather is favourable to 

 air-giving, the severest frosts only will be capable of doing any harm 

 to them when the lights are closed and a mat thrown over the glass. 

 The best plan of admitting air in unsettled weather is by tilting the 

 lights both at the back and the front, and then a current of air will 

 pass over the plants without their being saturated with moisture in 

 case of heavy rains. In very damp foggy weather the lights may ba 

 closed with advantage ; but the plants must not be deprived of a 

 due share of air, or the danger of their perishing will be greater 

 than if they were growing in the open border. The cuttings can be 

 struck any time during the months of August and September ; but 

 the third and fourth week of the first-mentioned month i3 the most 

 desirable period for putting them in, as it affords them plenty of 

 time to become well established by the winter, without becoming 

 too large. Select the young side-shoots that have not attained 

 to a flowering size ; take them off just below the third joint from the 

 top ; and after removing the lower pair of leaves insert them in pans 

 or boxes filled with sandy soil, and then place them in a cold frame. 

 Shade when necessary, keep rather close, especially during the first 

 fortnight, and sprinkle the cuttings lightly once or twice a day to 

 keep the foliage fresh until they are furnished with roots. When 

 nicely rooted, plant at a distance of three inches apart each way in a 

 bed of light sandy soil, made up in a cold frame, or if a frame can- 

 not be spared make up the bed in the open and protect them from 

 frost by means of mats or other covering. When planted in the 

 spring they can be lifted with a trowel, and if carefully handled they 

 will hardly feel the shift. Several very fine new violas have been 

 introduced quite recently, and the best, so far as my experience has 

 gone with them, are, of those with yellow flowers : Parker's 

 V. lutea major, golden yellow, and Dickson and Co.'s V. lutea 

 pallida, clear primrose yellow, and V. sauveolens major, clear 

 deep yellow. Of the dark-flowered varieties : Dickson and Co.'s 

 V. amcena oculata, and V. lutea Purple King, deep purple with 



