108 THE GARDENER. [March 



NOTES ON THE CULTURE OF THE PANSY. 



Poets Lave immortalised the Pansy. But the Pansy of the poet and 

 the Pansy of the florist differ somewhat. " The Pansy freaked with 

 jet" is the poet's flower. The subject of these notes is of roundest 

 form, its markings distinctly defined, its " eye " without fault — the 

 Pansy of the florist. Offspring of that of the poet, the Pansy of the 

 florist has inherited the sentimental traditions which cluster round its 

 name. To some it is known simply as " heart's-ease ; " to their ears 

 " Pansy " is a meaningless sound. To many, the simple seedling forms, 

 flourishing in lowly beauty, give as much pleasure in the mass of blooms 

 they individually bear as would the more refined sorts. And, more- 

 over, the finer-named sorts make a call on the time and attention which 

 a large class of amateur gardeners do not care to meet. From the pro- 

 minent position the florist-flower section occupies in the business of 

 seedsmen, the number of Pansies, as also of other florist-flowers culti- 

 vated from seed, must be considerable, and consequently prove a means 

 of no slight value for encouraging a love for flowers. It is, of course, 

 of the first importance to secure a supply of seed from a good strain 

 and a reliable source ; but having got so far, the best means of raising a 

 healthy lot of plants is of almost as much importance. Believing this, 

 the directions for propagating plants from seed are made full and plain ; 

 and although referring particularly to the seed-bed being in the open, 

 the advantage of a cold frame may be taken where such can be had. 

 As the young plants need not be removed from the seed-bed till the 

 spring after sowing, a sheltered position should be chosen for the bed. 

 Provided the soil is in ordinary good condition, all that will be neces- 

 sary to do by way of preparing the bed will be met by pointing in a 

 dressing of dry decayed manure of an open nature. If the weather is 

 droughty, and water required, apply the water in the morning, and 

 after noon sow the seed. The seed requires to be very thinly scattered 

 over the bed, in order to secure plenty of space for the growth of the 

 young plants. Cover the seeds with a very thin sprinkling of fine soil, 

 then tread the bed over moderately firm. These measures will do 

 much to produce a dwarf and slow growth in the plants, calculated to 

 stand the changes of winter with impunity ; and in spring lift with 

 balls of netted root-work. But we must return to the bed, and finish 

 there. Directions have been given as to moistening the soil in case of 

 dryness. Now, as a means of keeping the soil in an equable state of 

 moisture, cover the bed with mats or other suitable material. With this 

 precaution, no further watering will be required, and the seeds will in 

 due time germinate, when the coverings will be no longer necessary. 

 August is a good time to sow ; and the following February the plants 

 will be ready to transplant into their flowering positions. In June 

 they will commence to flower, and, under good cultivation, will continue 

 flowering till stopped by inclement weather. Seedlings may be also 



