446 THE GARDENER. [Oct. 



is sufficient recommendation. It is less of the finer florists' varieties or 

 show sorts that I would speak than of the Fancy or Belgian and bed- 

 ding ones. They will be found most useful for planting in the front 

 line of the mixed border and on rockwork. The Fancies bloom very 

 freely and for a long period if the soil is moist and rich ; and they 

 present most novel and pretty colours and unions of colours. But for 

 continuity of bloom and general decorative usefulness and hardiness 

 all kinds of Pansies are eclipsed by the bedding sorts. The Cliveden 

 blue and yellow were the first of the race to which general attention 

 was drawn, but they are now rapidly increasing in numbers and in 

 improvement, and no doubt will continue to do so for some time. The 

 Pansy delights in strong rich loam with a little sand in it, and is most 

 sustained in its bloom when shaded for some part of the day, and 

 copious moisture can hardly be overdone in the growing season. V. 

 tricolor is a native of Britain, and it is the reputed parent of all the 

 races of Heartsease. Other European species, there are good grounds 

 for believing, have had something to do with the origin of these favour- 

 ite flowers ; but in the mixed and confused condition of the cultivated 

 varieties now, it is impossible to determine w T ith any accuracy their 

 parentage, but the probability is that tricolor and altaica give rise to 

 the Pansies between them. 



The few species described above do not nearly exhaust the list of 

 plants valuable for ornamental purposes comprised in the group. They 

 are only a few of the best, and the following list contains others well 

 worthy of cultivation in larger collections : — 



V. alpina, 4 to 6 inches, dark purple, 

 ii anicena, 4 inches, dark purple, 

 ii biflora, 4 inches, yellow, in pairs in- 

 teresting and pretty. 

 ii hlanda, 6 inches, white. 



V. Canadensis, 6 to 8 inches, pale blue, 



it cucullata, 6 inches, dark blue. 



ii palmsensis, 4 inches, blue and white. 



ii striata, 6 inches, blue and white. 



FANCY PELARGONIUMS. 



These beautiful free-blooming forms of the Pelargonium, termed for 

 some reason or the other " Fancy ' ; varieties, are worthy of high ad- 

 miration, both for the charming softness and delicacy of their tints of 

 colour, and for their remarkable free-blooming properties. " It has 

 been called the Ladies' Pelargonium, and well it deserves the name, 

 seeing the profusion of many-coloured flowers it produces, varied as 

 the colours in the rainbow, added to which its sweet foliage renders 

 it indispensable in the formation of the bouquet." So wrote an ad- 

 mirer of the Fancy Pelargonium nearly twenty years ago, and what was 



