1878.] 



AND HORTICULTURIST. 



249 



raise them from seed, let him prepare a 

 bed of good friable loam, made rich with 

 a liberal quantity of decayed cow manure, 

 (well rotted horse manure, from an old hot 

 bed, makes a good substitute) dig deep, and 

 thoroughly pulverize, smooth otfwitli the rake, 

 and sow on the sm-face. Cover the seed very 

 slightly., water tlirough a fine rose pot, and they 

 will soon germinate. I always prefer sowing in 

 a cold frame, either in Spring or Autumn, as 

 they are easily sheltered during storms, or 

 shaded if too hot. Free ventilation is given as 

 soon as the seedlings are seen, and they are 

 picked out when big enough to handle. 



It is better to transplant the Spring seedlings 

 where they are wanted to bloom, through the 

 late Summer, and Fall months. It is advisable 

 to pick off all the flower buds through the 

 early season, and the plants will grow more 

 stocky, and will bloom amazingly, until 

 checked by frost and snow. A good plan is to 

 measure the hot-bed frames, and plant in rows 

 from six to eight inches apart, and before wintry 

 weather comes on, place the spare frames over 

 the bed, and if kept from freezing, they will 

 continue to bloom without ceasing until spring 

 time comes again. 



Those left outside, protect with a few l)eech 

 or oak leaves, nicely scattered among the plants ; 

 and with a I3 ranch or two thrown on, to prevent 

 the wind from blowing away, they will often 

 weather the storms, if not too much tempest- 

 tossed. August sown seed may be treated in like 

 manner, and they will liower freely from early 

 Spring until scorched with the hot Summer's 

 sun. 



Very few plants will flower at so low a tem- 

 perature as the Yiolas. If potted or planted 

 in boxes, and placed near the glass in a cool 

 part of the greenhouse, they will well reward 

 the cultivator for his pains. They may be in- 

 creased by division of roots, or multiplied by 

 cuttings, as the}' strike very freely. There is no 

 mystery about the management of the very 

 companionable Pansy. It is really a good-na- 

 tured plant, one of the kind we most of us fall in 

 love with at once. Neither is it to be wondered 

 at, when their soft, candid, sweet faces look as 

 pretty as possible, while modestly peeping at 



you. 



As the writer began the subject with the octo- 

 genarian Florist, it seem but proper it should 

 end with him. In " the sere and yellow leaf," 

 well wearied with years, he finally put by his 



pruning knife and spade ; his work was done,, 

 and well done. With a tender regard, he took 

 a last fond look at the flower beds he had so 

 long and lovingly tended; bid adieu to the liv- 

 ing, and joined the dead. The indirect cause of 

 his dissolution, was ulcerated fubers : 1 mean the 

 potatoe disease or murrain of 1847, so dire in its 

 consequencf^s throughout the country, especially 

 among the poor people, so distressed his mind, 

 and excited his commiseration for the sufferers, 

 as to seriously effect his good and sympathetic 

 heart, and bring its kind and generous pulsation 

 to a close. 



EDITORIAL NOTES. 



Traveling Notes by the Editor. — The 

 writer took "a few hours to himself," recently, 

 by a trip to Rochester to visit the Nurserymens' 

 Convention, and we can say that it feels good to 

 be once in awhile "out of office," and to be not 

 an editor, but a mere nurseryman — one among 

 many, like the rest of the folks. People often 

 wonder how so much can be done now-a-days,as 

 compared with what our fathers did; but in truth, 

 the conveniences at our command are so much 

 greater that it would be to our shame if we made 

 no additional use of them. So, long after the 

 sun went down, the steam cars take the writei" 

 i twelve miles ; he presides at a meeting ; the 

 meeting closes, and again the cars take him to 

 1 the Pennsylvania Railroad depot, where the 

 j Pullman car is in waiting, and where he goes pleas- 

 ; antly to sleep. But the car does not go on its 

 journey till midnight,and the sound sleeper knows 

 : nothing till the porter wakes him to know if be 

 , desires breakfast at Williamsport, and by tele- 

 graph the breakfast is ordered, and just ready to 

 order when Williamsport is reached. I mention 

 this little matter here for two reasons : first, be- 

 cause it shows how easy it is to do a great deal 

 of work as compared Avith old times, and^ 

 secondly, because I am conscious that this let- 

 ter is following some European sketches, and I 

 cannot but feel the immense advantages we, in 

 this country, enjoy in comforts and facilities over 

 the people of the Old World. I do not know 

 that the average duration of life in our country 

 shows a less figure than Europe shows, but our 

 facilities for doing tilings easily are so much 

 more freely scattered amongst the multitude, 

 that an average American lives double as long 

 as an European does, if what he can see and 

 know in his life, be the measure thereof; and it. 



