THE ENGLISH FLOWER GARDEN. 



919 



enlarged like the wings of a butterfly. Other 

 good kinds are Magnifica, Purple Queen, rosea, 

 Sensation, and White Perfection. Alps and 

 Pyrenees. Division, cuttings, or seeds. 



V. cucullata {Large American Violet) bears 

 some resemblance to the common Violet, 

 though without its delicious scent. It belongs 

 to a section which includes V. priinula/olia, 

 blanaa, ohligtia, sagiitaia, palmata, delpkitii- 

 folia, canadensis, pitbescens, striata, and others 

 only fitted for a place in botanical collections. 



V. gracilis is a remarkably pretty dwarf 

 species, never failing to produce in spring an 

 abundance of deep purple blossoms in dense 

 tufts. It is hardy in light soil. Mount 

 Olympus. A pretty form of this, V. gracilis 

 valderia, comes from the Tyrol ; its violet-blue 

 flowers are flecked with darker and with paler 

 spots. 



V. lutea (Mountain Violet).— The yellow 

 form of this Violet is very neat and compact, 

 2 to 6 in. high. From April onwards it yields 

 abundant flowers of a rich and handsome 

 yellow, the three lower petals being striped 

 with thin black lines. A large flowered garden 

 form is named Gem. 



V. Uunbyana. — One of the prettiest of 

 Violets, abundant in flower, robust in growth, 

 and hardy. It begins to bloom about the end 

 of February, attaining its greatest beauty in 

 May. The deep purple-blue flowers resemble 

 those of V. conmta ; and there is also a yellow 

 variety. Spain and Algeria. 



V. odorata {Sweet Violet). — This well- 

 known plant is widely spread over Europe 

 and RussianAsia,includingBritain,whileit 

 is grown in almost every garden, and enor- 

 mous quantities of its flowers sold in our 

 cities. Its fragrance distinguishes it from 

 other Violets. It may be grown as carpets 

 for open groves or the fringes of woods, 

 hedges, or banks. Instead of being con- 

 fined to a bed, it should fringe shrubberies, 

 rock-gardens, or ferneries. In such posi- 

 tions it requires little care, and fills the 

 cold March air with unrivalled sweetness. 

 It will grow in almost any soil, but best 

 on free sandy loam. It is well to naturalise 

 the plant on sunny banks,fringes of woods, 

 and the warmer sides of bushy places to 

 encourage early bloom. 



The cultivation of the Sweet Violet is 

 of great importance, not only for private 

 gardens, but also to supply the vast 

 demand for it in large cities. About Paris, 

 this is done on a vast scale, many acres 

 being covered with these flowers. The 

 ground is well exposed to the mid-day 

 sun, and is rich, free, and warm. The 

 plantations are made in spring, those 

 required for the winter being grown in 

 frames. The plants may be propagated 

 to any extent by division, but good plants 

 are easily raised from seed, sown as soon 

 as possible after it is gathered. In cold 



dry parts, where Violets fail to do well, 

 and also where they are required in 

 mid-winter, it is better to raise a number 

 of healthy plants every year, putting 

 them in a light frame in a sunny position 

 in autumn. With little trouble we may 

 have Violets long before they bloom 

 in the open ground. Plants obtained by 

 setting out runners in spring in rich soil 

 may also be set in a cold frame early in 

 autumn. Allow them to grow until the 

 approach of winter, when fill the frames 

 with leaves, put on the sashes with a 

 shutter over these. The plants must have 

 abundance of air on mild days, and water 

 as needed. A frame of three sashes, separ- 

 ated into three parts by boards, may be 

 uncovered, one sash at a time, at intervals 

 of two or three weeks, and thus a succes- 

 sion of flowers will be kept up. Violets 

 do not like forcing, neither do they need 

 it if their crowns are ripened early, and 

 they are easily tempted into flower by 

 this protection. 



In the open border Sweet Violets thrive 

 on moderately heavy rich soil ; should 

 the soil be lig^ht and gravelly, some stiff 

 material and plenty of manure must be 

 added to it ; poor and hard clay will gain 

 by adding sharp gritty matter and abun- 

 dance of rotten manure. Violets require 

 shelter, but not that of a wall, and in 

 enclosed gardens they are seldom healthy. 

 Their natural shelter is a hedgerow, 

 allowing such currents of pure air as are 

 essential for keeping down red-spider and 

 for healthy foliage. They grow well on 

 the shady side of a Hornbeam hedge, 

 if somewhat naked at bottom, so as to 

 allow the sun to shine on their leaves 

 early in spring, and afford a partial shade 

 in summer. When the soil is deep and 

 rich, however, Violets will bear sunshine, 

 and it is well to have a few plants in 

 different positions to ensure a long season 

 of bloom. On south borders Violets 

 dwindle, but a few roots on sunny banks 

 will give some early pickings. 



The insects that trouble the Violet 



most are green-fly and red-spider. The 



! first is generally the result of a close un- 



1 healthy atmosphere, and is easily got 



rid of by gentle smokings. Red-spider 



1 is induced by strong sun and by dry 



soil ; hand-dusting with sulphur is the 



best remedy, but it is easy to prevent its 



occurrence by free sprinkling. 



The varieties of the Violet are very 

 numerous. We have the single white and 

 the single rose, the double white, the Czar, 

 (a very large and sweet variety), the Queen 

 of Violets, Admiral Avellan, La Grosse 

 Bleue, La France, California, Princess of 



