284 JOURNAL OF THE ROYAL HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 
that flower, without any rays in the centre, it would, in my opinion, be 
an improvement.’ Keeping a sharp look-out on the seedling beds, I did 
not succeed in obtaining what I was searching for till the year 1887, 
when, for the first time, I observed a white flower, entirely rayless, 
dwarf in habit, and with most pronounced almondy perfume. The plant 
was removed and propagated, and grown on next season, some blooms 
being sent to Mr. Robinson, editor of The Garden newspaper, who 
at once sent a favourable report. In the following year, 1891, ‘ Violetta’ 
was figured in that publication, and with many florists it still holds a 
first place as a bedder. With pollen from ‘ Violetta’ a white-rayed self, 
still in cultivation, was crossed, which yielded ‘ Sylvia,’ a variety more 
grown than any Viola yet raised. Of first-rate hardiness, its freedom of 
flowering is remarkable. By taking‘ Violetta ’ asa seed-bearer, and using 
pollen from rayless flowers, a great many varieties have been raised, 
chief among them ‘Blue Gown,’ ‘Florizel,’ ‘ Rosea pallida,’ ‘ Chris- 
tiana,’ ‘Coolgardie,’ &c. By careful selection the rayless strain of 
Tufted Pansy has been fixed; and now, if more colours could be got into 
the flowers, this strain would soon be preferred to the ordinary rayed form. 
With the fine colours in the Peacock Pansy I was induced to try a cross 
with the rayless strain. A hundred and fifty plants, the result of the 
cross, were tested; but the flowers turned out of the most varied 
character, with one exception, which proved a first-rate departure. A 
fine reticulated blue; perfectly rayless; and with a good dwarf habit. 
It was named ‘ Border Witch,’ and is well known as a show flower, 
and has been certificated. 'Two years ago Mr. Rowberry, of London, a 
distinguished amateur, kindly sent me plants and blooms of a yellow 
self Viola named after himself. The flower was of fine quality, quite 
rayless, but seemed to have more of the Pansy than Viola in its constitu- 
tion. This variety, from its fine colour and sturdy constitution, has 
been the origin of many new forms; but those from ‘ Mr. Rowberry’ have 
not habits of the dwarfest kind. The pollen from ‘ Mr. Rowberry ’ crossed 
with some of the dwarfest rayless sorts has originated a set of new 
bedders, which I am convinced in a short time will drive all existing 
yellow bedders out of the field. ‘ Coolgardie ’ x ‘ Rowberry ’ has yielded a 
set of bedders this season varying in shade from orange to paler yellow, 
which are an immense advance on existing varieties, both in earliness 
and freedom of flowering. The latter quality comes from ‘ Mr. Rowberry,’ 
for most of our rayless yellows are by no means early flowerers. Then 
as to colour, this London variety has furnished several almost orange 
shades of colour, which are a most desirable attraction. Many seedlings 
have to be grown before obtaining an orange-coloured Viola, but at 
present there are several new flowers of this year which answer the 
description. Among others Messrs. House, of Bristol, have sent out 
‘Créme d’Orange,’ which, during the warm weather in June, has been 
singularly fine in colour, and could be picked out among hundreds of 
ordinary yellow varieties. The present taste of the public is for large 
flowers. ‘Mr. Rowberry’ will furnish plenty of plants with this 
desideratum, being a very free seeder. This is not desirable in all cases ; 
as bedding varieties look much better with moderate-sized flowers and 
plenty of them. The fashion of showing Tufted Pansies in sprays done 
