STATE HORTICULTDBAL SOCIETY. 277 



few years as to be almost equal to a rose. Most flower seeds lose 

 much of their vitality in a season or two, but a balsam seed ought to 

 be two or three years old to give the best results. 



But let us pass from general remarks to certain flowers. I will not 

 pause to speak of geraniums, and heliotropes, and hot house plants, 

 because we generally buy these plants of the florist; but first let us 

 speak of some of the annuals, the old-fashioned garden flowers, which 

 delighted our youth and were cultivated in the days gone by, — the 

 aster, ten weeks stock or gilliflower, sweet pea, hollyhock, "youth 

 and old age " as the Zinnia was once called, the '' ladys slipper " or 

 balsam, the pansy, etc. Within the past ten years all these have 

 been greatly improved, and like most everything else specialists are at 

 work each year improving the strain, and the same genius which has 

 developed the dahlias and fuschia and gladiolus from what were once 

 practically wild plants or weeds into the rich varieties which we now 

 have, has also developed new beauty in these flowers. 



First of all flowers, both for its beauty aud constancy of bloom, I 

 would name the pansy. For a few early blossoms it may be well to 

 buy a dozen plants of the florist, but these from being "forced" at 

 the green-house soon dwindle away. It is very easy to have fine large 

 pansies through the entire summer season. As soon as the weather will 

 permit, plant the seeds. They are slow to germinate, taking from ten 

 to twenty days, but afterwards grow rapidly. When you transplant 

 them into their permanent place do not be afraid of the sun, — they 

 do well in the sun providing the soil is very rich and they have plenty 

 of moisture. Some say pansies want shade. This is not my experi- 

 ence. They want a rich clayey soil and a great deal of moisture. 

 But any rich soil will do, providing an abundance of moisture is fur- 

 nished very early in the morning aud after nightfall. The only bene- 

 fit pansies derive from shade is from the moisture which shady loca- 

 tions give, and by a little care, according to my experience, larger 

 and finer pansies can be raised in the sun than in the shade. But in 

 buying seed get only the very best. The new shades of red and ma- 

 hogony and bronze, and the solid single colors are fast taking the 

 place of the common kinds. Indeed the pansy is the only flower 

 which seems to transgress the rule that there is no family of plants 

 ill which blue, yellow and red in varieties of the same species, are 

 found. 



Next among annuals in point of beauty to the pansy, in my judg- 

 ment, is the aster. It is a royal flower; many of its varieties, as for 

 instance the Victoria and Truffaults peony flowered are unsurpassed. 



