VIOLETS. 



Z^ rsiHESE "wee modest blue flow- 

 ers'' are never out of fashion, 

 all the world loves them for 

 their sweet refreshing fragrance. 

 Favored indeed are they who live in 

 climates where the violet will live with- 

 out protection and flourish out of doors. 

 Among all violets, whether wild or cul- 

 tivated, our choice for outdoor culture 

 at least, is the Double Russian. 



With us it is decidedly the hardiest 

 double violet. The foliage is distinct, 

 the flowers are unusually double, very 

 large, and a lovely deep unshaded pur- 

 ple in color. For fragrance it is almost 

 unequalled, and it is the only double 

 variety that will survive the winter here 

 in good condition without protection. 



It is to be regretted that so fine a va- 

 riety positively cannot be forced for 

 winter flowers. With the aid of a cold 

 frame they may be had in flower very 

 early in the spring. This simple cover- 

 ing of glass starts them growing long be- 

 fore those in the open ground, bringing 

 them into flower here easily by the loth 

 of April, and when grown in this manner, 

 nice long flower stems are always se 

 cured. The double English violet of 

 some catalogues turns out to be syn- 

 onymous with this. 



The single varieties are mostly quite 

 hardy. There are dozens of varieties. 

 European catalogues generally show long 

 lists of them, but comparatively few of 

 them find favor in .American commerce. 

 The variety California is at present im- 

 mensely popular, it bears flowers of sur- 

 prising size, and has the additional re- 

 commendation of very long flower stems, 

 and robust growth. It forces admirably; 

 the flowers have found a ready market 

 during the past two winters, and the 

 subtle violet disease, the nightmare of 



those who grow the violet for winter 

 flowers, seems as yet to have spared the 

 California. 



Luxonne, a new French introduction, 

 is now heralded as having a larger, more 

 open bloom than the above variety, and 

 likely to eclipse it. 



The double flowering sorts have a 

 charm all their own, and excepting the 

 Russian all are capricious here under out- 

 door culture, and many and ingenious 

 are the devices we hear of to winter them 

 safely. Water seems almost more fatal to 

 them during their dormant season than 

 frost. 



We have seen plants growing in a real 

 favorable situation, utterly destroyed by 

 a quick thaw followed by frost surround- 

 ing thecrowns by ice; plants beside them, 

 enclosed by rough boards and covered 

 with hot-bed sash, to keep off" rain and 

 snow, come through grandly. Again, 

 if the sash were leaky, they have killed 

 quite as badly, as those unprotected. 

 -Anything that holds much water like 

 coal ashes or rotted manure, must be 

 avoided, newly fallen tree leaves or ever- 

 green branches are most satisfactory. 

 To cover a bed in late fall with a simple 

 frame of one inch boards and a well 

 glazed sash, is really very little trouble, 

 and one may then always depend upon 

 a profusion of flowers in the spring. 

 Swanley white, a sport from Marie 

 Louise, is really unique, it bears large, 

 very fragrant pure white flowers. Marie 

 Louise, the best known of all, very popu- 

 lar for winter flowers, has blue flowers 

 with base of petals white. Neapolitan 

 light blue a very pleasing color. 



Lady Hume Campbell, is in color 

 identical with M. Louise in color, ex- 

 cepting that it is a shade deeper, its con- 

 stitution is stronger, and in many places 



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