GROWING PANSIES 



"W\! 



E grow a fjeiieral stock of flow- 

 rs," said Mr. F. Fogarty. Jr., 

 of Fog-arty & Sons, florists, Toronto, to a 

 representative of The Horticulturist who 

 visited their new greenhouse recently, " but 

 we have made a specialty of pansies. We 

 are going into carnation growing and have 

 selected the Lawson (red), Glacier (white) 

 and Morning Glory (pink) as the best 

 varieties. At one time we used to give 

 much attention to bedding plants, but since 

 we have built a new greenhouse intend go- 

 ing into cut flowers and pot plants more ex- 

 tensively. Cyclamens and primulas make 

 a nice display. 



" Our pansies are grown from seed. The 

 seed is ])lanted in summer and produces 

 strong, well grown plants before winter. 



They are covered in the autumn and in the 

 spring they com.e on in good time. Last 

 year we got new seed from an American 

 seedsman to m.ix with our own so that we 

 might obtain new varieties. Without such 

 mixing the plants would soon deteriorate. 



USES MANURn;. 



" The fertilizer that we use the most is 

 stable manure." continued Mr. Fogarty. 

 " but w^e have used commercial fertilizers 

 also. The latter are good if they do not 

 contain too much grease, which promotes 

 fungous diseases. We have had very little 

 trouble with insect pests. They can be kept 

 down by regular fumigation. A ready sale 

 is found for our plants in the local n:arket, 

 and more could be disposed of if we had 

 them." 



Dahlias Improved 



]<:. F. COIJvINS, TORONTO. 



FOR many years the dahlia has been a 

 favorite flower among the florists in 

 England, and to-day it is found in almost 

 every garden. The honor of improving 

 this plant and producing new varieties with 

 larger flowers belongs to the Frendh and 

 Cierman gardeners. The glowing reports 

 of grand displays brought back by the jjco- 

 ple of Great Britain who visited the conti- 

 nent caused the English gardeners to inter- 

 est themselves in producing new varieties. 

 That they succeeded is best evidenced by 

 the fact that to-day they have hundreds of 

 varieties of all shades and colors. 



The introduction of the dahlia into Eng- 

 land is ascribed to the Marchioness of Bute, 

 who is reported to have brought the first 

 specimen from Spain in 1798. At 'that time 

 the dahlia was single. In a few years, how- 

 ever, so'me French enthusiasts had produced 

 full double flowers in red, purple and pale 

 yellow. By careful hybridization the 

 striped and variegated varieties were pro- 

 duced from these until now we have what 



is known as the " Fancy Dahlia." The on- 

 ward march toward perfection has been so 

 marked that little more can be desired in the 

 way of symn:etrv, doubleness or color. 



The Lawson Carnation. — "There are 

 four varieties of the Lawson carnation," 

 said Mr. J. H. Dunlop to The Horticulturist 

 recently, " the original Mrs. T. W. Law- 

 son, the universally popular dark pink, and 

 three sports, white, red, and variegated, 

 each of which is similar to the original ex- 

 cept their respective colors. The white is 

 pure in color and large in size, the red a 

 bright scarlet of a brighter shade than any 

 commercial variety, and the variegated is 

 delicately pencilled with cerise pink on a 

 pure white ground, a very chaste flower." 



Some plants like a southern exposure, 

 the geranium for instance ; others prefer the 

 morning sun. some partial shade ; others, 

 as ferns, entire shade. — (Mrs. W. J. Mc- 

 Lenahan. Appleby, Ont. 



, Large croj^s of strawberries are only 

 grown on soils very rich naturally, or made 

 so artificiallv. 



267 



