A TALK ON PANSIES 



SOME exceptionally fine large pansies 

 were exhibited at the June meeting 

 of the Toronto Horticultural society by M. 

 Fog-arty, of Toronto. A number of those 

 shown were fully two and a half inches in 

 diameter. So much interest was taken in 

 the exhibition that a talk given the same 

 evening by Mr. G. H. Mills on the growing 

 of pansies was much appreciated. 



" In growing pansies," said Mr. Mills, " a 

 cold frame is needed ; that is, a small piece 

 of ground lined with a box, but not neces- 

 sarily covered with glass. The glass does 

 not need to be put on the box until real cold 

 weather sets in. Before planting, secure a 

 box about 6 feet square, or larger if a larger 

 number of plants are to be grown. Sow 

 the seed in a drill. One row of seed across 

 one end of the box is all that will be re- 

 quired. Cover the seed with about one- 

 quarter of an inch of earth. It is possible 

 to secure 30 to 40 distinct varieties of pan- 

 sies. 



"After the seed has sprouted and the plants 

 have two or three leaveis, it is time to trans- 

 plant them in the box. Each plant should 

 have at least 4 inches of space aj-ound it. 

 The frame in which' the pansies are kept 

 seldom needs covering until after Christmas. 

 During the winter, should a soHd week of 



soft weather come on, the cover may be 

 taken off the frame to give the plants air." 



Beling asked if he kept his pansies in the 

 dark. Mr. Mills replied that he did. "A 

 glass cover," he said, " is not necessary, as a 

 door made of ^-inch stock makes as good 

 if not an even better cover." Asked if he 

 secured his seed in England or obtained it 

 here in Canada, Mr. Mills repUed it was pos- 

 sible to obtain good seed in this country'. 



" After you take the plants out in the 

 spring," he continued. " do not let them dry 

 out. See that they are given plenty of 

 water. Keep the blossoms well picked, so 

 that no seed can form, and they will bloom 

 continually until cold weather. In the old 

 country there are certain strains that grow- 

 ers do not allow to go to seed, propagating 

 them instead by means of cuttings. These 

 cuttings may be taken off in August by 

 breaking off the top three joints. Put 

 these in the ground, and they will root in 

 two or three weeks, after which they should 

 have the same treatment in the cold frame 

 as the seedlings received during the winter. 

 When planting cuttings, do not set them 

 where the sun will be likely to wilt them, as 

 they need a little shade and plenty of water. 

 Pansies like a rich soil ; a good sandy loam 

 is about the best soil for them." 



BORDER FLOWERS 



B 



ORDER FLOWERS " was the sub- 

 ject of an interesting illustrated 

 address given recently before the Guelph 

 Horticultural society by Mr. J. O. McCul- 

 loch, president of the Hamilton Horticul- 

 tural society. People can, in Mr. McCul- 

 loch's opinion, be more easily interested in 

 .flowers by showing them pictures of actual 

 growing plants than by talking about them. 

 He therefore had prepared a set of lan- 

 tern slides showing for the most part flow- 



ers grown in the neighborhood of Hamilton. 

 The first pictures were of spring flowers, 

 more particularly the Narcissi, as these are 

 not grown to the extent they should be. The 

 requirements are a soil rich in humus, but 

 no barnyard manure should come in con- 

 tact with the bulbs. Rotted leaves, with 

 the addition of a small quantity of bone- 

 meal, are the best fertilizers. A good half- 

 dozen varieties are the Emperor, Empress, 

 Barri Conspicuus, Sir Watkin, Poeticus and 



:^^3 



