THE PANSY 



189 



attempt having- been made to harden and 

 prepare them for this sudden and decided 

 change in their surroundings. 



The result of this harsh and unnatural 

 treatment is soon apparent. The plants 

 soon lose the beautiful rich color and mark- 

 ings of their foliage, and unless the weather 

 is very favorable it is possible that they may 

 be entirely denuded of their foliage. 



It is almost impossible to harden plants 

 off successfully in a small greenhouse or 

 conservatory where there is a mixed collec- 

 tion of plants. By keeping the ventilators 

 open at night, or even late in the evening 

 and not shading too heavily, much can be 

 done in the way of hardening- plants. But 

 this plan is not advisable wheie there is 

 even a small collection .of plants such as ex- 

 otic ferns, fancy caladiums, foliage be- 

 gonias, etc., as these require shade and 

 heat to bring them to perfection. 



There is no better plan to harden plants 

 intended for summer use out of doors, -than 

 standing them outside under the shade of 

 trees, or standing them on a border or walk 

 on the north side of a fence or buildings so 

 that they are protected from the direct rays 

 of the sun for a few hours at mid-day, and 

 from cold biting winds and slight frosts. A 

 week or ten days in this position will gradu- 

 ally harden the foliage of tender plants, and 



avoid the anxiety and loss that is often 

 caused by hurrying tender plants out direct 

 from greenhouse or conservatory to exposed 

 positions outside. 



This hardening-off process will be found 

 to be beneficial, not only to tender green- 

 house plants, but also to plants raised in 

 the window, or in any position where they 

 have not been hitherto exposed to direct sun 

 and air. 



If dull warm weather could be depended 

 on for a few days, when placing- plants out 

 doors, all trouble of hardening-off would t>e 

 avoided. But it is seldom that much dull, 

 cloudy weather is experienced toward the 

 end of May or early in June, to favor us in 

 this respect. 



I have written these few remarks more as 

 seasonable reminders than notes of instruc- 

 tion to readers of the journal. I know from 

 experience that matters of this kind are of- 

 tentimes forgotten and lost sight of in our 

 anxiety to have the flower-garden and lawn 

 looking bright and gay as early in the sea- 

 son as possible. Recollections of past ex- 

 perience and failures too often occur to us, 

 when the results of neglect and forgetful- 

 ness have become too apparent to allow of 

 their being remedied very easily. 



W. Hunt. 



Hamilton. 



THE PANSY—" FOR THOUGHTS." 



" Of all the bonny buds that blow, 

 In bright or cloudy weather, 

 Of all the flowers that come and go 



The whole twelve months together. 

 The little purple pansy brings 

 Thoughts of the sweetest, saddest ihings. " 



— Mary E. Bradley. 



"Is there not a soul beyond utterance, half 

 nymph, half child, in those delicate petals which 

 glow, and breathe about the centres of deep color." 

 — George Eliot. 



■F THE writer had such conceptions of 



the elegance and soulfulness of the 



pansy of the not distant past, what 



,^ would be the sentiment of the surpass- 



ing splendors of the many families perfected 

 in the present time ? 



The last few years have seen most remark" 

 able developments in the pansy world. First, 

 departures from the rich self-colorings 

 seemed to be in the direction of wild 

 irregular splashings in the color and mark- 

 ings, with greatest dimensions, regardless 

 of symmetry and the striking effect of the 

 clearly defined eye. Afterwards came, in 

 evidence of the aesthetic tastes of the 

 Parisians in perfecting, the beautifully 



