iy2 



THE CANADIAN HORTICULTURIST. 



positively allow no blossom to develop for 

 some time, certainly not until plants are 

 established in their permanent bed, and if 

 you wish to grow for genuine display or 

 competition, or for quality, style and mag- 

 nificence of plant purely, it is best to sow 

 seed about July 15th to 20th and follow 

 these rules. And let this bed or cold frame, 

 be in such a place that some shelter from 

 wintery blasts will be secured. To assist 

 the young plants in their comjng safety 

 through the winter, as soon as the ground 

 is frozen hard, cover liberally with a light 

 mulch of short straw, or better still newly 

 fallen leaves, and do not remove this in the 

 opening spring, till the fear of hard frosts is 

 gone. This prevents damage from thawing 

 and freezing intermittingly, and when they 

 come out they go with a rush right into 

 their life work, which I should, personally, 

 prefer to be on the following lines. 



Presuming that the grower wishes to have 

 the greatest satisfaction in securing a bed of 

 large plants, crowned with a wealth of 

 richest blooms of magnificent size and 

 colors, he will in the season preceding have 

 prepared his permanent flowering bed by 

 enriching with well decomposed manure, a 

 deeply dug soil, well drained ; in location 

 such as to escape the fervid heat of the mid- 

 day summer sun, and the blighting winds ot 

 early and late season ; and, as soon as the 

 balmy days of spring appear, after frequently 

 stirring the soil of the new bed to destroy 

 weed life, retain moisture and gain warmth, 

 will transplant his beauties, yet unrevealed, 

 nine inches apart in the row and twelve 

 inches between the rows, noting what has 

 been said about the roots in planting, and 

 not burying the neck of the plant too deeply, 

 or gathering the soil about it so as to 

 smother and cause decay. Then dispose 

 the head of the plant, if already branched 

 in all directions. Pinch off every bud and, 

 if long in the runner, shorten one or two 

 joints with a clean cut. What you want 

 now is root development and spreading top. 



Stir the soil diligently, never allowing the 

 plant to suffer for want of water. If water- 

 ing is a necessity attend to this late in the 

 afternoon rather than in the morning. Con- 

 tinue to carefully pick off all buds till, say, 

 July or even later. In the meantime, top 

 dress with some well rotted manure and 

 work well into the upper inch or two of soil 

 with the hoe. And as pansies are very gross 

 feeders, you will soon discover they have 

 assinulated in their full development all 

 nutrients within immediate reach. So now, 

 that is about August, to give a fresh stim- 

 ulus to growth and increased vigor for their 

 supreme effort in the unfolding of a vast 

 number simultaneously, of richly painted, 

 thick petalled, immensely large regular 

 blooms, begin at one side of the bed and 

 carefully take away the soil near to the row 

 of plants (all along side the plants) deep 

 enough to receive the whole plant with good 

 depth of roots ; then move bodily each plant 

 and settle it nicely and firmly into the place 

 made for it, drawing the soil from the 

 middle of the two rows towards it and con- 

 tinue this until your whole bed of plants now 

 stands where the unoccupied soil was before. 

 This accomplishes two things : first, by this 

 root pruning you check redundant gross 

 growth and promote floriferousness. and 

 secondly, it provides fresh nutrients for 

 enlarged blooms and lengthened life. 



When in fullest glory never allow 

 the blossoms to remain on the plant any 

 length of time, but pluck in full freshness 

 and take in-doors and distribute to your 

 friends, the sick, the churches, the doctor's 

 offices, drug stores ; mail to the hospitals, 

 sick children, particularly ; and you w'ill still 

 have the more to send. Lastly, if you wish 

 to preserve a few choice ones for seed, 

 remove to other quarters, and use slops or 

 light dressing of salt before planting, then 

 when the seed food turns the least brown 

 pluck and dry in a box with holes in. 



F. Bacon. 



Orillia. 



