4 PANSY, VIOLA AND VIOLET 



and is decidedly the best flower of its kind that has ever 

 been submitted to public inspection." 



From this time forth, by patience and application, the 

 Pansy in its various forms was slowly but surely evolved, 

 until the present time when we possess an infinite 

 number of varieties of almost all shades of colour, from 

 the pure white of the Tufted Pansy (Viola) to the purple 

 and crimson colours of the Fancy Pansy. In fact we 

 may say all the colours of the spectrum, with the excep- 

 tion of green, are represented. There have been several 

 black varieties, but these have been superseded, as is 

 well, their only recommendation being that of novelty. 

 So far as we have been able to ascertain, no green 

 variety has yet been raised, but even if it ever is, it will 

 have no use in the garden, but can only be regarded as 

 a monstrosity. 



As there seems to be a great amount of uncertainty 

 in the minds of many people as to the difference between 

 the various types of the Pansy, perhaps it would be well 

 to quote a passage from " the Garden" of l6th January 

 1892, which should clear up any doubt or difficulty 

 which may have arisen in the mind of the reader. 

 Speaking of the Tufted Pansy (commonly known as the 

 Viola) it says : 



" These are hybrids of Pansies and Alpine Violets. 

 The term * tufted ' has been very properly used to 

 distinguish plants of a spreading habit, like Pinks, 

 Aubretia and Alpine Violets, from plants with single erect 

 stems like, say, the Stock, Lupine, and Aster. Sometimes 

 the two forms of habit occur in the same family ; for 

 instance, there are Violas that are tufted and Violas that 

 are not the German, French, and other Pansies in our 

 gardens do not spread at the root as the Tufted Pansies 

 do. Plants of this ' tufted ' habit are often a mass of 

 delicate rootlets even above the ground, so that they are 

 easily increased. Hence when older Pansies die after 



