GARDEN FLOWERS. 3/3 



herbaceous plants, almost all of which are hardy. The 

 first to be mentioned is the Sweet Violet, V. odorata, 

 of which the common wild forms should be planted in 

 abundance in every shrubbery for the sake of their sweet 

 blossoms. For general cultivation, the varieties known as 

 the Neapolitan, the Russian, and the Tree-violet, are the 

 best. The Russian is quite hardy, and requires only to be 

 planted in rich soil, which must be renewed, in part at least, 

 annually. The others need higher culture. To grow the 

 Neapolitan a bed of rich light soil must be made up ; 

 and about the beginning of May, the old plants must be 

 divided into two, three, or more, according to their size. 

 These young plants are put out, and carefully watered, when 

 necessary, through the summer ; and are either allowed to 

 bloom in these beds, some protection being afforded them to 

 keep off heavy rains and frost, or they are taken up about 

 the end of September, potted, and the pots kept in a cold 

 dry frame during winter, with such other protection as the 

 season renders necessary. They may be forced in frames 

 by the application of gentle heat : and by this means, it is 

 no unusual thing, with the luxurious, to have violets all the 

 winter. The Tree-violet is a double-flowered, dark variety, 

 which, if kept trained to a single stem, acquires the appear- 

 ance of a miniature tree. This requires to be grown as a 

 hardy plant in frames ; the soil being turfy loam, decomposed 

 cow-dung, and leaf-mould in equal parts. To. secure the 

 tree-like habit, the crown of vigorous young plants must be 

 encouraged to push upwards by the removal of all lateral 

 growth ; otherwise this variety spreads out its runners just 

 like other violets. There are several other varieties of the 

 Sweet Violet ; but these are the best. The whole genus, 

 with one or two tender exceptions, are worth cultivating as 

 hardy perennials. They grow very freely in, good garden 



