306 On the Cultivation of the Pansy. 



beds, and those for pot culture protected in cold frames. 

 The beds, if not already done, should be gone over without 

 delay; peg down all loose long branches, and cover them 

 with light fine soil, leaving the point of the shoot and foliage 

 above the surface. It will be equally advantageous to place 

 a little similar soil round those plants of upright growth. 

 This will steady them in bad weather, and help to secure 

 the plants against frosty winds, which often prove destruct- 

 ive ; and to complete their security, place a small glass or 

 flower-pot over each plant during such Aveather, and on 

 frosty nights, removing them as soon and as often as the 

 weather will permit. 



Those in frames must be looked over often. Clean them 

 of dead leaves, and stir the surface of the soil ; give as much 

 air as possible on all favorable occasions, and keep them 

 moderately dry. 



Those intended for blooming in pots under glass should be 

 repotted finally about the first of February. A 7-inch pot 

 will be the most proper and useful size ; but as some grow 

 much more vigorously than others, a size larger or a size 

 smaller may be used, according to the habit of the plant, but 

 the principal part should be in a 7-inch size. As pot culture 

 is becoming every season more general, and is by far the 

 best and most certain mode of obtaining early bloom, we 

 shall give full directions under this head. 



The soil should be turfy loam, well decomposed, mixed 

 with rotten stable-manure and leaf-mould. To half a bar- 

 rowful of each of the latter, with two and a half barrows of 

 loam, add coarse sand or grit from the washing of a stream, 

 in quantity according to the nature of the loam. This com- 

 post should be well mixed during the summer, and occasion- 

 ally turned over, looking for wire worm, &c. 



We must suppose that in the first week in October a selec- 

 tion had been made from the beds of young plants of such 

 as are intended for blooming in pots, which should be short 

 and healthy ; that they were potted in small pots, in soil 

 above described ; and that they were placed where they had 

 protection from heavy rains. We must also suppose that the 

 remainder of the soil has been preserved for the final repot- 

 ting, and been well frosted in the interval, and kept in a 



