On the Cultivation of the Pansy. 313 



To keep up a succession of large blooms, pluck off all 

 small or otherwise inferior blossoms. Those that grow for 

 competition only, often destroy the whole of the bloom for 

 a few days to ensure a fine head, and a good choice for 

 any particular occasion. At all times keep the plants clean 

 of dead leaves. The side-shoots, and those that continue 

 to break up from the root, must be kept down when 

 large blooms are indispensable, whether they are required 

 for increase or not. 



JUNE. 



The operations in this month will be very similar to the 

 preceding one. The weather having become more hot, the 

 cuttings will require closer attention ; and the first thing to 

 be done, on observing a fine flower in the seedling-bed, should 

 be to put in a few cuttings ; as we have before shown how 

 little notice a plant gives before it dies, during the heat of 

 May and June. Plants, that appear to be full of health and 

 vigor in the morning, will be down before midday, as if they 

 had been severed with a knife. On examining them, it will 

 be found that the spine is black and diseased to the extremity 

 of the shoots. Many fine seedlings have been lost for want 

 of this precaution. 



Examine the choice kinds, and gather what seed is suffi- 

 ciently ripe, or the sparrows will very likely save you that 

 trouble. When gathered, it should be placed so that it can 

 be covered with glass or thin canvass ; otherwise, at the 

 bursting of the pods, many good seeds will be lost. Of 

 course it must not be covered down air-tight, as it will re- 

 quire all the air it can have to ripen and dry it off. 



JULY. 



Many of the cuttings, put in from time to time, will have 

 taken root. Those for autumn-blooming may be planted out 

 at once ; and a cool spot selected, and prepared with plenty 

 of coarse sand, to transplant the remainder into for stock- 

 plants. Keep the surface of the soil removed between those 

 cuttings in process of striking, and clean the cuttings of all 

 dead foliage. It should be borne in mind, that the situation 



VOL. XV. — NO. vn. 40 



