CHAPTER VIII 

 THE HARDIEST VIOLAS 



" Daughter of Spring's pure virgin light, 



That bringest unto me 

 More joys than Autumn's splendours bright 

 Of grove and sky and sea." 



IN the summer of 1907 the present writer arranged to carry 

 out an experiment, to extend over three years, for the pur- 

 pose of discovering those varieties of Violas which were 

 most perennial in their character. It is well known that a 

 great number of the most beautiful exhibition varieties will 

 not survive over a single winter if left standing in the open. 

 These varieties are often purchased because they look so 

 effective when staged on an exhibition table ; but dis- 

 appointment very often follows, unless they get into skilled 

 hands and are carefully propagated by cuttings each season. 

 It cannot be gainsaid that varieties which possess the 

 character of growing into clumps and surviving through 

 several winters in the open border are most advantageous 

 for many purposes. The trial, therefore, was undertaken 

 with the object of discovering which varieties would behave 

 in this way. The situation selected was in an open field 



