SWEET VIOLETS 57 



wireworm is about an inch long, of a yellow colour, hard and 

 wiry to the touch. They work underground and eat into the 

 stem, working up the centre of the plant, and the first sign of 

 its being there is the decay of the leaves. By that time the 

 worm has gone into the ground again, and is probably engaged 

 on another plant. For pot plants it is best to look the potting 

 soil well over when it is being mixed. In the open garden 

 a good plan is to dig in a coating of fresh gas lime about six 

 months before planting out the Carnations. Slices of carrots 

 inserted in the soil attract the wireworms ; these traps may 

 be examined three times in a week and destroyed. 



Aphides, or green -fly, if allowed to increase, do more 

 mischief than most people imagine ; they suck the juices of 

 the plants, and cause them to become polluted by their excre- 

 ments, the leaves becoming dirty and sticky from the glutinous 

 substances. They spread rapidly in warm weather, but can 

 always be destroyed with tobacco smoke, or the plants may 

 be dipped in a solution of soft-soapy water, two ounces to the 

 gallon. This will also kill them. 



The small yellow thrips are also most troublesome on the 

 choice show Carnations, and quite spoil the beautiful Flakes 

 and Bizarres. The pest attacks the unfolded petals of the 

 Carnations even before the colour is seen bursting from the 

 calyx. The white ground Picotees are also much disfigured 

 by it. As soon as the plants can be taken into the greenhouse 

 and smoked the insects are killed. It is always more frequent 

 upon pot plants than upon those grown in the open garden. 



SWEET VIOLETS AND THEIR CULTURE 



The fragrant Violet of the shady bank and wayside is wel- 

 come always, and of late years many beautiful forms have 

 been raised with flowers almost as large as a Pansy, and filled 

 with richest odour. Many possessors of quite small gardens 

 grow them with success. 



The soil, position, or treatment afforded must be bad 

 indeed when Sweet Violets fail to grow ; but even when the 

 two former leave nothing to be desired, a feast of bloom 

 throughout the winter is not always obtained. It is only the 

 skill of the grower that makes the plants flower well during 

 the short, sunless days of winter. In the following notes I 

 will endeavour to give some practical hints which may assist 

 others to grow Violets to perfection. 



Outdoor Violets. Soil Violets will grow in almost any 

 soil, though, in common with most other plants, they succeed 



