Round the Year in the Garden 



of leaves and soil will shrink to some extent, the plants 

 ought almost to touch the glass at first. The frame need 

 not be heated by means of hot-water pipes, though these 

 are certainly advantageous, for with their help the atmo- 

 sphere in the frame can be kept dry in dull, wet weather. 

 The secrets of success are to keep the Violets perfectly 

 cool, admitting air whenever the weather conditions 

 render this advisable, and to give water only when the 

 soil is fairly dry. In the absence of these precautions the 

 leaves and flowers will "damp off" and the Violets will 

 be a failure. Dead and decaying leaves should be picked 

 off. A troublesome fungoid disease known as Viola rust 

 sometimes attacks the plants, and its presence may be 

 recognised by patches of orange-coloured rust on the 

 foliage. Diseased leaves ought to be removed and the 

 plants syringed with sulphide of potassium, J oz. in 

 1 gallon of water. It is possible to have Violets in early 

 spring without going to the trouble of preparing a hotbed, 

 though this is essential in most gardens to enable one to 

 obtain winter Violets. If a frame is placed over the 

 Violet bed out of doors, the plants will bloom earlier and 

 the flowers will be finer. Some of the best Violets for 

 winter cultivation in a frame are Marie Louise, double 

 mauve-blue, Comte de Brazza, double white, and Lady 

 Hume Campbell, double lavender-blue. 



Making a Rock Garden. In forming a rock garden 

 it is essential to provide proper drainage unless the soil 

 is so sandy or gravelly that it remains comparatively 

 dry in winter. The site should be dug out to the depth 

 of 12 inches and filled with broken bricks or such other 

 material as will serve the same purpose. It is too much 

 to ask that some cartloads of special soil mixture shall 

 be made up, so the staple soil must be rendered suitable. 

 If it is stiff and holds the water in winter it should 

 be made lighter by the free admixture of grit, small 

 pieces of sandstone or brick, lime rubble, and sand. As 

 a further aid, prepared compost may be used immediately 



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