THE FLORISTS* MANUAL. 



221 



the young stock in May and lifting in 

 September, and planting in six. inches 

 of soil on a bench. If you are success- 

 ful that way keep on. I, however, have 

 seen many failures that way, and be- 

 lieve in and practice a method that is 

 I think more natural to the plant, and 

 by which method I have for several 

 seasons now been entirely successful. 

 Without mentioning the methods of 

 other people or what I don't practice 

 I will at once give my plan and expe- 

 rience. 



I have repeatedly tried both the run- 

 ners and division of the old plant, and 

 have decidedly the best results with 

 the runners, cut off in February and 

 put in the sand as we do other cut- 

 tings. As we use no bottom heat for 

 them flats with two inches of sand 

 will do just as well. When well root- 

 ed we pot into 2% -inch pots and keep 

 for a few weeks in a carnation house 

 temperature, and give them the full 

 light. By middle to end of April we 

 put them into a cold-frame and by 

 middle of May remove the sash entire- 

 ly. There they will grow stout and 

 strong. Early in June we plant them 

 about ten inches apart on the benches. 



I will stop here to say that a violet 

 house should be equal span, running 

 north and south, with solid beds. The 

 walls need not be over 2 feet high 

 and the paths can be dug out 1 foot, 

 which leaves the surface of the beds 

 at a convenient height to work; 19 

 feet is a good width, with two side 

 benches, two paths and a 6-foot 6-in. 

 middle bed. Although the plants in 

 the middle of the center bench are ten 

 feet from the glass they are just as 



Bed of Vinca Rosea. 



good as those on the side bench that 

 are only two feet from the glass. The 

 pipes are hung on the side walls a 

 foot above the plants; no heat 

 descends to cause red spider. Three 

 2-inch hot water pipes on each side 

 will heat this house very nicely. A 

 small house will do as well, but it is 

 n\uch cheaper to build the larger 

 house than two small ones. 



The beds being solid, we remove the 

 top six inches of soil and fork in some 

 bone dust another six inches deep, 

 then put on our new soil. A rather 

 heavy loam suits them best, but not at 

 all stiff. Violets don't like fresh ani- 

 mal manure and if the compost is put 

 up the fall previous it will be to ad- 

 vantage. It need not be turfy soil 

 such as you would look for in rose 

 growing. We have used the top five 

 inches of a clover sod and found it ex- 

 cellent. When piling it up add an 

 eighth of well rotted cow manure, and 

 when chopping over in spring for use 

 add half a peck of bone flour to every 

 cubic yard. Make the bed only moder- 

 ately firm. 



For two seasons we removed the 

 glass entirely. This you can do if your 

 roof is sash, or better still, butted 

 glass, but on building a larger house 

 we rather begrudged the labor and re- 

 moved only every third run of glass. 

 As the sun moves, or rather we do, 

 the same plants do not get the sun for 

 very long and when it rains those im- 

 mediately below get the benefit of the 

 rain, but that is easily regulated in 

 watering. The remainder of the glass 

 is shaded. This plan gives a perfect 

 circulation of air and keeps the house 



cool. If I could not remove the glass 

 then I would have a continuous foot of 

 ventilation in both side walls. 



The violets soon begin to grow and 

 need plenty of water during all times. 

 Up to New Year's you should keep the 

 runners cut off. Not the stout little 

 off shoots that are near the original 

 crown, let them remain, but the real 

 runners that make a growth of three 

 or four inches. During summer and 

 at all times violets must be kept 

 scrupulously clean. There is work 

 about them and so there is about any- 

 thing that there is an honest dollar in. 

 You must go over them repeatedly and 

 clean off imperfect flowers, yellow 

 leaves, etc. 



During July, August and September 

 the violets must be frequently syring- 

 ed to keep down red spider. Don't 

 sprinkle them just to make them 

 moist, but let them have a sharp, fine 

 stream with the hose every two or 

 three days, and remember the spider 

 is on the underside of the leaf. If you 

 let red spider get a foothold in August 

 you will have a great job to get rid of 

 them by October, when too much sy- 

 ringing would not be good, but syring- 

 ing in the hot months is beneficial. If 

 your violets are clean of spider by end 

 of September there is little fear of 

 your being troubled with them after 

 that. During winter they do not want 

 any syringing, but want plenty of 

 water at the roots, which can be given 

 copiously without wetting the leaves. 

 We put our glass in towards end of 

 September. Top ventilation is then 

 plenty. 



Firing should be put off till there is 



