THE CANADIAN HORTICULTUEIST. 23 



THE PANSY. 



BY MRS. JAS. DAVIDSON, in lov^a State Horticultural Society's Rejport. 



The pansy fTto^ tricolor) vfSi& imported from Europe, and originally 

 called heartsease. The French called it pensee, from which comes the 

 name pansy. It seems to be a law in this busy world that nothing 

 desirable is attained without labor. This is especially true of pansy cul- 

 ture; it is equally true that they amply repay our care and attention. 



They will gi-ow and bloom when indifferently cared for; but li fine, large 

 Jiowers are desii ed, certain conditions must be comf)lied with. Several years 

 experience, as an amateur, have taught me, that the plant requires a certain 

 location, treatment and soil to bring it to perfection. 



Good plants can be procured from the florist, or grown from seeds. My 

 own method has been, to sow seeds, about the first of April, in a shallow box 

 of tine, mellow soil ; sjjrinkle a little soil on the seeds, barely covering 

 them. Place u])on the top a couple of thicknesses of newspa]>er, the exact 

 size of the box ; keep the paper wet till the seeds sprout, then uncover and 

 gradually give sun and air. 



It is necessary to have strong, vigorous ))lants, and much care must be 

 exercised at this period to keep the young plants strong and healthy. Sun 

 and air must lie freely given. If kept too damp and warm, they will grow 

 slender and sickly. 



As soon as danger from frost is over, remove to the open ground ; water 

 freely, and blossoms will soon follow, which will grow larger as the weather 

 grows cooler. Seeds sown in the onen ground in June will bloom late in the 

 fall. 



In the location and preparation of the soil lies the secret of success in 

 pansy culture. 



First, the location should be on the north side of the house; allow no 

 shrub, tree, or other obstacle, to obstruct the sun's rays; the object being 

 to get the full benefit of the morning sun, and at the same time be protected 

 from its mid-day heat. 



Secondly, the soil. Mark out the required dimensions of the pansy bed ; 

 dig down eighteen inches; remove the dirt and replace it with leaf-mould, 

 sand, and well rotted manure. If leaf mould is unattainable, get as light 

 and porous a soil as possible ; the earth immediately under a turf that has 

 been undisturbed for years, is excellent. 



The pansy likes plenty of water, but it must not be allowed to stand on 

 the bed. If the soil is light and porous, as it should be, there will be little 

 danger. Liquid manure should be used once a week. The soil can hardly 

 be too rich for pansies. 



If flowers are the chief object, do not let the seeds ripen. If, however, 

 you desire to .save seeds, select a few plants for that )>urpose, and keep the 

 pods picked off* from the others, the same plants not producing as largo 

 flowers, if permitted to ripen seed. After blossoming freely, pinch back, and 

 morp buds will soon follow, 



