CAN A DIA N UORTICUL TURIST. 



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THE CULTIVATION OF THE PANSY (COMBINED). 



Si.M.MKKH, Toronto 



IN the August issue of TiiE Horti- 

 (^ULTUUisT uieiition was made of 

 tlie difierent modern sections into which 

 the Pansy is chissirted, also a general out- 

 line. In this issue T purpose giving 

 some points as to the best mode of 

 cultivation. 1 would have liked this 

 to appear in the September, as it would 

 have suited the time of sowing better, 

 but even in the first mention of the 

 subject, some of the general growers 

 will have been reminded of the fact 

 that they should start the seed in 

 August. 



Sometimes people leave their old 

 hot bed frames remaining in the place 

 where they have been started, and I 

 could not suggest a more convenient 

 bed in which to start their seed. After 

 cleaning the weeds and such old plants 

 that may, perhaps, be remaining, you 

 proceed to sow the seed about three- 

 cjuarters of an inch deep, in rows of 

 four to six inches, or very similar to 

 the way the annuals have been started. 

 Again, with such seeds as have been 

 sown in the hot-bed during Spring, 

 after waids when the bed lias been 

 nicely dampened, you may cover it witii 

 hot-bed sashes, allowing a good deal of 

 air during daytime. Keep the bed so 

 covered until the seed has commenced 

 to germinate, then gradually removing 

 the sashes so that the plants may be- 

 come gradually liardened ott". Some- 

 times the glass is either whitewashed 

 or a canvas cover is tacked over the 

 glass, to keep the intense heat of!" 

 the young plants. I might here add that 

 the months of July or August would 

 be the best to sow .seed so that the 

 plants may be sulliciently strong to 

 stand our extreme cold winters. 



After removing the .sashes, great 

 care must be used not to do this too 

 ((uickly, as the plants will burn very 

 (juickly ; but this may ha done by each 

 day gradually lessening tlie number of 

 hours that you allow the sashes to re- 

 main on. When you have successfully 

 accomplished this care, and when the 

 plants Iiave got as far as their fourth, 

 fifth, or sixth leaf, plant out on some 

 cloudy day to any medium sliady place 

 in the garden. They may then be said 

 to have arrived at a sufficient stage to 

 stand the winter and allowed to remain 

 there until spring ; a very light cover- 

 ing of litter is all that is necessary to 

 protect them during winter, do not put 

 too much on, as it is pretty sure to rot 

 the plants. The period from sowing 

 until transplanting time should not be 

 longer than six weeks. Sometimes it 

 may take longer to develop plants, but 

 not, on an average, with good care. 

 After removing the litter in spring, and 

 having found the plants to have stood 

 the cold, again take up your plants and 

 transplant to the place you would wish 

 them to flower in, when I am certain 

 you will have plants flowering freely 

 the whole suunner. 



Some people may fancy tliis is rather 

 a long way to start pansies, but 1 have 

 plants grown in this way that are 

 flowering just as freely now and almost 

 as large a flower as when they were 

 started in the spring, and the plants 

 are strong and healthy and probably 

 will throw quite a considerable number 

 of flowers next year; try this and you 

 will be more than repaitl for your extra 

 trouble. Pansy seed may al.so be 

 started in the greenhouse or conser 

 vatory during the months of January 



