Culture of the Violet. 573 



examination of the root of a good plant, many growing buds 

 will be perceived : in the month of February I take off two 

 or three of these buds, with part of the fleshy root, according 

 to the size of the plant ; I then insert them in the common 

 way, in sand, under a bell glass, give them a little water, and 

 place them in the front of the stove, where they can have as 

 much light as possible. As there is no occasion to shade 

 them, in ten days they are ready to pot. I water the cutting 

 pot, and turn them out ; putting only one plant in a pot, in a 

 mixture of vegetable mould and peat earth. After potting I 

 give them water, and place them in a shady part of the house 

 till I perceive the heart leaves growing ; afterwards I expose 

 them in the light. In March they are removed to the green- 

 house, where they can have plenty of air; in May they are 

 turned out on a border where I grow the Ghent azalea, 

 Azalea Zedifolia, rhododendrons, kalmias, ledums, andromedas, 

 Gaultherm Shdllon, and North American azaleas, and where 

 the O'xalis flourishes, showing a profusion of red flowers till 

 October, when I pot the plants, and place them in the green- 

 house until the following year. I remain, Sir, yours, &c. 

 Hope House, near Halifax*, John Menzies. 



January 24. 1832. 



De Candolle states (Megn. Veg. Syst. Nat. i. p. 244.) that 

 ^Ranunculus ^arnassifolius L. inhabits the rocks of the Alps 

 and Pyrenees at the point contiguous to eternal snow, and 

 that there it flowers in summer : these facts may further hint 

 the plant's requirements under artificial culture. — J. D. 



Art. XX. On the Culture of the Heartsease Violet. By Mr. Ar- 

 chibald Gorrie, F.H.S. and C.H.S., &c. 



Sir, 

 Some seven or eight years since, I was presented with two 

 violets by a respected friend* (on his leaving this part of the 

 country), with an injunction that I should pay attention to 

 their culture. From respect to my friend, attention to my 

 beautiful charge became a pleasant duty; and any little care 

 I bestowed has been amply repaid by a profuse and beautiful 

 variety of that lowly and charming tribe of plants. Having 

 obtained what were reckoned some good varieties, I distri- 

 buted them among several of my professional brethren, 

 which answered two purposes I had in view : the first, to 



* Mr. Brown, late of the Kinnoul nurseries. 



