Culture of the Violet. 575 



mazarine blue, tinged with purple, approaching to a self; 

 the eye something like the Superb in form, but the side 

 and lower petals are in better proportion with those above ; 

 the colour of the eye is light yellow. Of the selfs, or one- 

 coloured, these have been named : — liobina, with all the petals 

 light blue, something waved, eye yellow or gold colour, finely 

 radiate, and flower large; Miss Neil, petals bright purple, 

 eye small, orange-coloured, finely radiate, flower much longer 

 than broad ; Miss Paul, petal similarly coloured with the 

 above, eye larger, bright yellow, radiate. Of several fine 

 white flowers, the only one yet named here, besides the old 

 altaica, the parent, is the " Belle Blanche .-" it was raised by 

 Robert Bell, a shoemaker in Rait village. The flower measures 

 in length two inches, and in breadth one inch and three fourths. 

 The eye is yellow, marked above with two deeply coloured 

 blue spots. A beautifully shaped cream-coloured flower has 

 appeared this season ; it has the honour of being named, by 

 request, Jesse. The eye is a gold colour, radiate, with 

 black pencilled lines in every direction. A very large and 

 beautiful purple self, with a bright eye, is named Catherine 

 of Gowrie ; it is larger than the old grandiflora ; another, with 

 dark waved petals, is named Eliza. These three should 

 stand together in a collection. The Duffidna is a fine black 

 dingy violet, raised by the village dominie, Mr. DufF. Phe- 

 mie's Highland Mountain is a large, pale, yellow hybrid, 

 between the altaica and lutea. Gome's Incomparable is 

 one of the finest yellows yet seen in this country. Such are 

 a few of those already reckoned worthy of being named : 

 new and beautiful varieties are daily being produced, which 

 repay the cultivator in a very short space from the time of 

 sowing. Violets flower here from the middle of April till the 

 middle of June, when the sun's heat becomes too strong 

 for them ; they commence again about the middle of August, 

 and continue to display their brilliant hues till prevented by 

 the frost. They delight in a rich and highly manured soil. 

 The properties of a good violet are reckoned to be, large 

 and round petals, the flower forming nearly a circle, not 

 much undulated ; colours distinct and permanent ; eye rather 

 small, and not deeply pencilled ; flower-stalk strong and 

 straight ; and the stigma filling the open part of the eye. 



I am, Sir, yours, &c. 



Archibald Gorrie. 

 Annat Gardens, June 11. 1832. 



I 



Wi\l, JfUikii; 



