July 27, 1876. ] 



JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 



65 







WEEKLY CALENDAR 

















Day 



Day 





Average 













Clock 



Day 



of 



of 



JULY 27— AUG. 2, 1876. 



Temperature near 





Sets. 









before 



of 



Month 



Week. 





London. 













Sun. 



Year. 









Day. 



Night. 



Mean. 



h. m. 



h. m. 



h. m. 



h. m. 



Days. 



m. a. 





27 



Th 



Aberdeen Show. 



74.9 



50.7 



62.8 



4 19 



7 54 



28 



10 8 



6 



6 14 



208 



28 



F 



Queckett (Microscopical) Club Anniversary at 8 P.ai. 



76.4 



50.8 



63.6 



4 20 



7 52 



1 46 



10 24 



D 



6 13 



209 



29 



S 



Brighouse and Saltaire Shows. 



75.5 



49.9 



62.7 



4 22 



7 51 



8 3 



10 44 



8 



6 11 



210 



30 



Sun 



7 Sunday after Tbinity. 



75.2 



50.2 



62.7 



4 23 



7 49 



3 17 



11 12 



9 



6 9 



211 



31 



M 





74.9 



50.0 



62.4 



4 25 



7 48 



5 24 



11 50 



10 



6 6 



212 



1 



Ttr 



Kilsby Show. 



75.6 



50.4 



60.3 



4 46 



7 46 



6 19 



morn. 



11 



6 



213 



2 



W 



Heworth Show. 



75.3 



50.9 



63.1 



4 27 



7 44 



7 1 



41 



12 



5 58 



214 



From observations taken near London during forty-three years, the average day temperature 



of the week is 75.1°; and its night temperature 



50.4°. 







PANSIES EKOM SEED. 



OR general decorative purposes a more useful 

 flower or a more lasting one is not to be 

 found than the Pansy. Its beauty is un- 

 questionable ; it does not grow rampant, but 

 takes up httle room. It is available for 

 arrangement in a multiplicity of forms — in 

 single patches, in beds, or in lines in borders. 

 The colours planted in rows to harmonise, 

 in a circular or other shaped bed will be 

 found to look well. I do not mean the self- 

 coloured varieties in white, yellow, blue, and black, but 

 the show kinds in selfs, yellow, and white- grounds ; whilst 

 the fancy varieties make splendid beds of many shades 

 of colour. 



Setting aside the harmony sought by an arrangement 

 of distinct colours, I consider a mixed bed of Pansies in 

 which there is such a blending of colour as to produce no 

 decisive or prevailing hue most attractive. The flowers are 

 so varied, and yet each plant maintains its individuality, 

 and a rich mass of floral beauty is provided calculated to 

 fill the eye at'a distance. In a bed of mixed Pansies we 

 have beauty of form, extreme diversification, and richly- 

 varied colours. The eye has no greater love than for 

 colour, especially the colours of nature : hence the desire 

 of producing coloured representations of objects exciting 

 our interest and admiration, and yet we are not to abstain 

 from the study of a subject because it presents variable 

 phenomena. Of this class are seedling florists' flowers, 

 especially Pansies, which are so sportive that many va- 

 rieties will come from one pod of seed ; so that if seed is 

 had from a few varieties there is no lack in colour and 

 shades, which in form, substance, and marking cannot, if 

 good seed be had, fail to afford pleasure to all lovers of 

 plants. To those who care to examine a flower for its 

 beauty I know of none in which it is to be found more 

 abundantly than the Pansy. And when we consider that 

 for the same money as would purchase a good variety as 

 much seed may be purchased as will afford plants in 

 variety to stock a good breadth of ground, I am surprised 

 that this and kindred subjects are not more generally 

 raised from seed, most persons being much more proud 

 of a collection of plants of their own raising than of a 

 stock wholly produced by others. Besides Pansies from 

 cuttings when apparently growing satisfactorily suddenly 

 droop, become paralysed, and die ; but with plants from 

 seed this liability of the Pansy to sudden collapse is re- 

 duced to a minimum, and in not too rich soil is altogether 

 avoided. 



The raising of the Pansy from seed is a very simple 

 process. I usually sow about the middle of July to early 

 in August in light moderately rich soil on a sheltered 

 border in rows about 8 inches apart, scattering the seeds 

 in the drills rather thinly, covering lightly with fine soil, 

 and keeping moist to insure the certain germination of 

 the seeds. By the end of September the plants will be 

 fit to put out in beds, which should be deeply dug and 

 liberally manured, a well-ameliorated soil being of more 



No. 831).— Von. XXXI., New SesiES. 



consequence than a rich one. I allow a distance of a foot 

 between the rows, and of 9 inches in the rows from plant 

 to plant. Plants from the late July or early August 

 sowing will commence flowering with the mild weather 

 of spring and continue up to July or August. 



A summer bloom is best had by seeds sown the first 

 fortnight of September in a warm corner at the bottom 

 of a wall or other shelter, transplanting to the flowering 

 quarter in spring. For a late summer and autumn bloom 

 Beed should be sown in March in boxes or pans, affording 

 a little heat until the plants appear, when all the air 

 possible should be admitted, and after being hardened-oft 

 planted out where intended to bloom. 



An open situation is the only one suitable ; but if the 

 situation be such as to afford shade in the middle of the 

 day without being overhung by trees, such a position is 

 desirable in dry hot weather ; and though a free soil is 

 requisite with freedom from stagnant moisture no plant 

 is more grateful for coolness and moisture than this. 



To obtain a succession of bloom cut with discretion a 

 portion of the branches near the stem, and in their stead 

 will arise young shoots. This must be done before the 

 plants are much exhausted, commencing as soon as the 

 plants are well established in size, and if care be taken 

 to occasionally pick off the flower stems as the flowers 

 fade the continuance and superiority of the bloom will be 

 greatly furthered. If seed be wanted it will not, of course, 

 answer to remove the pods ; but I would not advise any- 

 one to save seed except from the best flowers and first- 

 class varieties, and then, unless cross-breeding be resorted 

 to, little improvement can be looked for, as the climax 

 of perfection is about attained by the usual process of 

 selection of seed from the best flowers of first-class 

 varieties. 



Now, in crossing a few hints may be found serviceable. 

 Select the very best flowers only for seeding, and the same 

 in the flowers from whence the pollen is to be taken, taking 

 care that for white grounds both parents are of one shade 

 in the ground colour, yellow grounds the same, also selfs. 

 When the seed-bearing flower is rather less than half 

 expanded remove the lower petal of the flower altogether, 

 which will keep it from being fertilised by its own pollen, 

 and from the male flower the stigma may be removed, 

 which will assist the development of the stamens, allow- 

 ing all the petals to remain. When the stigma is in a 

 fitting condition for impregnation — noticeable by its con- 

 cavity and viscid appearance — search for ripe pollen, 

 which will be found embedded in the hollow curve of the 

 lower petal near the extreme point. Pulling off tbis 

 petal very gently take it to the intended seed-bearer, and 

 gently from the base guide the apex of the stigma all 

 along the hollow of the pollen-containing petal, in which 

 way it is hardly possible to fail in filling the mouth of the 

 pistil with ripened pollen. If the stigma be in proper 

 condition the swelling of the ovary will witness the com- 

 pletion of fertilisation. The pollen may be taken from 

 the extracted petal and applied to the stigma with a small 

 camel-hair pencil. I do not think it needful to remove 

 the stamens from the seed-bearer to prevent self-impreg- 



No. 1452.— Vol. LVI„ Old Seetes. 



