VIOLA 



VIOLA AND PANSY OBDEIi 



VIOLA 231 



remnants of spent mushroom beds is 

 beneficial. It not only prevents the 

 moisture in the soil from evaporating too 

 quickly, but also stifles the weeds, if any. 

 A gentle watering in the cool of the 

 summer evening is also most refreshing 

 to the plants. 



If the plants are too much crowded, 

 or in too hot a position, they are liable to 

 be attacked in the first case by green-fly, 

 and in the second by red-spider. Both 

 these pests, however, may be kept at bay 

 by frequent use of the syringe, using clean 

 hot water (say 80°-120° F.). Dusting 

 with fine sulphur is a good remedy, but 

 it makes the plants very unsightly. 



Forcing Sweet Violets. — ^Where cold 

 frames exist in any garden, Sweet 

 Violets may with advantage be grown in 

 them for flowering during the winter and 

 early spring. The plants should be 

 lifted about the end of September from 

 the open ground and planted in rich soil 

 in the frames, with the foliage as near 

 the glass as possible. The plants should 

 be thoroughly watered in, and kept close, 

 that is, no air, or very little, should be 

 admitted for aboiit a week or ten days 

 after planting, so that the roots may 

 more quickly take a hold of the new soil. 

 After this and throughout the winter, on 

 favourable days, plenty of air may be 

 given, and the lights may even be removed 

 altogether on mild sunny days. Winter 

 fogs are very injurious to both leaves 

 and flowers, the former damping off, the 

 latter remaining imdeveloped. 



Most of the varieties named above are 

 suitable for growing in frames, but Marie 

 Louise, Comte Brazza, and the Neapolitan 

 (or Parma) Violets are the best. 



Sweet Violets are easily increased by 

 simply dividing the crowns after flower- 

 ing, and planting about 9 in. apart in rich 

 soil, in a somewhat shaded place. Fine 

 flowering plants may also be obtained 

 from seed, which should be sown as soon 

 as ripe, or during the spring months as 

 recommended above for the species in 

 general, p. 228. 



V. palustris. — A native of the swamps 

 and bogs in Great Britain and Ireland, 

 chiefly in the northern parts. Eootstock 

 white scaly, creeping. Leaves kidney- or 

 heart - shaped, slightly crenate, with 

 gland-like stipules. Flowers fi?om April 

 to July, I in. across, white or Klac, scent- 

 less ; side petals almost smooth ; spur 

 short, blunt. 



Culture do. as above for the species in 

 general, p. 228. 



V. pedata (F. flabelUfoUa ; V. flahel- 

 lata). —Bird's Foot Violet. — A beautiful 

 N. American species with a thick rootstock. 

 Leaves pedately divided, something like 

 a bird's foot, with linear lance-shaped 

 leaflets, entire or deeply 3- toothed at 

 apex, sometimes very narrow and much 

 cut ; stipules ciliated. Flowers in May 

 and June, usually bright blue, sometimes 

 pale or white, large ; petals smooth ; spur 

 very short ; stigma large and thick, 

 margined, obliquely truncate. 



The variety atropurpurea has incised, 

 wedge-shaped leaf segments, dark purple 

 flowers and a downy pistil. Bicolor is a 

 rare and handsome variety, with the 2 

 upper petals deep velvety violet. It does 

 not grow equally well in all places, and 

 requires special care. The form called 

 alba has white flowers. 



Culture do. as above for the species 

 in general, p. 228. 



V. pedunculata. — A Californian species 

 with rhomboid-ovate leaves about 1 in. 

 long, rather thick, coarsely and bluntly 

 toothed, and abruptly narrowed at the 

 base. Flowers in spring, large, deep 

 yellow ; petals broadly obovate, the 2 

 upper ones conspicuously clawed, the 

 side ones bearded at the base ; spur very 

 short. 



Culture do. as above for the species in 

 general, p. 228. 



V. pinnata. — A species ft'om the 

 mountains of S. Europe and Siberia. 

 Leaves deeply divided into 4 or 5 segments, 

 each 3-parted or pinnatifid, jagged and 

 very narrow. Flowers in early summer, 

 pale blue, with darker veins, the 2 side- 

 petals bearded ; sepals ovate ; spur broad, 

 nearly straight. 



Culture do. as above, p. 228. 



V. praemorsa. — A North American 

 species, usually densely hairy, with short 

 erect stems. Leaves ovate lance-shaped, 

 repandly toothed or almost entire ; stipules 

 entire. Flowers in spring, rather large, 

 yeUow; lower petal vei];ied with brown, 

 emarginate ; spur very short. 



Culture do. as above, p. 228. 



V. pubescens. — A softly downy species 

 6-12 in. high, native of N. America. 

 Stems simple erect, naked below, 2-4 

 leaved above. Leaves broadly heart- 

 shaped, toothed, somewhat pointed; 



