COLD AND ALPINE PLANT HOUSES 53 



laying heavy planks across to keep things down. Violets 

 show their dislike x for a close atmosphere by damping 

 off, and the flowers failing to open. Thus smoky fogs 

 are very injurious, and in towns it sometimes becomes 

 impossible to produce violets. Pot violets produce ex- 

 cellent flowers in 6-inch pots. Pot in September and 

 place in cool pits. They are valuable for rooms, as 

 violets on the plants retain their fragrance beyond those 

 cut. These latter lose their best perfume before they 

 fade. Varieties are numerous. A course to be much 

 recommended to those commencing violet culture is to 

 try all. Then a satisfactory selection may be made. 

 Marie Louise is sweet, double, and popular, but its 

 mauve colouring does not suit some folk. In some places, 

 as in New York, it is not so good a doer as others. 

 De Parme is similar ; sometimes it thrives where Marie 

 thrives not. Neapolitan is often found wanting in early 

 and continuous supplies. Of the double white varieties, 

 Comte de Brazza (Swanley White) is the best, but it is 

 usually less free than the coloured violets. 



Among single violets the old Russian, a fine blue, 

 has given way in many gardens to the large violet purple 

 California. The deep Wellsiana and blue Princess of 

 Wales are good. White Czar is a white form of the blue 

 Czar ; both these are free. There are several violets with 

 a reddish colouring, while Viola odorata sulphurea^ with 

 curiously yellow brown flowers, is hardly worth winter 

 frame space. Any violet plants left over when making 

 new beds should not go to the rubbish heap, but be 

 planted out in the shrubbery and woodland. If in fair 

 soil, they will afford spring flowers more welcome than 

 those of dog's mercury and ground ivy. 



