i2 4 THE FLOWER GROWER'S GUIDE. 



space to the more tender section. All things considered, the best of the Neapolitans 

 for frame culture and winter flowering generally is Marie Louise, but the older and' 

 less robust true Neapolitan succeeds fairly well. Comte de Brazza is the best double 

 white for frame culture, but it is not so popular as it was thought at one time it would 

 be, and should not occupy nearly so much frame room as the varieties of the desired 

 blue shade of colour. Violets are apt to fail under frame culture in the vicinity 

 of towns. They require abundance of pure air and light, and a vitiated atmosphere is 

 not at all to their liking. Sometimes however failures, or partial failures, are attributed 

 to the impure air or unfavourable weather, when, in reality, the foliage damps off 

 wholesale owing to its having been either much weakened by an attack of red spider 



Fig. 60. Raisino Violets. 

 a, thinned runners and layers ; b, resulting plant. 



during the summer, or else to imperfect ventilation. Violets require good cultiva- 

 tion and well repay liberal treatment. The soil should be rich but not too heavy. 

 If of too stiff a nature, a plentiful addition of good well-decayed manure and gritty 

 material will improve it ; too light a soil will be much benefited by adding manure and 

 clay or stiff loam. The bed must be well dug over before planting, which should 

 be done in April or early May, using young single crowns. The situation ought 

 to be an open but sheltered one, not near a sunny wall ; a hedge being a more suitable 

 shelter than the wall. Plant 9 inches apart and 1 foot between the rows. In a light 

 and dry soil a north border is the best; what is known as '-'red spider" being very 

 troublesome in warm and dry positions. Every attention should be given to watering, 

 so as to promote vigorous growth, and this, with mulching the soil and hoeing between 



