April^ HEARTSEASE OR PANSY. 



91 



be removed all round the plant, the shoots laid down in the 

 hollow; and covered over with light rich compost. The 

 shoots will root more freely if they get a gentle twist when 

 laying them down. The best period for propagating by 

 cuttings is about the middle of this month or September. 

 Cuttings should be chosen from young shoots about two or 

 three inches long ; for when shoots are woody or liollow they 

 will either not strike at all or produce unhealthy plants. A 

 shaded but airy situation is preferable^ and if the soil is of a 

 light sandy nature, the better success will attend the opera- 

 tion : the cuttings should be firmly inserted from one to two 

 inches deep in the ground, and covered with a glass, or where 

 that convenience is not at hand, they ma/ be shaded during 

 the day with oiled paper, or any similar substitutes. In 

 preparing the cuttings, care ought to be taken to cut close to 

 a joint, a rule which should be strictly attended to in making 

 cuttings of every description. When they have fairly rooted 

 and taken a growth, they can be removed in cloudy, moist 

 weather, to their proper allotments. Seeds ought to be care- 

 fully collected from the finer sorts, and sown as soon there- 

 after as convenience will allow, as they deteriorate by long 

 keeping. Many hundreds of named varieties are carefully 

 cultivated in England, A select list sent contains onJ^/ three 

 hundred and seventy-four names. To attempt a general or 

 even brief description of them in this work would be con- 

 sidered by many of our friends prolix and unnecessary; but 

 the following criteria of a fine Pansy has just passed a select 

 committee of the Pennsylvania Horticultural Society : — 



The chief object to be desired is symmetry of the flower. 

 The petals should be large, broad and flat, lying upon each 

 other so as to form a circle, and prevent anything like 

 angles or intersections of this circular outline. The petals 

 should be as nearly of a size as possible, the two top ones 

 being the largest, but so covered with the two side ones as 

 not to appear disproportion ed. The top petals should not 

 wave or bend back. The bottom petal should be broad and 

 two-lobed, fiat, and not curving inward; above an inch in 

 breadth is a good size ; the colors should be clear, brilliant, 

 and not changing. The eye should not be too large, and it 

 is accounted finest when the penciling is so arranged as to 

 form a dark angular spot. 



The flower stalk should be long and stifi; rather than 

 glender.^^ 



