PANSIES GALORE. 



MANY WAYS OF PANSY 



" Pansies or thoughts, my darling, 

 So I give them all to you, ^ 



They are first to bloom in springtime, 

 And in autumn frost still true." 



ill^ilig? ROM the little garden of Mary 

 Bennet at Walton in England 

 originatea many varieties of 

 pansy. That was in 1810. It 

 is still called lady's delight in 

 many old fashioned gardens. 

 In order to grow fine flowers 

 the soil must be a rich, moist loam, with partial 

 shade, and they thrive well in a northern aspect, or 

 in the outer shade of an apple tree — not so close to 

 the tree as to become spindling. Seed may be sown 

 in a hot-bed in spring, or in the open ground, 

 and very fine flowers are produced from cuttings, 

 which are taken off at the second or third joint ; 

 these root readily. The seedlings should be trans- 

 planted in rows about eight inches apart, when they 

 show the second set of leaves. The hoe should be 

 used steadily, and a watering of liquid manure 

 given to the roots twice a week. To obtain fine 

 flowers the first that open should be taken off, and 

 on subsequent blossoming all withered flowers and 

 dead leaves should be picked, as the seed would ex- 

 haust the plant. No plant better repays constant 

 watering, and this helps to keep down the red spider, 

 which is one of its principal enemies. 



The perfume of the pansy is faint and refreshing, 

 having a touch of the violet ; and its many hued blos- 

 soms have been compared to faces on account of the pe- 

 culiar markings. The royal purple, gorgeous yellow, 

 and violet tinged white flowers are general favorites; 

 and the oddly marked brown and gold ones are also 

 pleasing. The most perfect flowers are those which 

 have no petal projecting beyond a circle drawn around 

 them and still each petal will touch the line. The eye 

 must be clear and the color rich. 



There is no place where pansies grow so well as in 

 newly turned pasture land. For winter protection 

 nothing is better than a few evergreen boughs, after a 

 light dressing of compost, and if the covering is remov- 

 ed during mild weather in winter they are often found 

 blooming, if in a protected position, and the winter sun- 

 shine reaches them. If the land is damp and not well 

 drained the plants are liable to root-rot, especially in 



LOVERS IN DIVERSE SOILS AND CLIMATES. 

 A SYMPOSIUM. 



heavy soil. The only cure is to take off cuttings, and 

 plant them in fresh light soil. 



The pansy is a flower much used in decoration ; one 

 of the loveliest crosses I have seen was of the Lord 

 Beaconsfield, alternating with White, and the length of 

 time they remain fresh in favorable situations recom- 

 mends them to such use. Though seemingly easy to 

 cultivate and propagate, it is difficult to keep choice 

 kinds, as they are liable to damp off, or to suffer from 

 the sun. Drainage, partial shade, and striking new cut- 

 tings from the choicest varieties, are the only methods 

 of keeping them from deteriorating. They root quickly, 

 and often the cutting will produce finer flowers than the 

 parent. — Anna L. Jack, Lotver Canada. 



A Pansy Blossom, and how to Obtain It. — Noth- 

 ing can more disappoint a flower lover, than to realize, 

 when too late, that the coming flowers are of poor 

 seed, and of inferior color and material. Therefore, 

 in order to raise beautiful pansies, it becomes neces- 

 sary to procure only the very choicest seed, from expe- 

 rienced growers. 



On or about September 15, get ground that is loamy 

 and rich with well rotted cow manure or other good 

 manures, and thoroughly mix with the earth to every 

 sash, three by six feet, about two quarts of finely ground 

 ammoniated bone or superphosphate of lime. This 

 space is calculated to be large enough to raise not less 

 than two thousand pansy plants. Nail together a box 

 three feet wide and six long, and into this put the earth, 

 seeing that good drainage is provided. This can be 

 done by putting down first two or three wheel-barrow 

 loads of corn stalks, or rubbish. Fasten the box to its 

 place either by stakes driven along its sides, or putting 

 feet at each corner when making it, and sinking them 

 into the ground before putting in the earth. Now level 

 off^ the ground, mark the rows where the seeds are to be 

 sown, and then put in the seeds, covering them very 

 lightly by sifting from a sieve earth that will not bake 

 or harden, some of the same as the bed is made of. 

 When sown and covered sprinkle with a fine rose water- 

 ing can. Put glass over the box to protect the bed from 

 heavy rain, and to assist in imparting warmth to the 

 earth. Never allow the surface to get dry, as the seed 

 might germinate, but the young plants be too feeble to 

 break through the crust. 



As soon as the plants appear, give them plenty of fresh 

 air by taking off the sash on every day that it is not 

 freezing too hard. Even young pansies may get frosted 

 time and time again ; it only serves to harden them for 

 winter, and make robust plants for spring. Still it is 



