290 



THE GARDENERS* MAGAZINE, 



Apeil 13, 1912. 



VIOLET CULTURE, 



At the present time violet plant*> in 

 frames that Jiave provi<led a supply oi 



Howers throughout the winter will have, 

 in this respect, very nearly completed their 

 j)erio<l ot usefulness ; <-on.sequently ar- 

 rangements for the propagation and after- 

 culture of a stock for another season can 



^ ^ » V ^ ^ ^ 



very soon be carried out. The past year, 

 in mast parts, was far from l)eing an ideal 

 (me for the growth of violets during the 

 summer months, the abnormal heat and 

 drought, combined in very many instances 

 witli an inadequate water supply, or owing 

 to the press of work in other directions, 

 the impracticability of applying it when 

 it would have been mtxst beneficial, foiuul 

 tlie plants in autumn much below their 

 usual standard of size and vigour; while 

 the foliage ])resente<l that sickly hue de- 

 noting an attack of rtnl spider in an 

 aggravated form. So nuu'h was this in evi- 

 <lence that nuxst of the older leaves 



tained uj)on the plants when transferred 

 to frames were soon after (bleared off as 

 rubbish, leaving the crowns almost bare, 

 and very uni»romising for supplying flowers 

 in quantity <luring the <lark <lays of winter. 

 This forecast ]>roved corrtM't, for the flower- 

 i?ig i-apaeities showinl considerable <liminu- 

 tion for a time compared with previous 

 years ; but, with gradually lengthening 

 days and an iiu'reaseof sujdight, the ])laiits 

 responded to the improvtHl conditions, aiul 

 tOr some weeks past flowers in abundance 

 and of goml size and quidity have been 

 avjiilable. 



Propagration. 



ft now oljvioiis tliat the suj)ply of 



rooted i hiznmes, or runners, usually <le- 

 pended upon for increase of stock for the 

 ensuing season Avill not be so readily ob- 

 tained as formerly, for the simple reas-on 

 tliat, owing to poverty of growth last year, 

 Midi were very sj)aringly produ<*ed. Hence 

 lecourse must be had to tfie division r.f 

 the plants now flowering. With the doubb* 

 varieties there is no difficulty in doing 

 this, as usually a number of crowns, or 

 offsets, are clustered about each .root-stock, 

 and tliese, pulled apart and divested of 

 the older leaves, and having any lengthy 



roots reduced, answer the purpose well. 

 Tlio single-flowered varieties are not quite 

 so prolific in this respect, as growth with 

 them is more inclined to concentrate in a 

 main stem, but genei'ally a good number 

 of offsets mav be detaclied therefrom v;ith 

 a few roots formed, or in process of for- 

 mation, that will speedily accommodate 

 themselves in genial sunoundings. 



Summer Quarters. 



In southern districts the practice often 

 followed of selecting a north border or 

 other partly-shaded position for growing 

 violets is best ; but further north consider- 

 able modification of this course, according 

 to soil, site, and latitude of the situation, 

 would probably give better results. Here 

 it has l>een found that the single-flowered 

 varieties thrive best, and give better re- 

 turns by way of flowers when grown fully 

 exposed in the open gai'den ; while those 

 having double flowers make better progress 

 upon a border having a western aspect, in 

 this case having a wall at the back, which, 

 of course, affords good })rotection from 

 scathing ivinds, which are apt to prevail 

 in this part in the spring months. If 

 not already done, the intended site or sites 

 should at once be prepared by receiving, 

 if thought necessary, a liberal supply of 

 short, well-rotted dung or leaf-moxdd, and 

 be deeply turned over with a spade. After 

 lying in the rough state for a few days, 

 or until it becomes dry and workable, a 

 dressing of soot might with considerable 



PATHS AND EDGINGS. 



(jiardens are CH)nstantly lieing made out 

 of new laud, and old gardens are ahvavs 

 being altered, but few gardeners realise 

 that it is tlie paths which so largely de- 

 termine the success or failure of the whole. 

 If walks are cirt where they intercept 

 beautiful views a great deal is sacrificed 



after-benefit be given, and the whole sur- 

 face be reduce<l to a fine tilth by means of 

 a rake, at the same time making it uni- 

 formly firm and level. Soil that has been 

 well enriched for a previous crop, or that 

 is known to be of good sustaining i>ower, 

 would be better without anv fresh manure; 

 det^p digging and the soot-dressing alone 

 would suffice. Soil over-rich is not desir- 



able, as such is likely to cause a too-luxu- A noble broad l>order of roses, or a mag- 



nificent sweep of turf, must be ruined by 

 being cut in two or more portions by a 

 gravel or tiled strip. No matter how de- 

 sirable it may be to obtain sufficient 



for traversing the grounds, a 

 beautiful feature should not be injured. 

 By giving winds and turns to a walk it 

 is always possible to leave certain portions 

 of land intact, and the more paths meander 

 the more charming a garden becomes. 



One noteworthy plan for making a large 

 garden original is to form it on the zig- 

 zag principle ^fter the chief lawn has been 



The walks 



riant growth, with the attendant evils of 



coarse nlooms ana excessi\'e oampmg ami 

 dying-off of the foliage in the wintei 



season. 



Planting:. 



methods 



One foot apart every way is ample space 

 for the double violets, and it also allows 

 room for such necessary work as the re- 

 moval of runners and occasional stirring 



of the sinface. The single kinds require 

 from three to six: inches more space, owing 

 to their h)nger leaf-stalks and more robust 

 character'. In planting, a little fresh, well- 

 prepared soil should, if possible, be used 

 wherein to insert the roots, thus giving 

 the plants a kindly start. Disuse<l chry- 

 themum soil, well pulverised and sifted 

 to remove any crocks or roots, is excellent 

 lor this; but a suitable mixture is easily 

 composed of loam and leaf-moidd. Plant- 

 ing is best done with a trowel, making a 

 cavitv that will hold a handful of soil as 

 otate<l ; in this insert the roots, and press 

 firmly all around. Watering may be neces- 

 sary, according to the weather; and, if 

 means are at hand for shading for a few 

 days should drying winds prevail, a light 

 shade will prove of material benefit, and 

 represent time well spent. 



After-cultivation consists principally of 

 keeping the surface soil in a loose, friable 

 condition by means of the hoe, and re- 

 moving all small, slender shoots as they 

 foim, to concentrate the energies of the 

 j)lantasfar as possible on the central crown. 

 By allowing more space, three or five of 

 the strongest runners may be allowed to 

 remain, and l)e secured in the soil at equal 

 distances around the parent plant, where 

 they will become rooted and self-support- 

 ing; but, as more space must be allowed 

 both in the oj^en and when remoA'ed to 

 frames, the system, though very adaptable, 

 has not much to recommend it. 



Good Varieties to Cultivate. 



Formerly the double varieties, as Nea- 

 politan and Marie Louise, were almost 

 exclusively grown for frame culture, and 

 answered the purpose well. The introduc- 

 tion, however, of several single violets with 

 longer flower-stems, rendering their ar- 

 rangement into various forms of decoration 

 an easy matter, and having richer colours, 

 and perfume quite equal to the older kinds, 

 has restdted in these having been ousted 

 from the position they once held ; though 

 for ])ot culture, and flowering late in the 

 season, they are yet of great value. 



Marie Louise, lavender-blue ; Neapoli- 

 tan, lavender; Lady Hunie Campbell, an 

 improved form of the latter; and Comte de 

 Brazza, white, are four variously-coloured 

 and reliable double varieties. Among 

 the singles Princess of Wales, liglit blue, 

 is one of the best, being large and very 

 long-stemmed ; Italia, deep blue; Wells- 

 iana, purple; Baroness Rotlisdiild, purj)le. 

 very large; and Admiral Avellan, rosy- 

 violet, having smaller flowers, but con- 

 sidered by many to l^e the sweetest-scented 

 of any, and one that thrives and flowers 

 freely in the open, are suflScient to provide 

 variety, though there are several others 

 that nearly equal them, and that might 

 with advantage be added to any compre- 

 hensive collection. Jamks Day. 



Galloway House, Wigtonshire. 



passed. The walks may describe 

 curves followed l)v a tired hor- 



load 



uphill. 



been set 



a 



have 



against the slanted 



the 



dragging 

 When shrubbery groups 

 in place here and there 



walks there will b(^ 

 nooks formed, different aspects created, 

 and the eye will no longer tire of a mono- 

 tonous expanse that can be surveyed from 

 all sides. In small gardens it is seldom 

 that the walks are of sufficient breadth 

 to be pleasant to walk along. This can 

 lie obviated by having fewer paths, and 

 turning those about so that the groimd 

 for planting is at no point too wide to he 

 easily tended. 



Another method is to have only one 

 extra-broad walk running down the middle 

 of the garden. Tliis looks best when the 

 edges are curved, either regularly or un- 

 evenly, either so as to make opposite bays 

 or so as to form a walk that winds. Wlien 

 there is no lawn in a small garden this 

 centre path may well be of turf, since the 

 green grass has a value all its own, as a 

 contrast to blossom colour. If it is ob- 

 jected tliat the turf will not be fit always 

 to walk u})on — a contention that need not 

 be granted, however — the difficulty can be 

 met by letting a narrow gravel path en- 

 circle the whole garden, leaving narrow 

 borders against the walls, hnt wide borders 

 flanking the grass. Bv the sufficient use 

 of lawn mower, roller, and broom, grass 

 can be kept in a condition that incites one 

 at all seasons. After a frost or heavy dew 

 a sweeping will soon dissipate the surface 

 moisture, and the earth below will be level 

 and hard still. 



The beauty of rockery edgings to paths 

 is undoubted. Their disadvantages are 

 the manner in which thev harbour insects, 

 and the way in which they conduct rani 

 down upon the gravel. If the spaces be- 

 tween the rocks are sometimes dusted witli 

 lime, and catch-drains are made at the 

 sides of the walk, these evils disappear 

 Behind the rockery edging plants of from 

 nine inches to a foot in height can be freely 

 indulged in ; behind a row of tiles, box, or 

 a belt of turf, these would appear too tall. 

 The more taller plants can be located the 

 greater will be the supplies of cut blossom. 



An altogether novel edging for a wm^ 

 border, or a plot of low-lying land, consists 

 of a trench, puddled with clay, fed with 

 water from the tap of a rainwater butt, 

 and simply planted on each side 

 perennials that love moisture. There wii 

 be no waslied-down soil, because the little 

 canal will lie ])etween the main portion 

 of the ground and the walk; the row ot 

 plants against the walk should be evei- 

 green, and close-habited species, such 

 London pride and other saxifrages, num^i" 

 las, Bellis perennis, woodruff, and V^^^^' 



Coloured burrs are sadly out ot 



with 



