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THE FLORIST AND POMOLOGIST. 



view flowers with a florist's eye, and look more to a diversity of pleasing 

 colours, combined with form, in this popular flower, we venture to predict for 

 Fancy Pansies a large amount of popularity, and their recognition as a florists' 

 flower at the exhibition table. As yet they have not been seen in perfection, 

 the varieties already in cultivation being somewhat limited and in the hands of 

 a few, and as yet this flower is in its infancy. That a great improvement 

 will speedily be effected we do not for a moment doubt, for we know that one 

 extensive cultivator bloomed nearly two thousand seedlings last summer, from 

 which a selection of about sixty very fine kinds have been selected for trial this 

 year, many of them of beautiful shades of colour and with eccentric markings, 

 quite novel in the Pansy. To the French florists belong the merit of effect- 

 ing a marked improvement in this class of Pansies ; for four years since their 

 best kinds were Eva, Bobo, Floribunda, Cerberus, Coerulea alba, Eckard, and 

 others which are now worthless. These were followed by Prince Imperial, 

 Ali Bey, Parpaillott, Miracle, Agnes Sorrel, Napoleon III., and Masaniello^ all 

 of which are still good ; and other kinds not worth growing. These kinds 

 showed plainly that considerable headway was being made, and were followed 

 in 1860 by Belle Esquermoise, Louis Mieilez, Distinction, Leviathan, Princesse 

 Mathilde, Michael Ange, Dandie Dinmont, and Belle Lilloise, all raised in 

 France, and decided acquisitions. Here, however, the mantle of the French 

 growers seemed to fall ; for with the exception of Octavie Dernay, and Nsemi 

 Demay, none others were introduced from France or Belgium in 1861, and 

 these two varieties were more remarkable for novel colours than an advance in 

 form. This probably arose from the death of Mr. Mieilez, the well-known 

 florist of Lille, who died about two years since. In the meantime the English 

 florists have taken this flower in hand, and one well-known grower in the 

 midland districts has devoted great attention to it, he being the first to bring 

 it into popularity, and who for three years has been saving seed from the finest 

 kinds, and has already introduced Princess Alice, Donald Beaton, Etoile du 

 Nord, Tiger, and other fine kinds. A well-known firm in Scotland is also de- 

 voting much attention to them. 



The Fancy kinds differ from the English strains, in the absence generally of 

 borders, and are mostly blotched or otherwise fantastically marked; they 

 possess enormous central blotches, and almost endless shades of colour. ^ 



Although the fancy Pansy will become very popular, it will never displace 

 the old favourite English forms which still hold a strong position with florists, 

 and in which great improvements have been effected within our recollection. 

 We were Pansy-growers nearly thirty years since. At that time Ajax and 

 Duchess of Kent were very popular ; and Cyclops, John Bull, Louis Philippe, 

 Maid of Athens, Miss Schultz, Monarque, Midas, Pan, Princess Victoria, 

 Queen Adelaide, Reform, Regina, Requiem, and Selim were our best. Are any 

 of these still in existence ? These were soon followed by improved varieties, 

 amongst which was Silverlock's Black Knight, sent out by Mr. Silverlock, a 

 nurseryman at Chichester. About . this time Mr. Thomson, of Iver, near 

 Uxbridge, became the great Pansy leader, and introduced many first-class kinds 

 in their day. At the same time a near neighbour of his, Mr. Hale, devoted 

 considerable attention to the flower, and introduced Monarch, and other kinds 

 which attained great popularity. A brighter luminary in the neighbourhood 

 of Uxbridge, however, soon eclipsed both growers— Mr. Charles Turner, first 

 at Chalvey, and afterwards at Slough, having been the greatest grower of the 

 day, until lour or five years since, and to whom we have been indebted for 

 many first-class kinds. The home where the Pansy, however, luxuriates is in 

 the cool soil and more humid temperature of the midland and northern dis- 

 tricts, and that the Scottish florists soon found out ; for not many years since our 



