HARDY PLANTS. 
239 
an extensive one and embraces the Tufted Pansy or Viola, 
Violetta, Pansy and Violet, three very popular classes of 
garden flowers. They belong to their own special order, the 
Violaceae. 
Tufted Pansy or Garden Viola. — The popular name 
of Tufted Pansy has been given to the dainty type of flowers 
originated from a cross between Viola cornuta and the ordi- 
nary Pansy. The name is perhaps hardly appropriate to some 
of the varieties, since they are anything but tufted in habit. 
However, the name has become popular, and it affords some 
clue to the class of plants it refers to, and so we use it here. 
Garden Violas would probably be a more appropriate name. 
The varieties in this section are noteworthy for their dainty 
colours, more or less dwarf tufted habit and for their great 
freedom and duration of flowering. They are excellent plants 
for massing in beds ; carpeting the surface of beds under tall 
plants ; edging or massing in borders. It is possible by 
removing the spent flowers regularly, and not allowing seed 
pods to develop to have a succession of flowers from spring 
to late autumn. To our mind they are infinitely superior in 
form, colour and general excellence as garden flowers to the 
Pansy proper, and no one who has grown them once will ever 
discard these charming flowers. 
To grow the Tufted Pansy or Garden Viola well the soil 
should be deeply dug during the winter, and heavily en- 
riched with well rotted manure. Heavy soils should have 
plenty of leaf-soil, wood ashes and rotten horse manure added, 
and the lighter soils decayed cow manure. Soils thus well 
prepared will grow these dainty flowers to perfection. As to 
position, in the south a partial shade is preferable, or at any 
rate, shade from the midday sun ; but in the Midlands and 
north they require full exposure to the sun. Seedlings reared 
in summer may be planted in their flowering positions in 
autumn, but cuttings rooted in early autumn are best planted 
out in March. The plants should be placed io to min. apart 
each way. In the earlier stages of their growth the surface of 
the soil should be frequently stirred with a push or a three- 
pronged draw-hoe to aerate the soil, cut off the capillary tubes, 
arrest evaporation of moisture and prevent the growth of 
weeds. In very dry weather a good watering in the evening 
will also be beneficial. During the summer keep all spent 
blooms removed, and once a month at least it is a good plan 
to remove all the flowers to give the plants a rest. € This 
treatment will ensure a bright and prolonged display of 
blossom up to November. In August and September cuttings 
should be taken and inserted in shallow frames in soil pre- 
viously prepared by forking it over, adding some leaf-soil and 
