242 
THE FLOWER GARDEN. 
floriferous than usual. They may be grown also in the front 
of a hardy border, where colonies of a dozen in each contrast 
pleasingly with other dwarf-growing subjects immediately 
adjoining. The Violettas revel in good soil, and unless this 
is forthcoming it is useless to expect to achieve good results. 
The ground in which they aie to be planted should be deeply 
dug, and good lasting manure freely incorporated. For 
varieties consult a viola specialist. 
Fancy Pansy. — The ideal flower of the florists is a 
circular one, with flat and smooth, thick and velvety petals 
lying closely over each other, and having wavy or crinkled 
edges ; a solid, bright orange eye ; large blotches of colour, 
with a narrow belt or margin of another colour on the three 
lower petals ; the top petals the same colour as the marginal 
blotches; colour sometimes suffused; size to ain. in dia- 
meter. These, of course, are the points of an exhibition 
flower. In a general way the same characteristics hold good 
of Fancy Pansies generally, including what are known as 
French and Belgian Pansies. The Pansies sold by hawkers 
and florists in the spring belong to the Fancy type. They 
are noteworthy for their rich and gaudy colours, robust growth, 
and free-flowering properties. Named sorts may be obtained 
from specialists, or seeds of a good strain may be procured 
from seedsmen. In the case of cuttings, prepare these, and 
plant out in March in rich soil precisely as advised for Tufted 
Pansies, except that the plants should be placed a foot apart 
owing to their stronger growth. These Pansies like a cool 
soil. On hot and dry soils their beauty is short-lived. Where 
the soil is at all light add plenty of decayed cow manure to 
conserve moisture. Remove all flowers, too, at the time of 
planting and until the flowers are established, and do not 
allow seed-pods to form if plenty of flowers be desired. The 
flowering season will be prolonged if the whole of the flowers 
are removed now and then to give the plants a rest. Seeds 
may be sown in gentle heat in February or March, the seed- 
lings transplanted into boxes, hardened off in April and planted 
out in May to flower in summer. Or they may be sown in a 
shady border outdoors in July, the seedlings transplanted 6in. 
apart in a nursery bed in August, and finally planted in their 
flowering positions in October to blossom in spring or early 
summer. Following are twenty-four good named varieties; 
Agnes Ritchie, violet - purple, creamy - white, and mauve; 
Jessie Lister, greyish - violet and rose; James Lister, 
maroon, orange, crimson, and purple; John Whiteford, 
wine-coloured self; Mrs. Charles Muir, blue, lemon, and crim- 
son ; Mary Sime, violet and white ; Rev. Robert Stevenson, 
blue, magenta, and yellow ; Mrs. Whitham, maroon self ; Mrs. 
