144 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND GOUAGE GARDENER. 
[ Fjbruiry 19,1S33. 
sight of the flowers of the Czar and Russian varieties, as 
they are paraded and sold iu the streets by the vendors from 
the markets in the autumn and early spring months, is often 
the cause of a gentle hint in this way, “ If they can grow 
them, how is it we cannot ?” 
From many years’ observation and judging by my own 
experience, I think the majority of the failures to get an 
early supply of flowers arises from lack of attention at a 
particularly busy time with the gardener, when the rush of 
work often compels something to be put off until to-morrow 
—that is in the busy spring months, after the flowering time 
of the Violets. The secret of success to obtain autumn and 
winter flowers lies in the treatment, or the want of treat¬ 
ment, the plantations receive at this time, and I have thought 
a seasonable hint now would perhaps be appreciated by 
some who have not been so successful as they would wish 
to be. 
The plan of cultivation I adopt, and used to adopt else¬ 
where on a much larger scale than I can at the present, I will 
briefly describe. All the varieties, both double and single, 
succeed with the following treatment, except the double blue 
Tree Violet (arborea). This is a slow grower, and not so 
easily perpetuated as the others. We will suppose the stock 
of plants to be prepared for the next year’s supply to have 
just finished flowering. Whether they have been grown in 
pots, planted out in frames, out of doors in some part of the 
garden, or just brought in from the nursery, I should recom¬ 
mend them to be stripped with the thumb and fingers to 
single crowns or stems, trimming off any loose runners they 
may have made recently, and place them on one side. They 
should then be planted in a border that had been previously 
prepared. If the soil is friable and light I should select 
a border in the kitchen garden facing north or north¬ 
west, or failing that I would select the most moist and 
coolest part. 
In the month of April dig in and well incorporate some 
decayed manure and leaf mould in equal parts, then 
tread it firmly if in good condition, and plant the crowns 
singly in rows 1 foot apart and 9 inches from plant to 
plant in the rows ; press down firmly, and water in with a 
rose on the can. If the soil be tenacious and heavy choose an 
open strip, and through the winter months well work in 
abundance of half-decayed leaves, sweeping from the paths 
einder ashes and other garden refuse. Keep to the same 
plot every year and make a Violet border of it, and in a few 
years it will be much improved in texture. 
If drying winds should prevail two or three waterings 
will be needed until the new roots take to the soil. In 
exceptionally dry soils or seasons they would be much 
benefited with a good watering at intervals throughout the 
hot summer months, choosing the evening for watering ; but 
I have invariably found that when the new roots take to the 
soil that is underneath them they have sufficient to sustain 
them through the summer, and will have formed good hard 
ripe crowns by the time the autumn rains commence, which 
is generally about the second week in August. In the cool 
days of September and October they will develope their 
flowering buds, and the Czar and Russians will flower freely. 
If required for frames or pits prepare the places by filling 
them with some half-decayed leaves or manure to within 
1 foot of the lights, treading it firmly. Then cover the bed 
with 3 or 4 inches depth of old potting soil or well-decayed 
leaf soil. Lift thq plants carefully by cutting well round 
them with a sharp trowel; secure them with a good ball of 
soil attached and transfer them to the frames, leaving about 
3 inches of space around each plant. Trim off any straggling 
runners, and if required for stock cut a shallow trench 
and plant like Box edging. Tread firmly, and in the 
following spring these will make good stock for pulling to 
pieces and planting as advised. The plants in the frames 
Bhould be pressed firmly in the soil and receive a good 
watering. They would also be benefited and the flowers 
kept cleaner if the surface of the soil is slightly covered 
with a dressing of new cocoa-nut fibre. This is especially 
beneficial to the double varieties, as the flowers are heavier 
and more likely to be spoiled by contact with the earth than 
the single varieties. Ventilate on all mild days, protect with 
covering from sharp frosts, and I venture to predict that the 
flowers obtained will more than pay for the extra trouble. 
In the spring after flowering is over divide and replant as 
before. I may say that I never found any need for a change 
of quarters for the planting-out. There is generally one 
place in the garden more suitable than another for them, and 
I should keep to it, manuring and digging it in the winter or 
spring months before planting. 
The varieties that I have found answer well with the 
above treatment were the following :—The double Neapolitan 
for the main batch in frames with a few of the Czars and 
Russians for earlier work ; the double Blue (arborea) I had 
a limited stock of, but they used to be planted out whole, as 
mentioned above. 
At the present time here I have adopted and grown the 
double Marie Louise, giving it the above treatment, and 
have found it a great improvement on the Neapolitan in its 
constitution. It is more floriferous, very sweet, having 
stouter flower stems, and larger fuller flowers. It is also 
deeper in colour, but that is only of secondary importance, 
as many would admire the lovely neutral tint of the Neapoli¬ 
tans. I have not tried the new double white Count Brazza, 
but I am much impressed with it, and intend to make it a 
companion to Mane Louise for frame. For out-of door 
culture for any of the varieties 1 should recommend making 
a new bed every spring in the manner described above, 
destroying part of the old ones, and thus keeping up a 
succession. The newly made beds will flower in the autumn 
and winter, and the others will continue the supply in the 
spring.—C. Quchakd. 
TRENCHING GROUND. 
The lively interest which has been shown in this discussion 
since it was started in December by your fluent and sprightly 
correspondent, Mr. Iggulden, is sufficient evidence of its import¬ 
ance, and the varied opinions that have been expressed show very 
plainly that a full discussion of the subject cannot fail to be 
attended with much good. Some of us have hitherto had but 
crude and undefined notions respecting it, we are therefore espe¬ 
cially indebted to Mr. Iggulden, not only for originating it, but 
also for the racy and pleasant, although at times somewhat 
erratic manner in which he has argued it. His meaning, it is 
true, has not at times been quite clear, or my comprehension 
may have been cloudy; anyway, I was not quite certain at times 
if he was not going to condemn trenching altogether as a useless 
and expensive pastime, while at others there appeared equal 
probability that he was changing his creed, and would shortly 
become converted to a better and sounder faith. Had he com¬ 
menced his task on a slightly altered, may I say improved basis, 
that task would perhaps have been less difficult, even to his fertile 
mind and ready pen. His opening sentence, “ Jn some cases, no 
doubt, the advice to trench is sound enough, but more often not,” 
was, if we may judge from the exceptions, to which he somewhat 
frequently treats us throughout the discussion, rather unadvisedly 
chosen. Had this sentence read, “ Jn many cases, no doubt, the 
advice to trench is sound enough,but sometimes not,” the ground 
on which he trod would have been firmer and better prepared, 
and his slipping and stumbling afterwards less frequent. He 
says, “ Whether trenching in any form will be beneficial depends 
entirely upon the depth of the surface soil, the nature of the 
subsoil, and the way in which it is performed.” He then refers 
to several instances in which he quite agrees “ that the operation 
of trenching may be beneficial, even in a chemical sense, not only 
by the mixture and amalgamation of different soils, but also their 
incorporation with the varied manures with which the land may 
be charged.” 
This is all very logical, and in pei'fect accord with past expe¬ 
rience, sound theory, and good practice, but when we are treated 
to the mechanical side of the question there does not appear to 
be that clear and accurate reasoning which at times flashes out 
so conspicuously. He says, “ 1 may be told that by deep digging 
we facilitate the diainage of the land; that by loosening the 
soil to a greater depth we facilitate the percolation of the water 
as it falls, and that, as the air follows the water, it, in its turn, 
