JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
September 7, 1882. ] 
225 
the turf reduced and of medium texture is the most suitable soil, 
adding a third of well-reduced leaf soil or manure thoroughly 
incorporated, and of a depth of 6 or 8 inches, according to the 
size of the plants. The distance between the plants will depend 
upon their size and the variety. Such strong growers as Victoria 
Regina require a distance of at least 9 inches every way, and 
strong crowns more, whilst the Neapolitans, New York, De 
Parme, and Marie Louise will not require more than 8 inches, and 
smaller plants about 6 inches. All that is necessary is to keep 
them from being very much crowded, placing them so that there 
will not be much bare soil or waste space. The distance from the 
glass— i.e., the soil, should for the smaller-growing sorts be 9 to 
12 inches, and for the stronger 12 to 15 inches. Violets may also 
be grown in frames without a bed of fermenting materials by 
placing a layer 4 inches thick of decayed manure and leaf soil on 
the ground, covering this with the compost at the depth recom¬ 
mended above. 
“ The time and mode of planting ?” Early in September is the 
best time for lifting the plants, as they will then have completed 
their growth and ripened the crowns so as to have commenced 
flowering—in fact, we have picked flowers of New York, Venice, 
De Parme, Princess Louise, Duchess of Edinburgh, and Marguerite 
de Savoie since the beginning of August; and Argentmflora (Lee), 
Devoniensis, and Russian forms since July. The plants should be 
lifted carefully, preserving as many roots with the soil adhering 
to them as possible. Place the soil firmly round them and about 
the crowns, giving at once a thorough soaking of water, shading 
for a few days if the sun be powerful, and sprinkle the plants 
every morning when shading is likely to be necessary. This will 
keep them from flagging and prevent the leaves turning yellow 
prematurely. The lights must not be placed on for the present, 
but the plants exposed as much as possible to air in dull weather 
and to night dews. 
“ Ventilation, watering, and general after-treatment ?” The 
lights are not to be placed over the plants until frost, or say in 
October, then they are to be drawn down or off whenever the 
weather is mild or when the temperature in the frame from sun 
heat is over 50° ; indeed too much ventilation cannot be given 
when external conditions are favourable. We open our frames 
when the temperature is about 40° outside, and always ventilate 
a little in dull mild weather constantly. During frost protect¬ 
ing material should be placed over the lights at night, and 
removed in the morning if the day is likely to be sunny ; but 
should the day be frosty or the sky overcast keep the frames 
covered as long as the frost prevails. No harm will result from 
the plants being in the dark, and if frost affect them do not 
uncover until a general thaw commences. If the sides of the 
frames be banked up with leaves they will assist in protecting 
ihe plants. In spring also free ventilation by day and protection 
from frost at night will be needed. The plants should be 
examined occasionally for the removal of yellow or decayed 
leaves, and in the case of single-flowered varieties the seed pods 
must be removed directly the flowers fade. Water will not be 
required much in winter, if indeed at all, but the soil must not be 
allowed to become dry, giving when needed thorough supplies. 
As spring approaches more water will be necessary, and weak 
liquid manure will help them greatly, keeping it as much as 
possible from the foliage. Slugs are very fond of the flowers, and 
should be guarded against by dusting with soot or searching for 
them after dark with a lantern. Green aphides sometimes attack 
Violets, and are best destroyed by fumigation, as they fix on the 
young growths and curl up the leaves, being difficult to reach 
with an insecticide. I have used nicotine soap 4 ozs. to the gallon, 
applied through a rose watering pot advantageously. 
“ The best kinds of Violets ?” This is a poser ! I give my 
experience first as to the kinds named by “ C. E. W.” Of single 
varieties Victoria Regina is unrivalled as a purple for autumn, 
winter, and spring blooming, and a good light sort is Argentac- 
flora, which, with its runners, gives more flowers over a longer 
period than any Violet. London is a good pale purple or bluish- 
coloured variety, and only objectionable from its short footstalk 
and small flowers. With but one frame I should not grow 
any of those by that means, but place them in a position where 
protection could be given them in severe weather and on frosty 
nights. Double Red and Single Red are pretty, that is all, and 
spring bloomers. De Parme, New York, Marie Louise, and 
Neapolitan will give “ C. E. W.” the greatest satisfaction from 
his frame, and those I should plant in it, having a few plants of 
Queen of Violets and Belle de Chatenay, both of which are spring¬ 
flowering varieties, and when in good condition lovely, being only 
eclipsed by Swanley Queen—a gem—fine in form and pure in 
colour, white, perfect double rosettes, and delightfully fragrant. 
Other single varieties of great merit may be mentioned—the 
beautiful and very free Devoniensis, an autumn flowerer ; Princess 
of Prussia, with finely formed large flowers, and an autumn 
bloomer ; Prince Consort, the prince of single purple Violets, 
blooming with Victoria Regina ; and Odoratissima, that flowers 
grandly in spring, to which must be added White Czar, very 
pure and good for pots. The Russian family, though free enough 
in autumn and winter, are deficient in quality, though the number 
may compensate for that. New York, Marguerite de Savoie, 
Venice, Duchess of Edinburgh, and Princess Louise are all good, 
differing but little, but still so much so as to have distinct features, 
yet they clearly came from one type, and all are first-rate, having 
large, sweet, double flowers freely produced from August to May 
in favourable weather. De Parme and Marie Louise are of a 
lighter colour, more white in the eye, without the splash of red, 
and bloom from autumn to spring. Belle de Chatenay cterulea 
is a fine double blue, larger than King or Double Russian, with a 
long footstalk, and it blooms in spring.—G. Abbey. 
THE EALING NURSERIES. 
Having visited the above-named branch nursery of Messrs. Charles 
Lee & Son of Hammersmith, a few brief notes may interest those who 
are unacquainted with the establishment. 
In an orchard house there were about eight hundred pyramid Peach 
trees in pots in robust health and models as to training. Condor was 
considered a variety of great excellence. In the herbaceous ground 
fifty varieties of Phloxes were represented, the trusses being grand, 
two which attracted my attention being Hercules, bright cerise, and 
Madame Rivers, very rich magenta. Pyrethrums are also grown in 
great variety, and for supplying cut flowers are indispensable; the 
stock consists of forty varieties. Aquilegias also receive much at¬ 
tention, but the best of them are A. cserulea and A. chrysantha. 
Amongst Delphiniums conspicua is considered the best, but several 
beds of seedlings coming into flower promised spikes of great merit. 
Helianthus major is a most effective plant for borders, and also valu¬ 
able for cutting from. Helianthus orgyalis has strange foliage, but 
was not in bloom. Bocconia cordata, of which there were good 
clumps, is a grand-foliaged plant, and very ornamental as specimens 
on lawns. Geum coccineum flore-pleno is a good hardy plant, rich in 
colour, and remains in bloom a long time. Iris Kasmpferi in variety 
is also largely grown ; an old friend I had not lately seen being Che- 
lone barbata coccinea, a compact plant with long spikes of bright 
scarlet flowers. The Chrysanthemums in pots, of which there are 
over one hundred varieties, promise to be exceptionally good. Single 
and Pompon Dahlias are largely grown; White Queen and alba 
among the single varieties are grand, but much alike. 
Amongst the Pinks, Mrs. Sinkins, which is not yet much known, is 
a good variety, with large white flowers and highly fragrant, the 
habit also being good. The principal walk in the nursery is 700 yards 
long ; fine specimens of Yews, Cupressus, Wellingtonias, and Deodars 
are planted on each side. 
Roses and fruit trees in open quarters are largely grown, forty 
thousand of the former being worked this season, twenty thousand 
being on the seedling Briar, the ground devoted to the above being 
25 acres. Ten thousand pyramidal Pears on the Quince stock are 
very promising; being regularly transplanted have made short- 
jointed'wood, which will not fail to ripen well. Such varieties as 
Louise Bonne of Jersey, Beurr£ Hardy, Beurre Diel, Beurre Superfin, 
Doyennd du Comice, Fondante d’Automne, and Marie Louise d’Uccle 
are bearing fruit of good size. In Apples Chiswick Codlin, Cellini, 
Hawthomden, Lord Suffield, Ecklinville Seedling, Stirling Castle, 
Gloria Mundi, King of the Pippins, Northern Greening, and Norfolk 
Beefing were fine, small trees bearing good fruits. 
The trained Peach, Cherry, and Plum trees were models of culture, 
and there was scarcely a trace of black fly. Where space exists 
between the rows of fruit trees choice varieties of annuals and vege¬ 
tables are grown for seed. Cleanliness and order prevail here under 
the able supervision of Mr. Cannon.—J. S., Knole. 
SHOULD A MONEY VALUE BE ASSIGNED TO 
MAGNESIA IN A MANURE? 
In your able review, at page 135 of the Journal of Horticulture , 
on the Potato experiments carried on during 1881 at the Munster 
Farm, you recommend to your readers that they should study 
Mr. Carroll’s report for themselves. I have done this, and I am 
much obliged to you for the recommendation. The report is of 
the greatest interest to anyone seeking any information on the 
action of potash. In your review of it reference is made to a 
falling-off in the crops obtained in the Sussex experiments when 
magnesia was withheld. I am not surprised at this result. (See 
»y letter, page 416, No. 102, of the Journal.) 1 hope you will 
aliow me to offer a few further remarks on this subject; and the 
more so as I shall by so doing advance a step, I hope, towards 
convincing your esteemed correspondent, Mr. Taylor, that I cannot 
be said, with all my respect for them, to believe chemists are 
“ infallible.” My real opinion, indeed, is that they have much 
