THE AMATEUR’S FLOWER GARDEN. 
79 
Pansy. —A considerable number of fine bedding pansies 
have, within the past few years, been introduced to gardens 
as bedding plants, greatly to the disappointment of many who 
were not cognizant of their real characters, and who asso¬ 
ciated them with geraniums, verbenas, and petunias in the 
expectation of late summer and autumnal bloom. It may be 
said, with but small fear of contradiction, that no pansy or 
viola is adapted for the parterre in the later months of sum¬ 
mer, except in a certain few localities ; but many of them are 
invaluable anywhere and everywhere for their beautiful and 
abundant bloom throughout April and May ; and therefore 
their proper association is with arabis, alyssum, and iberis, 
which flower long in advance of the summer bedders. The 
best of the bedding pansies should be kept true by growing 
them from cuttings, but they reproduce themselves tolerably 
true from seed, and this method of multiplying them is the 
easiest. Cuttings of pansies may be struck in a gentle heat 
in spring; but, to grow them successfully, cuttings should be 
planted on a shady border during the summer. The earlier 
they are put in, the more surely they form strong plants, and 
the earlier will they flower. The cuttings require little or no 
protection, except from sun, and to be kept sprinkled in dry 
weather. Plenty of young rooted pieces can also be taken 
away from the plants during the summer, and, if planted in 
nursery beds, they will make fine plants for removing into 
their winter quarters in October. Plant out in October if 
possible, planting firm , and in moderately good soil, not too 
rich, and the close-growing sorts closer together than the 
more spreading kinds. As pansies suffer far more from cold 
easterly winds than from any other cause, mulch the beds 
with either half-decomposed leaf-soil or cocoa-nut refuse. 
Through April, May, and June, shake a little sifted good soil 
about the plants and amongst the shoots, to encourage top 
roots; and, when the shoots are long enough to require peg¬ 
ging down, fix them neatly to the ground, to protect them 
from injury from wind, and induce them to throw out roots 
and side-shoots. The pansy does not require much water, 
but, in very dry hot weather, the beds should be frequently 
watered with a rose watering-pot, especially night and morn¬ 
ing. Take especial care, in planting out in beds, to use young 
plants that were struck from summer cuttings or young off¬ 
shoots. Old plants pulled to pieces frequently fail, or make 
