September 18, 1890. j 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
239 
I T would appear almost impossible to overdo the markets with 
these. Send them where you will, whether to the London 
florists or the nearest town, they are certain to be welcomed, and 
on the whole they pay well too. The two most popular varieties, 
both with growers and those who purchase them, are Marie Louise 
and the white Comte de Brazzi. There are forms much resem¬ 
bling Marie Louise and others of a deeper shade of colour, or more 
nearly approaching blue, but it scarcely pays to bother with these. 
Private gardeners who market their surplus produce, or who have 
to make a certain sum “ by hook or by crook ” every season, 
cannot afford any more than the professed market grower to have 
any fads, and a great variety of any one thing is a fad which never 
pays. If a better variety than Marie Louise is forthcoming by all 
means let it supersede it, and if a better white than Comte 
Brazzi can be named those who possess it will confer a great 
favour by stating where it can be obtained. 
The ordinary method of growing double Yiolets may answer 
very well for ordinary purposes, but those who desire to grow extra 
fine flowers in the greatest profusion must adopt a better system 
altogether. What I term the ordinary or most common practice is 
most faulty as regards the preparation of the young plants. When 
the cultivator is content to pull the old plants to pieces every April 
or May, selecting the best rooted pieces and destroying the rest, it 
more often happens than not that the choice falls on the old 
crowns, the young rootless runners being discarded. Now, these 
old plants in time become much stunted and very rarely grow 
away strongly, or long remain free of red spider, after they are 
planted out in the open. Young plants behave very differently, 
these forming strong crowns full of flower buds long before frosty 
weather sets in, and the foliage being stout and clean, is not nearly 
so liable to damp off during the winter as are the thin spider- 
infested leaves on the old stools. There are two ways of raising 
the requisite number of young plants, both of which are simple 
enough. At the present time, and also after the plants are trans¬ 
planted to pits and frames, a number of runners are constantly 
forming, a few being short with a rootless plantlet attached and the 
rest mere straggling growths. All the latter ought to be kept 
closely pinched out, and three or four of the former reserved and 
pegged down when large enough. Early in September is a good 
time to do this, though it answers nearly as well to peg them down 
after the plants are in their winter quarters. All soon push roots 
into the soil, and during the winter produce a few good flowers. 
When the time again arrives for dividing and replanting, these 
young well rooted side plants will be found capital for making 
& fresh start, the worn out old crowns being thrown away. 
The other plan of raising a young stock of healthy plants can be 
practised by those who have neglected to peg down the short 
runners, and consists merely of taking off the latter directly the 
flowering period is over and treating them as cuttings. Supposing 
the old plants are cleared out of a pit the soil can be broken up, 
levelled, and will then be ready for the cuttings. Dibble these in 
about 4 inches apart each way, water, shut down the lights, and 
keep close and shaded till all are rooted. They will strike like 
weeds, and will soon surpass any old plants or divisions of crowns. 
Hundreds can be rooted in two or three lights, and many hundreds 
are wanted if Yiolets are to be grown profitably. 
No. 534. —Vol. XXT„ Third Series. 
In most instances the stock of plants for winter flowering is 
prepared in the open ground, and if the site is fairly cool and well 
prepared beforehand, a well pulverised soil and plenty of leaf soil 
rather than much manure being preferable, they will usually do 
well. This season there has been little or no necessity for waterings 
over the foliage, but during a dry hot summer they require to be 
watered frequently, syringed nightly, and mulched with leaf soil, 
short manure, or grass from the mowing machine. Unless this is 
done the chances are red spider will be in the ascendant, and a 
weakly stock of plants be the consequence. A light sprinkling of 
salt is also beneficial in most cases where the soil is of a light 
gravelly character. But if this is the most common practice it is 
not the best. By far the finest plants and the most profitable crop 
of flowers can be hal if the rooted runners are planted direct 
where they are to remain all the winter. AVhere the pits are , 
wanted for a variety of other purposes this plan cannot be largely 
adopted, but in very many instances pits have been erected prin¬ 
cipally or solely for Yiolet culture, and there is nothing to prevent 
these being filled with plants all through the summer. Portable 
garden frames are also extensively used in Violet culture, and the 
beds for these could be got ready, the soil being kept in position by 
the aid of boards, and planted long before the frames are at liberty 
for enclosing them . 
It is of the greatest importance that the Yiolets be raised well 
up to the light, air, and what sunshine we get during the winter. 
There should, therefore, be a fall of 24 inches from the back to 
the front of either a pit or frame, this angle not being a degree too 
sharp, and in each and every case the soil ought to be brought up 
to within 9 inches of the glass. I prefer a solid to a loose founda¬ 
tion, so that there should be little or no settlement during the 
winter. We are obliged to use a foundation of faggots for the 
frames, or otherwise moles up root everything. On the wood i3 
placed 2 feet of old hotbed material and rubbish that can be 
trampled firmly, about 8 inches of good loamy soil, such as comes 
from Potato, Cucumber, and Melon frames, with an addition of 
leaf soil and charred garden rubbish, being sufficient for the plants 
to root in. We merely freshen up the surface of the pits, supplying 
fresh compost instead of some of the old, the foundation of rubbish 
and soil not being disturbed. Bottom heat of any kind I do not 
approve of, nor do Yiolets long thrive in heated pits. Gentle bottom 
heat or a little warmth in the pipes may be the means of develop¬ 
ing a fairly good supply of flowers during the dullest part of the 
year, but the market grower cannot afford to weaken his plants for 
this chance supply. He would be the loser in the end if he did. 
Bottom heat is certainly not needed to forward the flowers, as well 
prepared plants commence to bloom early in September, and only 
during the most unfavourable weather do they remain in a com¬ 
paratively inactive state. We usually place a few dozen strong 
plants in 8-inch pots to produce flowers for home use, and these 
being kept on a shelf in a greenhouse provide us with a serviceable 
supply at midwinter. 
All the plants, wherever prepared, ought to be in their winter 
quarters before severe frosts are anticipated, these being liable to 
cripple the foliage badly, damping off being the sure consequence. 
A dull time in September, or not later than the first week in 
October, might well be selected for transplanting the best of the 
plants to the pits and frames, taking care to move all with a fairly 
large ball of soil about the roots. At the same time remove all 
superfluous runners and nearly dead leaves, and replant firmly. 
When plants are abundant inexperienced growers are apt to plant 
them too thickly. Better by far leave a portion of them in the 
open to take their chance than to overcrowd and risk wholesale 
damping off. Oar plants at the present time are 10 inches across, 
and will be kept just clear of each other throughout the greater 
part of the winter. This rule should be generally observed. It 
is of the greatest importance that the surface soil be kept open 
and sweet, and if charred garden soil and rubbish is freely 
No. 2190.—Yol. LXXX1II., Old Seriis. 
