July 22, 1838. ] 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
77 
plants in the frames, take them to the potting bench, turn them out, 
reduce t^e ball two-thirds, cutting it clean away with a knife, and at the 
base ju»t clear of ihe drainage. Replace them in clean pots, making 
the fresh soil rather firm. Arrange them ou’doors, and treat as in the 
previous season. Another plan is to turn the plants out of the pots, shake 
away all the soil, trim in the roots, and return to the same size of pot, or 
preferably a smaller one, and afterwards transfer to the flowering size 
when the roots have taken possession of the soil. Such plants are not in 
any sense equsl to what they are in the first year, hence treating them 
as annuals is advised. 
III. Bouquets of Violets in Pots .—Plants that have flowered in pots 
may be turned out in late April or early May in good rich soil in an 
open situation, planting 2 feet apart every way for the small and medium 
growers, and the large growers in rows 3 feet apart, making the soil firm 
about the roots, and supply water until established. Old plants that have 
passed the winter outdoors may have every alternate plant and row taken 
out, leaving the others undisturbed, and the ground should have a good 
dressing of manure, and have it pointed in. Strong runners of the current 
year and suckers rooted early in gentle heat and grown on being placed out 
in May at the distances named are equally available for our purpose—viz., 
to get well-rooted runners in quantity of the current year. Instead of 
removing the runners make a slight cavity when the runners show leaves 
at the end of the bine, and place the runner wire in it just below the 
runner plant, securing with a peg. Repeat this with every runner that 
shows up to Sep’ember, disposing them ov-r the ground so that each will 
have a fair share of space, and if likely to become crowded cut away the 
superfluous runners. It is essential that the runners have exposure to 
light so as to make a sturdy, thoroughly solidified growth. In early 
October lift all the runners, detaching them from the parent, and arrange 
them into two kinds—viz., early runners or strong plants, and late runners 
or small plants. Shake all the soil from them, but preserve a good 
amount of root, being careful not to break them off ngar the runner. The 
roots, if long, may be trimmed, and the runner wire cut away or that part 
unrooted. About 2 inches of runner wire is sufficient to reserve. Prepare 
some pots as for lifted plants and some of the same soil, and fid 
the pots with runners as thickly as they can be placed together without 
touching, the outer ones close to the rims of the pots all around, and only 
slightly below it, the crowns just clear of the soil. The old leaves may 
be removed, but care must be taken not to damage the centre ones and 
crowns. Stand them in a cold frame, give a good watering, and shade 
from sun until established. Afterwards ke a p them well up to the light, 
and freely ventilated as advised for Violets in frames generally. Re¬ 
move all decayed leaves as they appear, and whenever water is necessary 
afford liquid manure. 
These plants will develope freely, bearing blooms abundantly, and by 
introducing them to a house after November with a temperature of 45° to 
50° art.fioially they will come in early or at midwinter, and by intro¬ 
ducing fresh hatches a succession for the boud "ir and drawing room can 
he secured. Neapolitan varieties are the best for this purpose—viz., New 
York, Marie Loui-e, De Parme, and White Neapolitan. All others are 
amenable to the practice. Of all Violets for pots De Parme is the best. 
Tree Violets —Violets naturally in old plan’s form stems, growth 
taking place by the apex. The stems are elongated by each succeeding 
year’s addition, and it is accelerated by removing the side growths— i.e., 
the runners and suckers. The tendency to form stems is inherent in 
some varieties, or they keep the central or main crown longer than others. 
There are many that possess this characteristic, but there are some that 
have it in a marked degree, and as a rule are not much given to runner 
or sucker produc’ion, but most Violets by keeping off the side growths 
■can be had with stems, but what purpose is served thereby I could never 
see. They are not remarkably pretty, and in no sense useful above 
Violets grown in other manner. The Tree Violet is very like our wild 
Violet (Violet odorata), if not a variety of it, and distinguished by the 
appellation of aroor«-a, or arborescens, and I believe is a native of Spain. 
I have, ho *ever, had the d. uble form from the Levant and Greece. The 
single term is hardy, and so is the double, but, fl iwering in winter, pro¬ 
tection is nece-sary to insure its blooms coming in perfection. The single 
form is not worth growing except as a curiosity; flowers light purple. 
The double varieties are much the best, and should be grown in pots, 
though they succeed very well planted out in May after being hardened 
An 1 lilted and potted in autumn, but as some like these best in pots we 
will advi e accordingly. 
In spring the plants are potte 1 after flowering or in late April. The balls 
«re reduc d and most of the old soil removed, returning them to pots that 
■will hoi i the r cits easily, they being trimmed in to an inch or two of the 
stem. Place in a frame, shade, and keep them ra’her close and moist 
until es ablished, then harden off and shit into the larger size in June, 
standing in a sheltered situation indoors. Keep off all runners, off-ets, 
•or tide gr iwths and suckers. Remove them to cold frames in October, or 
place in a light airy po-dtion in the greenhouse. If t'e crown divide cut 
away all but one stem, re-erviug the most erect. D imp should be care¬ 
fully guaided against, as if it get into the crown it will decay, theref re 
aent lite free'y, and remove all decayed leaves and flowers. The white 
variety is mo t tender. 
The best for forming “trees” are Viola odnrida arborea, fl.-pl, 
double blue ; V ola odora’a arborea alba, fl.-pl., douMe white, and K ng 
of Violets, double indigo-blue, but by selecting plants of other varie¬ 
ties with t-iugle stems or crowns in spring, shaking them out, cutting 
in the roots to an inch or two of the. stem removing all suckers or side 
growths and planting out a loot apart every way, keeping off all site 
growths during the summer, pretty little trees wilt be bad lor lifting and 
potting in autumn. The Neapolitans are amenable to this practice, and 
treated in other respects as pot p'ants, they flower all the winter, and are 
much app eciated by ladies for the pendant flowers through 'the stems of 
the plants being kept clear of the soil. With care they live several years, 
adding to the stem annually, but drip or damp in the centre will spoil a 
year’s labour.— Viola. 
1X0RA GRIFFITH!. 
This is known to many gardeners by the more descriptive name of 
hydrangeseformis, for both in its heads of flowers and its foliage it has 
considerable likeness to the Hydrangea. It was discovered by Mr. 
(Griffiths at M--rgui, and in'roduced in the year 1845 by Messrs. Low of 
the Clapton Nurseries. It is a large branching shrub, the branches 
terete, rich brown. Leaves large, oblong-ovate, aecuminate, somewhat 
cuneate at Ihe base, taperiEg into a short stout petiole, penninerved, with 
Fig. 12. 
numerous transverse veinlets, glabrous, as is every part of the plant. 
S ipules broad, Bhort, acme. Cyme large, broad, nearly flat at the top, 
compound, with a great number of salmon-coloured (or sometimes yellow 
and scarlet) flowers, with a pair of leafy bracts at its base. Calyx very 
small, with four i-h >rt blunt tteih. Corolla salver-shaped, salmon colour 
(or at first orange yellow, then red orange) ; the tube long, slender ; the 
limb of four rotundate, very obtuse, spreading lobes. 
Numerous Ixoras are grown, but that name! above is seldom seen in 
gardens, yet, as will be seen from the cut, it is, when treated well, a 
handsome plant. 
CHOICE PERENNIALS. 
( Continued from page 509 last vol.) 
Primula Sieboldi (P. cortusoides amoena).—All the varieties of this 
section are beautifully adapted either for culture in pots for conservatory 
decoration, or tor the open border, and comprise some charming colours. 
We have pure while flowers in grandifl *ra alba borne in grand trussep, 
very free and fragrant. The type is an excellent free-flowering plant, 
having long trusses of crimson magenta flowers, with a faint band of 
white suffused with rose in the centre. This is of good habit and vigorous 
constitution. Lilacina has flowers of a deep lilac hue, distinctly fringed, 
and one of the most effective of the colour. There are many other forms, 
but the i e are among the most distimt in colour. 
Doronicums. —That sharp bit ng fret which we experienced late 
tnis spuug played sad havoc with these flowers, and their seasoa was in 
consequence a short one. The mo-t handsome of all perhaps in D. 
H irpur-Crewe (Syn. Clusii), the flowers of which »re «.f rich gold, and 
from 3 to 4 inches in diameter, height 2£ feet. D. austriac um and D. 
caucasicum are both highly ornamen al, and may be classed as among our 
earlie-t C mpos'tes to flowers. 
Senecio Dobonicum. —A plant growing a foot, having large entire 
somewhat d iwny leaves and flowers of a rich gol ien yellow. This is a 
highly decorative K rder perennial, and one which cannot be too strongly 
recommended. It delights in abundant moisture, but ihat is not abso¬ 
lutely es-ential in its cultivatiou. 
Fair Maids of France and St. Bruno's Lily.— In pissing from 
these we may find some highly valuable plants with pure white flowers, 
These two piants are the Fair Maids of France (Rinuuculus aconitifolius. 
fl.-pl.) and the St. Bruno’s Lily (Antbericum lilmstrum) The foimer 
has p> arly white button-like fl wers, which are borne in profu-ion for 
some time on branching spikes. The latter are br'anged on trect r pikes, 
and take the form of a drooping bell. Of the lat er plant 1 mui-t not 
omit the major variety, which grows 2£ feet high, and which just row is 
one of the gems in the border. It is much more vigorous and latger in 
all its parts than the type. 
