THE FLORIST. 
15 
an hour should be lost in keeping them quite open in favourable 
weather. 
We must caution the inexperienced grower to avoid the common 
error that nine out of ten fall into. Success will not so much de¬ 
pend on making the cutting, which is a very simple affair ; but whe¬ 
ther for pots, or the border, be careful not to make the hole deeper 
than the cutting is intended to be inserted, and press the earth 
round it until it is quite hard. We do not recommend layering: 
it should only be resorted to with those flowers that are shy in 
throwing up young wood. The tops of long shoots may be struck 
in this way, that are too large for cuttings. 
The soil of those beds which have had plants in- them all the 
winter should now be loosened, preparatory to their being top-dressed 
with good rich rotten manure, which should be put on when the 
beds are in a dry state. A good layer of manure laid on in this man¬ 
ner answers two purposes. Its strength will be washed down to the 
roots by rain and watering, and will prevent the blooms from being 
splashed by heavy rains. This last operation cannot be performed 
so early as this in every season, as it would be injudicious when the 
beds are in a wet state; and the first week in April would answer 
very well. At the same time fill up any vacancies that may have 
occurred during the winter. 
APRIL. 
This is perhaps the most exciting time of the year for the ama¬ 
teur Pansy grower. Buds of some new wonder, or popular old 
favourites, will be fast maturing; and those who intend to exhibit 
will be still more interested in the development of those plants they 
have been watching and nursing for months past. It cannot be 
denied but that early blooms of well-grown Pansies are charming in 
the extreme; their rich velvety appearance and freshness of colour 
make them peculiarly attractive. 
Those in pots will now require to be gone over frequently with 
the water-pot, being careful at the same time not to give much 
water to plants of slow growth; the constitution of some varieties 
being very different to that of others, and requiring judgment in this 
respect. 
Any seed that may have been saved during the autumn should 
now be sown in pans, the more early in the month the better, and 
placed in gentle heat. Care must be taken in watering after they 
are up, otherwise they are liable to shank off. 
Look over the beds of autumn-planted seedlings, as many will 
have been loosened by the frost, and will require pressing down. 
If our readers are enthusiastic growers, they will not object to 
follow our recommendation, and carefully to hunt by candlelight for 
slugs, if their beds are troubled with that pest. How many on 
visiting their Pansies in the freshness of an April morning have found 
their buds and flowers disfigured for want of such precaution ! 
[To be continued.] 
