1868 . ] 
ON PANSIES 
87 
lias been heated constantly to 80° ? These facts have been adduced 
from practical experiments, extending over more than twelve years, while 
my opponents build upon one solitary example in support of their position, 
and even that does not for a moment deserve serious consideration. 
"What some may consider to be a moist atmosphere, others will desig¬ 
nate as a dry one ; and so long as the maximum and minimum amount of 
vapour is calculated by mere sensation, as is almost always the case, so 
long shall we fail to make the conditions clearly understood. Before we can 
accurately determine the amount of suspended moisture, we must constantly 
employ an hygrometer, which will show the temperature of the dew-point 
with as much certainty as the thermometer tells the degree of heat, or the 
barometer the weight of the air. To obviate the inconvenience of com 
tinued calculation of the difference between the dry and wet bulb, the hygro- 
metrical tables of Mr. Glaisher will be found exceedingly useful. 
Tortworth Court. Alexander Cramb. 
ON PANSIES. 
« HESE, like many other florist flowers, appear to have been somewhat 
neglected in many localities of late years, though they are real gems 
f j for many months of the year. The neglect of them may be partly 
owing to the losses which one is liable to sustain during the summer 
months, and partly to their being superseded by the Belgian or fancy 
varieties, which have of late years certainly been wonderfully improved, 
and are expected by some growers shortly to eclipse the old varieties 
altogether. This, however, will be mere matter of taste. Many of the 
growers around me do not fancy them, and name them “ Butterfly Pan¬ 
sies,” or “ Circus Horses,” and so far the old varieties of the Viola tricolor 
are in the ascendant. 
The losses which occur in Pansies I attribute to their being grown too 
long in the same soil. If growers would only use fresh soil every season, 
and not over-stimulate the growth of the plants, they would bear the parch¬ 
ing rays of the summer sun much better than now, while a little natural or 
artificial shading from the mid-day and afternoon heat would be found 
beneficial. "Watering should be avoided as much as possible ; when abso¬ 
lutely necessary it is best done in the evening, generally without the rose 
on the pot, and rain water should if possible be used. 
The dark seifs are now a numerous and rich class, and as we have so 
many that are really seifs, I consider those with blue or shaded centres 
should be considered defective ; for how can a flower be called a self when 
there are three or four shades of colour in the ground of it ? I consider 
the white brow essential in the dark seifs. In yellow and white seifs we 
have made little improvement; still there has been a step or tw T o taken in 
