348 
CULTURE OF THE GENUS VIOLA. 
The first thing to be attended to, is to obtain as early a crop of 
runners for planting out as possible ; the growth of these may be 
much forwarded by sifting a little light soil, or vegetable mould, over 
the old plants, as soon as they have done flowering, and by watering 
them with a rose watering-pot. 
When sufficiently rooted, which will be about the end of May, 
take them off the old plants, and prick them out in a bed of light 
loam, or loam and peat without any manure. Make the bed in an 
airy, but somewhat shaded situation, and place the plants in rows six 
inches apart, and four inches from plant to plant in the rows. Keep 
tliem perfectly free from weeds, and water them if necessary ; and by 
the end of July, they will be ready to plant into the flowering beds. 
Make a bed for them to flower in as follows:—Take out the old 
soil six inches or more deep, and fill the opening with a mixture in 
the following proportions. One barrowful of light sandy soil and 
one barrowful of rotten cow-dung, to every two barrowsful of sandy 
peat. 
When the bed has properly settled, take up the plants on the nur¬ 
sery beds with good balls, and plant them in rows, six inches apart 
every way. 
They will now require no further attention than occasionally water¬ 
ing, and keeping them free from weeds. When the nights begin to 
be cold, place a frame over them, and [put on the lights at night; 
and in very rough weather preserve them from the effects of frost by 
covering with mats, and they will be in flower in December, and will 
continue flowering till February. 
In some cases it may be wished to grow them in pots, for the win¬ 
dows, during winter; for this purpose pot them in August, and, if 
convenient, set them in a hot-bed frame as they are wanted to come 
in flower; but if this cannot be done, they will flower very well 
placed in the window of a warm room. 
The Viola tricolor has now become a flower of much repute 
amongst florists, many of the varieties having remarkably large flowers 
of very brilliant colours. It is called Hearts Ease, Pansy, and various 
other names, and is well known amongst our lady gardeners. Their 
mode of culture is as follows. Always sow the seed within a month 
after being gathered, except it be gathered after September ; in which 
case it must not be sown till the following April, unless in pots or 
boxes. 
Make the bed, on which to sow the seed, of light sandy soil, in a 
shady situation ; lay just as much finely sifted soil on the seed as will 
cover it; then gently pat it down with the back of a spade, to cause 
the soil and seed to adhere to each other a little. 
