Plate 211. 
VARIETIES OE EANCY PANSIES. 
The two chief sources from whence we derive the improved 
varieties of this useful flower, are Mr. Wm. Dean, of Shipley, 
near Bradford, and Messrs. Downie, Laird, and Laing, of Stan- 
stead Park, Forest Hill, and Edinburgh. We last year gave a 
plate of the new varieties raised by Mr. Dean, and we now 
figure four of the new sorts about to be sent out by Messrs. 
Downie and Co. 
The stands of this new strain of Pansy which have been ex¬ 
hibited during the present year have shown a marked im¬ 
provement in the shape and substance of the flowers, while 
new and curious tints of colour have been introduced amongst 
them. A glance at our Plate will be sufficient to show the 
truthfulness of this; for while deficient in many of the points 
which a florist looks to as belonging to his ideas of correctness, 
yet the roundness of the flower and the proportion of the petals 
are much nearer the standard than they have previously been. 
But it is not as exhibition flowers only that these flowers are 
valuable; they are admirably adapted for spring-flower gar¬ 
dens, blooming, as they do, very profusely, and growing with a 
great deal of vigour. For this purpose it will not be necessary 
to have the named varieties,—a small package of seed will 
amply suffice. Let it be sown now, and the plants, as soon as 
they are large enough, be potted off, and planted out about the 
middle of October, and a good display will be obtained in the 
months of April and May; while the plants, after they have 
done blooming, may be thrown away, to make room for the 
summer bedding-plants. 
Of the varieties now figured, John M‘Nab (Fig. 1) is a flower 
of really good shape and substance: ground, a pale-sulphur, 
