THE COTTAGE GARDENER 
November 20. 
no 
odoriferous then, though placed there fully twelve 
months before. \\ c shall now glance at a tew ot the 
hest varieties. 
The Russian Blue violet is as hardy as our com¬ 
mon one, that cheers with its perfume our banks and 
hedge-rows in spring. The flowers are much the 
same in size and colour, hut possess the advantage 
of blooming more profusely and earlier, being gene¬ 
rally in flower by the end of October. They flower 
hest in loamy soil well drained. In light sandy soil 
they are apt to grow too much to foliage. They are 
propagated by seed, but more generally by offsets 
or runners, or by the dividing of the old plants. The 
old crown, and runners produced during the summer, 
will all bear blooms. Sheltered with boughs, &c., at 
the foot of a wall, paling, or hedge, or planted in a 
bed with a frame set over them, and defended from 
frost, they will bloom freely all the winter. By filling 
some pots of boxes with young plants in September, 
they will be fitted for the window, setting them out¬ 
side in open weather, and inside when frosty and 
stormy. A superior (or what is called a superior) 
one is being advertised, which we have not yet 
seen. 
The Double Blue is more compact in its growth : 
it flourishes best in a deep loamy veil drained soil. 
In such circumstances the flowers will be larger and 
sweeter than upon lighter land. They produce their 
blooms from the old Crown, and also from the run¬ 
ners formed in the early part of summer. They 
may remain, therefore, several years upon the same 
ground, and little attention paid to cutting or pruning 
them. The flowers, however, will not be so fine as 
from plantations one or two years old. They will 
flower in pots, either for the windows or greenhouse, 
and will be forwarded, if planted under a glass case, 
with plenty of air, but they will not stand much 
forcing, the flowers when thus obtained neither being 
large nor rich in their perfume. When grown in pots 
the soil should be rich and loamy. The plants should 
be raised from off-sets planted out in April or May, 
kept free from runners, well watered during summer, 
and potted with balls in the end ol September. 
The Double White requires similar treatment; but 
altogether it is much more tender, and is generally a 
great favourite among the ladies. The soil should 
be drier and of a lighter texture than for the blue 
variety, and, if exposed in a cold situation, a few 
laurel boughs stuck round it in winter will do good 
service. 
The Tree violet is also a double blue. The flower 
is somewhat rounded and conical, while the common 
blue is flattish ; this forms a distinctive feature. 
The flowers are seldom so large a,s the double com¬ 
mon one, but its leaves are also generally smaller. 
Its chief recommendation is, that it flowers as freely 
and as early as the Russian; it will bloom out of 
doors, protected from storms, in frames and in pots 
during the winter. A few in pots, placed in a win¬ 
dow or in a greenhouse, will bloom profusely. It 
will also admit of being slightly forced, and prefers a 
lighter soil than the common blue. All the violets 
may be grown in the tree form, and some years ago 
we amused ourselves with experiments in this direc¬ 
tion, though we never could see much beauty in 
them when obtained. This will account for the com¬ 
mon blue, &c., having been sent out under the name 
of the tree violet, and thus caused disappointment 
because they did not bloom early. The one under 
discussion seems, however, to take the tree form 
most easily. This is effected by cutting off the side 
shoots, and training to one shoot, with its crown, or 
tuft of leaves, on its summit. By repeating the pro' 
cess for years, you may get plants with stems from 
six inches to two feet in length; but to approach the 
latter height, few or no laterals, or runners, must he 
allowed to grow until the desired height is attained, 
and then you will have something like mops, in 
miniature, to look upon. When the stem has grown 
from six to eighteen inches in height, and the run¬ 
ners are then encouraged to grow, so as to hang in 
festoons from the crown at the top, and all are fur¬ 
nished with bloom, tbe plants present a very inter¬ 
esting appearance. Without this is done, the mere 
tree system had better be avoided. The plants will 
bloom as v, r ell, and look more natural, when covering 
the surface of the soil. Propagation is easily effected 
by planting out the runners in a shady place in sum¬ 
mer, or inserting them under a handliglit in spring. 
The Neapolitan violet is deservedly a general fa¬ 
vourite. The flower is large and double, lilac blue, 
and beautifully scented. It delights in a rich loam, 
with an addition of either peat or leaf mould. Unless 
in warm sheltered places it does little good out of 
doors, and even then will only generally produce its 
flowers late in the spring. Its great recommenda¬ 
tion is, that it will bloom all tbe winter in frames or 
pits, and in pots in the conservatory, while it will 
stand a little artificial heat, without injury cither to 
the size or the odour of the flowers. It may be for¬ 
warded in any place that would suit strawberries be¬ 
fore they come into bloom ; in other words, where 
there is an average temperature of from 55° to (50°. 
In growing it in pits or in pots, young plants only 
should be used. A distinctive feature in its manage¬ 
ment arises from the fact, that the runners produced 
in summer will not bloom the following winter and 
spring. In preparing and growing plants for bloom¬ 
ing, therefore, the runners should be carefully re¬ 
moved, that more strength may be thrown into the 
crown of the plant, and that the juices there collected 
may he more perfectly organised by the removal of 
all shading and encumbering adjuncts. As the 
flowering season approaches its termination, runners 
may be allowed to grow lor propagating, for tbe next 
season’s supply. These may be taken off and inserted 
as cuttings under a handliglit upon a slight liot-bed 
in April or May : when struck tbe handliglit should 
be removed, and by-and bv tbe plants should be 
transferred to a bed six inches apart, there to grow 
during the summer, in lightish rich loamy soil, well 
supplied with water, the ground frequently stirred, 
and not a runner allowed to grow. Where hand- 
lights are not come-at-able, the same object may al¬ 
most as securely be gained by dividing the old 
plants into little pieces, planting them out like those 
j raised from cuttings, and attending to them in a si¬ 
milar way. They may be lifted with balls, either for 
potting or planting under glass in September: in 
either case, drainage must be carefully attended to. 
In planting in a bed, lay down, first of all, a foot of 
faggots, &c.; upon this place another foot of hot 
l dung not much decomposed, and then a requisite 
layer of soil rather dry. The faggots will ensure you 
drainage, and enable you to throw a little heat into 
the bed, when necessary, by linings; the dung will 
encourage, by its heat, the fresh rooting of the plants 
1 in the soil. Place the plants in rows across the bed, 
just so thick that they do not touch each other; 
water each row thoroughly as you proceed, and then 
j cover the surface with the dry soil, which will both 
prevent the evaporation of moisture from the roots, 
and keep the atmosphere of the frame or pit dry ; to 
ensure which more effectually, and also prevent the 
