Dkcejiber 2. 
THE COTTAGE GARDENER. 
1G3 
of tliem will produce anything hut leaves during the 
following winter and spring. Tins is a fii'st and most 
essential point of management. Culture must be directed 
to obtaining strong well-matured heads or crowns; 
every runner, after a certain size, will bo alike a shader 
and a robber. When first planted out, and root action 
is desirable, they need not be nipped too closely at first, 
but, after free growth is proceeding, every weed should 
be looked upon as an intruder. 
Winter management. —In October they should be 
taken up and potted, or placed in a bed to be covered 
by glass. But why not cover them where they are, and 
thus save labour—if tho bed was well prepared at first 
I do not see why the plants should be moved? The 
first essential for such saving mode wotild be tlie 
securing of the glass not further than six or eight inches 
from the plants. But even then, when I tried this mode, ] 
I found it was no saving in the end. For instance, the 
ground was apt to be too wet, and thus the flowers were 
likely to damp in winter. Both slugs and worms were 
prone to have their colonies, and then woe betide the 
beauty of the flowers; and besides, leaves were likely to 
be more abundant than blooms. When transplanted, 
on the other hand, though raised carefully in balls, a 
check was given to the growing principle, just enough 
and no more tlian to give a hint to the flower-buds to 
show themselves; and by tho time the buds swelled, the 
roots were spreading in the fresh soil, and thus catering 
for strength of flower-stalk and size of blossom. In jdant- 
ing in the flowering beds, one of two modes may be 
adopted according to circumstances. First, where the 
situation is damp and cold : hero it is advisable to raise 
the bottom of the bed one foot above the surface-soil, 
either by faggots, old wood, clinkers, stones, or even 
common soil—above this, if the bloom is wanted early, 
it will be advisable to have a slight hotbed, one foot 
in thickness, at least, and over that three inches of rotten 
dung, or leaf mould, made firm, and over all, eight or 
nine inches of sandy loam, rather rich and rather dry. 
When the situation is warm and dry, the soil being 
sandy, resting on gravel, chalk, or porous rock, then any 
position in the garden facing the south, or south-west, 
will answer admirably. A little leaf mould may be 
added, the soil be well stirred and aerated before 
planting, and if at all wet or exhausted, a few barrows- 
ful of good, fresh soil may be added. In planting, 
beginners should attend to one little matter: take out 
a trench across the bed, set the plants so near as to 
leave a couple of inches round them, pack them firmly 
with tho soil, and then water thoroughly, and when 
that has drained away, cover the surface with the dry, 
unwatered soil. It is scarcely possible to have the sur¬ 
face too dry in winter if there is moisture enough below. 
In addition to this, I often cover the surface between the 
plants, when fairly growing, with a slight layer of dry 
road-drift and charcoal, which, besides helping to pro¬ 
mote a dry atmosphere, slugs can wriggle along, butvery 
slowly, amongst such material when dry. In addition, 
I may add, that air may be given freely when the ex¬ 
ternal temperature is about 40°, especially when the sun 
has raised it higher; and frost must he excluded by 
covering tho glass, and protecting the sides of the box 
or pit. Pots for the window, or greenhouse, may be 
managed in a similar manner; one large, or three small 
plants for a six-inc)i pot. This sort involves a little 
trouble ; but that given, and these little matters looked 
to, there will bo no disappointment. All the rest arc 
easier managed, and will require less to be said about 
them. 
2. Perpetual or Tree Violet. —This is a useful 
variety. It well deserves the name Perpetual, as I have 
seen it bloom from September to June. The title Tree, may 
not bo a misnomer, as this violet may suit that mode better 
than others ; and I rather think it does: though each and 
every one of them may bo grown in that moppish manner 
whore desirable. A number of complaints reached me | 
last winter and spring that it would not bloom early. 
In every case that came under my inspection tho parties 
had received a counterfeit—namely, the common double 
blue, a lino thing in its way, producing, when well 
grown, finer flowers than the Perpetual, or Tree, but 
then it will rarely or never bloom in winter—it may 
also be known by its flowers being flat and broad, 
whilst those of the Perpetual are orbicular. Unlike tbe 
Neapolitan, tbe common blue will not agree with tho 
slightest forcing : tho Perpjetual never requires it. In 
pots, it will bloom splendidly in windows and green¬ 
houses ; it will also do admirably in a sheltered raised 
! place out-of-doors, where it can have temporary pro- 
I tection in bad weather. Of course it would do better 
still in a frame or pit. The flowers are not, in general, 
very large, but they arc produced very abundantly, and 
are very sweet. All Violets dislike stagnant moisture. 
Where other conveniences are wanting, they flourish at 
the foot of a wall, or fence, facing the south, south-east, 
and south-west, provided you have either a wide board, 
or a narrow straw-thatched hurdle, from fifteen to 
eighteen inches in depth, to place against them in wet 
and frosty weather. For propagation and culture in 
frames and pots, see Neapolitan —only, if bulk is de¬ 
sired, the first-formed runners may remain, as in a fine 
summer they will be sufficiently matured to bloom along 
with the mother or principal head. The soil should 
also have more loam in its composition. Mr. Tiley 
advertises a Perpetual Tree white ; the common double 
white is a poor thing in winter. If this Perpetual white 
is at all equal to the blue in this respect, it will be 
invaluable where there are ladies. I have not yet 
tried it. 
Forming Tree Violets. —This is best done by dividing 
plants two or three years old. A nice little head, with 
a fair supply of roots, and a clean stem between them 
a number of inches in length, are thus obtained. 
Whether these are planted oiit-of-cloors, or potted, tlie 
stems must at first be supported by little sticks. The 
head soon takes an upright direction. Ere long, the 
stem increases in strength, and also in length little by 
little every year. When once potted, and valued for 
their singularity, care must be given to supply them 
with plenty of water, and an open airy place in summer, 
and to avoid all stagnant moisture in winter. Sour 
earth about the stems will make them miffg and short¬ 
lived. Even when not shifted every year into larger 
pots, the drainage should be examined, a little old soil 
picked away, and fresh surfacings applied; and round 
the base of tho stem a little cone of bruised charcoal 
will be a safeguard. I had them thus grown of all 
varieties, one of the best was a Neapolitan; but I got 
tired of them: I saw little beauty in the bare stems, and, 
from a pot similar in size, I coidd get many more flowers 
from a plant grown in tbe usual way. Allowing the 
runners to festoon from the top for several generations, 
like an Aaron's-beard Saxifrage, seemed an improve¬ 
ment, where all was so stilted; but to carry out that 
idea in a moderate-sized pot pre-supposes considerable 
attention to rich surface-dressings and manure-waterings. 
3. Russian Violet and Surerr Violet.— These are 
extremely useful single Violets; the latter larger than tho 
common. They are easily propagated by seeds, runners, 
slips, and divisions, and should never stand long in one 
place, as young plants generally bloom most freely. 
'J’hey are seldom potted, but they are worthy a place in 
the cottage window, where they could stand outside in 
fine weather, and he brought inside in sleet and frost. 
They will bloom very freely, where sashes and other 
covering can he given them in winter. In common 
seasons, they thrive and bloom tolerably well on raised 
banks, by tho side of fences, &c., wliere a few branches. 
