itsO 
THE GARDENING WORLD. 
F ebfuai’y 
1891. 
'FLOfUCULTUf^. 
-—r-- 
The Pansy. 
It is pleasant to note how much interest is centering 
round that homely and always popular flower, the 
Paosy ; and while cultivators are debating as to 
whether Scotch and English, or foreign-raised varieties 
are the best, or whether the south has the superiority 
over the north, or vice versa, all discussion is a sub¬ 
stantial gain, and promotes an increased interest in the 
flower. And here let me put in a word in favour of 
Mr. James Simkins’ book on The Pansy: How to 
Grow and Shov) It. Not only are the cultural 
directions complete and perfect, but it gives a very 
interesting account of the origin and development of 
the flower, which reads like a romance. The book is 
well worth the money charged for it, and young 
beginners will find in its pages all they can desire. 
A paragraph from the chapter dealing with the 
history of the Pansy is well worth quoting. From this 
chapter we learn that the Pansy, though a native of 
Britain, was never cultivated with a view to its be¬ 
coming a florists’ flower, until it was taken in hand 
by Mr. Thompson, of Iver, Bucks, by whom it was 
brought into cultivation, and from that stock have 
originated all the beautiful varieties that have come 
into cultivation of what is known as the show Pansies. 
The record runs that Mr. Thompson was gardener to 
Lord Gambier, at Iver, and “in 1813 or 1814 Lord 
Gambier brought him a few plants collected in the 
fields near Iver. They were the yellow and white 
variety, and Lord Gambier requested him to cultivate 
these plants. Having done so, it was discovered that 
a great improvement was effected, and other varieties 
were collected. In three or four years many seedlings 
had been raised.” It has been stated on the authority 
of Glenny’s Almanack, that about 1812, the daughter 
of the Earl of Tankerville, then residing at Walton- 
on-Tbames, had as her favourite flower the common 
Pansv, and in her garden many improved varieties were 
raised by selecting seeds from the best kinds, and 
giving them good cultivation. Whether these two 
accounts describe independent and separate operations, 
or whether they describe the one event with a differ¬ 
ence of personality and locality only, I cannot say, 
but it was Thompson’s name that became so inti¬ 
mately associated with it. 
Pansy or “Paunee,” states Dr. Prior, is from the 
French pensee, thought, once called menues pensees, 
idle thoughts. Dr. Johnson and Tdbot would derive 
the name from the Latin panacea, but the plant has 
never been called so, nor regarded as a panacea. Irs 
habit of coquettishly hanging its head, and half 
hiding its face, as well as same fancied resemblance 
in the throat of the corolla, has led to many quaint 
names in our own and in foreign languages—“ Cull 
Me,” or “Cuddle hie to You,” “Love and Idle,” 
“Live in Idleness,” or “Love in Idleness,” a line 
perhaps of some song or poem, “ To Live or Love in 
Idleness,” but originally it would seem, “ Love in Idle,” 
that is “in vain,” and several more of an amatory 
character. From its three colours combined in one 
flower, it is called “Herb Trinity,” and “Three Faces 
under a Hood”; from confusion with the Wallflower, 
“ Heartsease”; and from the Middle-Age Latin, Viola 
flammea, “ Flame flower.” There is no plant that has 
obtained so many names and curious sobriquets. 
In “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” Shakespeare 
gives the Heartsease magical qualities. Oberon bids 
Puck- procure for him “ a little western flower,” on 
■which Cupid’s dart had fallen, and which maidens 
called Love in Idleness. Says the fairy king— 
“Fetch me that flower—the herb I showed thee once ; 
The juice of ft on sleeping eyelids laid, 
Will make a man or woman madly dote upon the 
next live creature thatit sees.” 
The Pansy was the accidental cause of Bertram, the 
first American botmist, devoting himself to the study 
of botany. The stamens and pistil of this flower have 
something grotesque in their appearance when disclosed, 
resembling, to a fanciful mind, an animal with arms, 
and a head projecting and stooping forwards. Bertram, 
who was originally a farmer, while superintending his 
servants in the field and giving them directions, 
gathered a Pansy that was growing at his feet, and 
thoughtlessly pulled off its petals one after the other. 
Sti uck with the stamens and pistil, Bertram conveyed 
it home that he might examine it more carefully. Its 
examination created in him that thirst for the know¬ 
ledge of the construction arid habits of plants which 
afterwards rendered him so famous, and won for him 
the friendship of Liui sens. — R. D. 
New Fancy Pansies. 
I was delighted to see in last week’s issue of The 
Gardening World that your correspondent agreed 
with me that the present system of granting or award¬ 
ing Certificates of Merit to new varieties of Pansies by 
local and other societies is far from being satisfactory ; 
and as Mr. Campbell thinks that there would not be 
much difficulty in forming a society as I proposed, and 
that it is much wanted, he should set about it at once. 
I would suggest that this society should not promote 
shows of its own, but act through other societies by 
offering prizes and awarding Certificates of Merit to 
seedling Pansies at those societies’ shows by judges 
appointed by itself. It might be termed the Interna¬ 
tional Pansy Club. It might do a great deal in the 
way of spreading a knowledge and love of the Pansy 
by otfeiing prizes for them at district shows where 
they are little known, and sending competent men 
to judge them. This alone would be a very important 
matter, as I believe, not only in England, but in Scot¬ 
land there are many district shows where the men 
appointed to judge the Pansies scarcely know a show 
from a fancy Pansy. 
I cannot agree with “Amateur Grower” where he 
savs that he is convinced that we in England will 
never be able to grow Pansies equal to the Scots during 
the latter part of June, July, and August, our climate 
being too hot, &c. Almost the best flowers I ever grew 
were grown in the hottest time of the hottest season we 
have had since I began Pansy growing. If “Amateur 
Grower ” would give his Pansies a good wetting with a 
■watering-can after sundown every other night during 
hot dry weather he would have very little to complain 
of. As to situation, I think the advantage is with the 
English growers for producing good blooms, because 
the sunshine is shorter and consequently the nights are 
longer during the summer months, which are the most 
favourable conditions for growing good flowers, so that 
in my opinion success mainly lies in the grower if he 
will work and knows how.— Veritas. 
--- 
EARLY SPRING- FLOWERS. 
In mild winters, or in those of usual severity in the 
neighbourhood of London, or in a wider sense, the 
south of England, there is often a great variety of 
flowers in the open air from Christmas onwards, or even 
before that time, in the shape of Wallflowers, Christmas 
Roses, Violets, Snowdrops, Jasminum nudiflorum, 
Winter Heliotrope (Petasites fragrans), and others. 
The continued cold and the frost-bound state of the 
ground from November to the middle of January has 
prevented not only the appearance of many flowers 
above ground, but has even prevented them from 
pushing their way through the soil, so that although 
the frost has been gone for some time, our old favourites 
have failed to put in an appearance. 
Shrubs that usually flower during December and 
January, are now, however, advancing rapidly, and 
will soon assume their wonted wiuter and spring 
brightness. The swelling of the buds in some instances, 
as in the case of Chimonanthus fragrans, Lonicera 
Cavendishii, and L. fragrantissima, did not seem to be 
entirely checked even during the continuance of the 
frost, and were well advanced towards expansion 
before the disappearance of the snow. Already the sprays 
of Chimonanthus fragrans are decked with their fragrant 
though not highly-coloured flowers, and the others will 
follow presently. The bloom-buds of the Laurustinus 
were well advauceil in autumn before the approach of 
frost, but do not seem to have made much progress 
since. The bushes are not, however, so much damaged 
as one might have expected, a circumstance due, no 
doubt, to the fine autumn aud the well-ripened con¬ 
dition of tho young growths. The flower-buds of the 
Winter Heliotrope that were in any way well advanced 
are now completely destroyed. 
Soon, however, several species of Crocus will make 
their appearance, including C. Sieberi, blue ; C. suaveo- 
lens, striped; C. Imperati, lilac striped ; C. vitellinus, 
orange ; C. susianus, golden yellow, and others. The 
last-named is a very old favourite, widely spread in 
gardens, but the others are less common. Concurrently 
with the earliest of the above should come the Snow¬ 
drops, heralded by the early variety Galauthus nivalis 
prrecox. Both this type and the large-flowered forms 
are well worthy of attention, and the double variety, in 
spite of its ungraceful and lumpy character, still enjoys 
a considerable amount of popularity. One point in its 
favour is its late period of flowering, keeping the 
border gay for a time after the others have died away. 
The most beautiful of all the Snowdrops is G. Elwesii, 
although it seems to acclimatise itself reluctantly to our 
climate. The beautiful glaucous-leaved G. nivalis 
caucasicus and G. latifolius with its bright green 
leaves serve to give much variety, and cannot be over¬ 
looked by those who make collections. With exception 
perhaps of G. Elwesii, the others should be planted in 
isolated clumps along the sides of shady walks in the 
pleasure grounds, or even in the more remote woodland 
paths on the estate. They never seem more at home 
than under such conditions, where they may be left 
undisturbed for years. 
In mild seasons, the Winter Aconite (Etanthis 
hyemalis) would have been in flower by this time, and 
from January to March constitutes its flowering period. 
The bright yellow flowers come peering through the 
ground sometimes almost as soon as the snow has 
melted off the ground. The same applies to Chiono- 
doxa Lucilke, in its native habitat especially. Provided 
the weather is opeD, but cool and dry, then it appears 
in its best form, dwarf, sturdy, and rich in colour. 
L'ke all other spring flowers it soon loses its beauty, 
and runs to seed if the weather is warm. Even before 
the latter shows colour, the two-leaved Squill (Scilla 
bifolia) is in all its glory. Soon after the rich blue 
S. sibirica comes upon the scene, and is no mean 
competitor with Chionodoxa Lucilise for the favours of 
the plant lover. The intense blue, and also the early 
flowering habit of C. L. sardensis, must not, however, 
be overlooked. The succession is continued by S. 
amoena, with its lively blue flowers, and curious dark 
green centre. 
The earliest of the Daffodils is Narcissus Bulbocodium 
monophyllus, but in order to see it in its best form, it 
must have the protection of a frame. Its quiet and 
quaint beauty is, moreover, so charming as to warrant 
its cultivation in pots, and the placing of it in a cool 
house during the period of its flowering. This is 
followed in due time by N. pallidus prsecox and N. 
obvallaris, which we shall soon see in all their beauty. 
To the list may be added Bulbocodium vernum, whose 
rosy lilac flowers will soon be peering through the 
ground. Many of the bulbous Irises are amongst the 
prettiest of spring flowers, including I. Histrio, I. 
reticulata, I. Bakeri, and others. 
- **=£*• - 
BIRDS AND BUDS. 
In reply to your inquiry on this subject in your last 
issue, 1 may remark that a day or two after the ground 
was first covered with snow, my fruit foreman drew 
my attention to a quarter of Red Currant bushes, which 
birds had commenced to disbud. The rejected portions 
of the buds were lying in lines beneath the branches, 
and beiug upon the snow were visible from a distance. 
1 condemned the Bullfinches, but by keeping watch 
soon found the culprits to be house Sparrows. We 
netted the bushes without delay, and were no further 
troubled. I, however, believe, had we not taken the 
precaution to net the bushes, there would have been 
few, if any buds left. Only once before do 1 remember 
being troubled with Sparrows in the same way, and 
then some rows of Red Currants were wholly cleared 
of their buds. Our Plums and Pears are yearly 
attacked by Bullfinches, yet so far they have not 
commenced this season, but we are now daily expecting 
the first visit. 
With reference to birds I may be permitted to 
mention an incident that came under my notice on 
Sunday, the 25th ult. When walking up a lane, I 
observed here and there by the sides of loose stones 
some broken snail shells, and on examination the 
destruction was found to be newly done, the snails 
being gone. Continuing my walk 1 came upon two 
more stones lying some 3 ft. apart, and scattered 
immediately around them were many more broken 
shells, which I took pains to count, and found to be 
upwards of eighty in number. These shells in kind 
were about the size of large hazel-nuts, and beautifully 
marked with circular stripes of various colours. 1 feel 
satisfied that this was the work of the Thrush, having 
previously seen them tapping shelled snails upon stones 
to enable them to partake of a favourite meal. I 
searched the banks aud hedge-rows on either side of 
the lane, where many old unoccupied shells were to be 
found ; two of those found by the sides of the stones 
were unbroken, aud these were also uninhabited. 
— Thomas Coomber. - 
After carefully perusing the article under the above 
heading (especially paragraph 3), page 340, I should 
like to offer a few remarks ; but before doing so, I will 
briefly answer the question as to whether the birds 
have damaged the fruit buds in this locality or not. 
As far as my experience has extended, they have not; 
but if you w Lh to form an opinion “ without partiality ” 
