534 
THE GARDENING WORLD 
April 20, 1895. 
BEDDING PANSIES AND VIOLAS.* 
In 1862 Mr. James Grieve, manager to Messrs. 
Dicksons & Co., Edinburgh, began to cross the 
show strain of the garden Pansy with Viola lutea, 
which grew upon the neighbouring Pentland Hills, 
and the following year he continued his work with 
V. amoena and V. cornuta. In the course of time 
he raised Bullion, Virginalis, Holyrood.and Grievei, 
which are still popular and largely grown. Some 
little time before this Mr. John Wills, when at 
Huntroyde, perceived the value of V. cornuta as a 
bedding plant, and although the plant had been 
introduced from the Pyrenees in 1776, yet its 
decorative value had been overlooked till Mr. Wills 
made it exceedingly popular. Some years after 
this, Mr. Fleming, gardener to the Duke of West¬ 
minster, Cliveden, made his name well known 
amongst the gardening fraternity through the raising 
of several varieties which were popular in their 
day. V. grandiflora, a large yellow form from 
Switzerland, was also utilised to gain new varieties. 
With exception of V. cornuta all of the above are 
simply wild forms of the Pansy (V. tricolor) of 
perennial duration, with a dwarf, procumbent habit, 
and the property of throwing up numerous suckers 
from the rootstock and a succession of bloom during 
the greater part of the season. Those of this 
parentage and habit had oblong or oval flowers, not 
circular, and were termed Violas. Several of the 
free-flowering Pansies were also utilised for garden 
decoration under the name of bedding Pansies. V. 
cornuta is a distinct species, and from it severed fine 
forms were raised, including Perfection, Enchantress, 
and Magnificent; but after enjoying some years of 
popularity they were gradually neglected and lost 
with exception, perhaps, of Peifection, which is 
still more or less used as a breeding parent on 
account of its habit. The reasons for this were, to 
a considerable extent, owing to its lateness of bloom¬ 
ing, as it seldom makes any display before June, and 
because the more variable and showy bedding 
Pansies made a stronger bid for popular favour. 
For many years the true Violas were neglected or 
so intercrossed with Pansies that the popular 
bedding forms were more Pansies than Violas. The 
habit of the latter was retained as much as possible, 
but the flowers approached the circular form. The 
habit was also to a great extent lost, and although 
the name Viola was retained many gardeners and 
amateurs asked in vain for a distinction between 
Pansies and Violas, for in truth there was none 
except in the case of a few still very much cherished 
varieties. Amongst the numerous varieties at 
present grown a large number require weeding out 
to make way for the newer kinds with the true Viola 
habit. 
Rayless and Miniature Violas. 
In 1887 a chance seedling turned up in the garden 
of Dr. Stuart, Chirnside, Berwickshire, and which 
then and now has proved of exceeding interest and 
has been named Violetta. It is of dwarf, continuous 
flowering habit, small, deliciously fragrant and white 
with a yellow blotch on the lip, but entirely without 
rays or streaks on any part of it. The same raiser 
also worked upon Viola cornuta Perfection, a large 
white one named Countess of Hopetoun and possibly 
some others. One of the best of his early pro¬ 
ductions was Sylvia, a large, creamy-white and ray¬ 
less sort. We have now many rayless varieties, a 
large and a small-flowered race, the former repre¬ 
sented by Sylvia and the latter by Violetta. The 
latter name means a small or miniature Viola, and, 
curiously enough, is the Spanish name for the Pansy. 
A rayless Viola may be of any colour, but must have 
neither rays nor blotches in the centre, though the 
eye may extend down the lip in the form of a yellow 
or golden blotch. 
Many raisers, both professional and amateur, 
mostly living north of the Tweed and Cheviots, now 
emulate each other in the production of new and 
improved varieties of Violas, so that they were never 
more popular nor more extensively grown than at 
the present day. Annual shows are held in Scotland 
for Pansies and Violas. More recently, the London 
Pansy and Violet Society has been formed for the 
encouragement of Pansies, but more, particularly 
fancy Pansies and Violas, and a show is annually 
held in June. A Viola Conference was held at 
Birmingham on the 3rd August, 1894 1 and on that 
occasion it was resolved to merge the large rayless 
* A Paper read by Mr. J. Eraser at a meeting of the Ealing 
and District Gardeners’ Society on the 5th March. 
Violas with the ordinary kinds, while it was also 
resolved to keep the small rayless strain distinct 
under the name of Miniature Violas. 
The properties of Violas as explained J>y the chair¬ 
man of the conference, Mr. William Cuthbertson, 
were that no severe standard should be laid down as 
to form, but anything that was intrinsically beautiful 
would commend itself. Well balanced and graceful 
flowers would be accepted whether circular, oblong, 
or oval. Large size is not desirable, but colour and 
substance are essential. It may here be noted that 
self colours of various hues and intensity constitute 
a large proportion of the most popular varieties. 
Striped, splashed, and blotched varieties find con¬ 
siderable appreciation and are termed fancy Violas. 
Those in which the dark colour is confined to the 
margin are spoken of as edged varieties. 
The ideal properties of the miniature, type as 
defined by Mr. George Steel, Etal, Cornhill-on- 
Tweed, were that the form may not be circular, but 
may be narrow and more oval, smooth, and of good 
substance. The colours should be bright, uniform, 
or shaded, or edged, but not rayed; and the gold or 
orange eye may extend down the lip forming a blotch. 
It may be observed that in white varieties all colours 
have been eliminated with exception of that of the 
eye which the florist has never been able to pick out. 
Fragrance is recognised as an essential; size is 
allowed to vary from 1 in. to 1^ in., but neither 
above nor below the range of those figures. The 
habit of the plant should be dwarf, bushy, short- 
jointed, and the flower stalks of good length. 
Cultivation. 
Those who make their acquaintance with Pansies 
and Violas in the north, and afterwards undertake 
their cultivation in the southern counties of England, 
soon become impressed with the fact that they dislike 
a dry and sunny climate. In the wild state they affect 
hilly and upland districts where they enjoy a cool 
and comparatively moist climate. This to a great 
extent will account for the number and success of 
the cultivators in Scotland, and not actually their 
choice nor superior cultivation. Climate then is the 
most troublesome factor with which we have to con¬ 
tend in the cultivation of this most varied and showy 
class of garden flowers. Generally speaking, soil is 
a secondary matter, provided it is sufficiently moist 
to carry them through the drought of summer. 
Choice should therefore be made of a cool situation 
to plant them where they will be shaded from the 
heat of the midday sun ; but failing that, means 
may be taken to protect them from the injurious 
effects of drought. 
The ground should be deeply dug or trenched, 
preferably in autumn or early winter and well 
manured at the same time. The manure may be 
kept within 6 in. of the surface or thoroughly incor¬ 
porated with the upper foot of soil. Should the natural 
miterial be thoroughly bad, either sandy or clayey, 
then about 12 in. or 18 in. of it may be removed and 
replaced by a compost consisting of four parts of good 
loam, one of rotted leaves, and one of stable dung 
with some sand if considered necessary, and all well 
mixed together. 
March is the best time to make the principal 
plantations, so that when the weather permits, and 
the soil is suitably dry, the latter may be levelled 
down and raked moderately smooth on the surface. 
Whether in beds or borders the plants may be 
inserted at distances varying from 9 in. to 15 in. 
according to the vigour of the varieties to be grown, 
tbe amount of ground at disposal, and the object for 
which they are intended. Those who grow for 
exhibition should allow the plants plenty of room to 
avoid crowding, and also reduce the number of stems 
from a stool to ensure vigorous growth and large 
flowers. It is not advisable to plant too thickly even 
for garden decoration, if you wish to favour con¬ 
tinued growth and a constant succession of bloom. 
The modern idea of a good bed of Pansies or Violas, 
is to cover the ground so densely that the blooms 
seem like a crowd of people in Trafalgar Square, 
packed as closely together as their shoulders and 
heads will allow them, with their faces all turned 
one way. No wonder they hang their heads and 
think. 
As the ground dries after heavy rains, stir the sur¬ 
face lightly with a hoe to prevent its getting baked 
or dried up with the sun. In May, or earlier if 
necessary, cover the ground between and around the 
plants with well-decayed stable manure or anything 
that will preserve the moisture during the equally 
trying months of June and July. Cocoanut fibre is a 
good mulching material and by no means unsightly. 
Horse-droppings swept off the roads, when they can 
be had, are even better than cocoanut fibre, because 
they supply nourishment as well as a prevention 
against drought. Keep the ground perfectly clear 
of weeds, and give copious supplies of water till the 
plants cover the ground, after which little attention 
will be necessary unless the summer is prolonged and 
exceptionally warm and dry. 
Propagation. 
Increase is chiefly effected by means of seeds and 
cuttings. Seed raising is the quickest and easiest 
method of getting up a stock for ordinary garden 
decoration and the chief means of procuring new and 
improved varieties. Mixed strains of seed of high 
quality are easily procurable from the leading seeds¬ 
men at the present day, and many varieties can be 
selected when in bloom equal to named kinds, and 
there is always a chance of finding improvements. 
Strains of particular kinds may also be had separately. 
Inferior ones from the florist's point of view will, 
however, generally predominate. The best kinds 
may be saved and propagated from cuttings, by 
which means you can get together a stock of good 
kinds that may be discarded from year to year for 
better types. Sow the seeds in March or April for 
summer blooming, putting them in pans or boxes in 
a cold frame. Provided you desire to save trans¬ 
planting in the boxes sow thinly to allow the growth 
of stocky plants that may be transferred to the beds 
or borders when large enough, with soil upon their 
roots. For spring and summer flowering sow in 
August or early in September, and place the boxes 
in a cool position if the weather is still very warm, 
and plant out in October or defer it till March in 
suburban districts and particularly if the plants are 
small. 
The only method of perpetuating good varieties 
true to character is to take cuttings of them, and 
plants so raised always give larger and finer flowers 
than old plants or divisions of the same. Procure 
cuttings of the side shoots that have not flowered, or 
better still, pull up the young suckers that come 
from the base or from the soil around the mother 
plant, and which will often be rooted like the Irish¬ 
man’s cuttings. This may be done at any time from 
March till the beginning of October, omitting June 
and July when drought prevails. It is often very 
advantageous to take cuttings of Pansies at various 
times to ensure a succession, but Violas Deed only be 
propagated in August or September, or at most in 
March. September is the best month, more particu¬ 
larly in exceptionally dry seasons like 1S87 and 1893, 
when, if done earlier, many of the cuttings will die 
off in large numbers under the best of treatment, 
owing to the injurious effect of an arid atmosphere 
and the weakening influence of mildew. Insert the 
cuttings in boxes in a mixture of sandy soil and leaf 
mould, and stand them in the shade of a north 
aspect wall. Otherwise you may dibble them into 
similar soil in a cold frame facing the north, or even 
at the foot of a wall in the open, shading them for a 
few days according to the amount of sunshine. 
Water them overhead with a rose-watering pot late 
in the afternoon before they get very dry. They give 
very little trouble in moderately moist weather or 
with heavy dewfalls at night. 
[To be continued). 
ORCHID NOTES AND GLEANINGS, 
By John Fraser, F.L.S., Kew. 
Orchids from Rosemount, Perth. —A box of 
Orchid flowers has reached us from Mr. James 
Lindsay, gardener at Rosemount Gardens, Perth. 
Amongst others were some beautifully coloured 
varieties of Odontoglossum crispum, bearing from 
ten to fifteen flowers on a spike, and flowering for 
the first time. There was a remarkable absence of 
blotches on them, some small, brownish-red mark¬ 
ings on the lip being all the colouring taking this 
form of arrangement. The sepals were beautifully 
tinted with rose, and the paler petals with lilac. 
The latter were broad, rhomboid, and jagged or 
toothed at the edges, the teeth being deepest about 
the middle. The column was marked with crimson. 
A flower of Lycaste Skinneri alba showed fine form, 
and was pure white with exception of a pale yellow 
tint on the lower part of the lip. The variety 
