May 11, 1895. 
THE GARDENING WORLD 
581 
they have got well hold of the compost in this size 
stop them again. This will be about the middle of 
July. Gradually harden them off in a light frame, 
and give plenty of water and air. 
The last and most important point to be observed 
in the whole course of their treatment is not to 
starve them, as if this is once done before housing 
them their blooming propensities for that season 
will be greatly checked. Worms in the pots are 
also very destructive to these plants. For cutting 
purposes I find President Garfield, Alfred Neuner, 
Vreelandii, Mrs. R. Green, Dazzler, and Pink 
Christine are all to be relied upon.— J. G. Pettinger, 
Strawberry Dale Nurseries, Harrogate. 
-- 
FLOWERS IN WATER-COLOUR AND 
OIL PAINTING. 
The fortieth exhibition of the Society of Lady 
Artists is being held in the Drawing-room Gallery 
of the Egyptian Hall, Piccadilly. Being more inter¬ 
ested in the pictures representing flowers we paid 
most attention to that aspect of the exhibition, and 
we must say that a considerable amount of interest 
is taken in flowers by the lady artists, judging from 
the number of pictures devoted solely to their 
illustration. This may result to some extent from 
the extensive use that is made of flowers in the 
education of the beginners ; but it must also depend 
largely upon individual taste and the facility or 
convenience of the artists in getting access to 
flowers. Those represented on any fairly large 
scale are mostly garden flowers, though a stray 
picture here and there deals with our native flowers, 
and we confess that we should have liked to see more 
of them. Native flowers, even of the commonest 
kinds, must appeal to the imagination as well as the 
taste of the educated when they are naturally and 
truthfully represented with or without natural 
surroundings. There is no more beautiful nor inter¬ 
esting picture than a bit of real wild Nature to 
suspend on the walls of dwelling houses, even if the 
area embraced by the picture is limited, so long as 
the individuality of the flowers constituting the 
principal feature of the picture can be recognised 
without the aid of a catalogue. 
Amongst the water-colour paintings we should 
mention “Japanese Anemones ’’ as a very natural, 
graceful, and truthfully represented picture. There 
are several others, no doubt as well executed, but 
owing to the shortness of the flower stalks a large 
bunch of them is liable to make a lumpy picture. 
Amongst these we should include Christmas Roses, 
here erroneously changed to “ Winter Roses," and 
"Daffodils that come before the swallow dares,” 
represented by the wild Daffodil of English meadows. 
Winter Cherries and Irises (the latter consisting of 
the bulbous and so-called English Irises) are also 
notable little pictures. Wood Anemones and 
Crocuses constitute a pleasing and appropriate little 
picture to recall pleasant memories of springtide. 
We must also contrast Red Poppies and Shirley 
Poppies in a Venetian glass ; both are suggestive, 
and though both belong to the same species, the 
former recalls the cornfields and the latter the 
garden. The Red Poppies are mixed with a few 
panicles of oats, but the flowers are drooping in a 
way that represents a bunch flagging by the heat of 
the hand after having been culled and carried for 
some time. The delicate tints of the Shirley 
Poppies afford some scope for the artist’s brush, but 
the picture has been painted while the flowers were 
fresh and sprightly, and this we consider should 
have been the case with the Red Poppies, which, 
under natural conditions, are as well adapted for 
artistic representation as their garden rivals. " Spring' ’ 
is illustrated by Apple and Pear blossom, and so far 
conveys a pleasant impression, but we hope that 
artists in the future will refrain from painting a 
bird’s nest torn from the position where its proper 
owners built it, and barbarously laid alongside of 
cut flowers. Why not contrive to paint the bird's 
nest under its normal conditions with natural 
surroundings ? It would not then be so suggestive 
of vandalism, even although there probably was 
none in this case. 
In another picture spring flowers are represented 
by double Peerless or Nonsuch Daffodils, which are 
rather heavy. Garden flowers in another instance 
are represented by Sunflowers, Roses, China Asters, 
etc., tumbled out of a basket and fairly attractive. 
A basket of wild flowers, though rather lumpy, is 
not altogether a bad picture, and shows Scabious, 
Honeysuckle, Harebells, Clover and Brambles in 
fruit. “Devon Roses,” represented by La France 
and other hybrid perpetuals as well as Teas, is a 
bold picture in its way, and another picture simply 
named “ Roses ” is also good. As a picture of a bit of 
wild Nature we were highly pleased with that named 
“ A Pool on Sleights Moor ” ; the pool is a small one 
and too near the vanishing point of perspective, but 
the purple heather is much in evidence and the 
most effective feature of the picture. That named 
" Le Gros Chandron ” (the large kettle) is a luxurious 
picture (with exception of the frame) of fruit heaped 
up in a rather promiscuous way, consisting of ripe 
Currants, Plums, etc., ready for boiling, as the title 
would suggest; but the mixture did not impress us 
with what would actually happen in the preparation 
of fruits for preserving. 
All of the above are water-colour paintings, but 
there are several good oil paintings of flowers, 
including Gaillardias forming a bunch in an earthen¬ 
ware jug. The picture of Fritillaries represents the 
British Frillaria Meleagris, but though well done the 
background is rather dark, especially by comparison 
with Gaillardias. “ Red Chrysanthemums ” in a 
tall vase constitute a pleasing picture of common 
flowers artistically represented. The picture of 
Clivias, here termed ‘' Lilies, ’’ is also fairly well repre¬ 
sented, though not so attractively as the Chrysan¬ 
themums. The painting of Dahlias, though 
probably fairly well executed, shows no actual taste 
in their arrangement, which would have done much 
to lighten the picture. Why not cut those heavy 
flowers with long stems and place them in a vase to 
show their natural habit on the plant as near as 
possible? A picture labelled "Raspberries” is 
admirable; Peaches also form a component part of 
the picture, but the Raspberries are certainly the 
masterpiece of the same, inasmuch as one can almost 
imagine them real at a short distance. The little 
drupels or component parts of the fruits appear sub¬ 
transparent and lucid with coloured juice. 
-——- 
THE VIOLET AND ITS RELATIONS.* 
It is a well-known fact that few pursuits in which 
the mind can engage are purer, or have more 
tendency to afford innocent and happy thoughts 
than the cultivation of flowers. The rich may 
possess gardens and hot-houses, well filled with 
choice specimens of the brilliant-hued natives of 
other climates, but these can never bring one half 
the pleasure which the cultivation of native English 
flowers afford to adorn our cottage gardens. The 
former are the privileges of the wealthy; the latter 
are open to the poorest in the land ; they are— 
" A blessing given 
E’en to the poorest little one 
That wanders ’neath the vault of heaven.” 
The Sweet Violet (Viola odorata):—The flower of 
the Violet contams the same parts (but differently 
arranged and not less beautiful) as the symmetrical 
Primrose. The five divisions of the Violet 
blossom are distinct from one another, and differ in 
shape the one from the other, the lower one pre¬ 
senting what is called in botany a spur. This spur¬ 
like appendage is found in the flowers of the 
Columbine and Larkspur. On the flower stem of the 
Violet we have an example of what are called bracts. 
The slender stalk and drooping head suggest the 
well-known lines :— 
“ Down in a green and shady bed 
A modest Violet grew. 
Its stalk was bent, it hung its head, 
As if to hide from view.” 
The leaves of the Violet are broad and green. The 
flower blossoms are larger than the sepals, which are 
long and narrow, and are aids to protect the Violet 
from the intrusion of the small flies, which creep up 
her low stem to find honey. The Violet stores her 
treasure to attract those insect visitors who can 
bring an exchange of pollen from other flowers. The 
coloured petals, two upper ones, two wings, and one 
lower one, which forms a pouch. The stamens are 
orange-coloured (five). At the end of the spurs at 
the bottom of the pouch are the honey-glands. The 
attractive purple and scent of the flower are called the 
“ honey guides.” The stigma of the Violet is like a 
small knob; and though there are about eight 
species of British Violets, none are sweet-scented 
but the Viola odorata. These sweet companions of 
* A paper by Mrs. Mole, of Chillerton, read at a recent 
meeting of the Isle of Wight Horticultural Improvement 
Society. 
the Primrose, "gleaming like amethysts in the dewy 
moss,” are the most welcome flowers of an English 
spring. They are hardy, and may be found as early 
in the year as February, in sheltered spots. In 
March and April they are scattered in lavish pro¬ 
fusion, not only gleaming blue, but in many places 
white. 
The Sweet Violet is honoured with a place in our 
list of medicinal native plants. We find from the 
blossom a syrup is made which partakes of the 
odour and colour of the petals. This syrup may be 
used as a simple domestic remedy for children’s 
coughs. The root of the Violet possesses emetic 
properties; and infusion of the syrup of Violets is 
also a useful chemical test; the violet, or purple 
colour, can be changed red by acids, and green by 
alkalies. 
The Dog Violet (Viola canina) which in our 
hedgerows rapidly succeeds the sweet-scented Violet, 
is perhaps a more handsome flower ; it is larger, 
lighter blue, and more transparent looking. These 
little flowers are very effective in a small rockery, 
mixed with a few varieties of British Ferns, and 
some stone crop. The soil should be of a rich loam, 
the situation shady, and rather damp. 
The Pansy, or Heartsease (Viola tricolor).—The 
little wild flower, which may be found almost the 
whole year round in waste corn-fields, is the origin of 
our garden Pansies. Pansy-growing a few years ago 
was regarded as a mystery. It may be observed that 
in many a well-kept and highly successful garden, the 
Pansy does not appear to thrive, whilst in other spots 
it will flourish abundantly. This is no doubt to be 
accounted for by the soil, drainage, and situation. In 
the Chillerton School-house garden they spring up 
like weeds from year to year, and try their very best 
to crowd out all other plants. They insist in blooming 
nearly the whole year round ; large and splendid 
Pansies have been picked in this garden at Christmas. 
But there appears to be a rivalry between birds and 
slugs to spoil the blossom ; these hungry pensioners 
of Nature's bounty having acquired a taste for this 
dainty winter salad. The Pansy is a hardy perennial. 
The seed should be sown in the open garden about 
June, in moist, well-drained, and rich loamy soil. 
Should the seed be sown in March or April, it must 
be sown thinly in pots. The forward plants may 
afterwards be transferred to some cool corner of 
prepared soil, with a dressing of cow dung ; the place 
selected must not be dry or hot. When the plants 
are sufficiently advanced they can be removed to a 
bed, or border, with balls of earth attached to their 
roots. The soil must not be allowed to become set 
by rain or watering : slightly stir the soil. Should 
this be the case it will benefit the plants. The first 
flowers of seeds sown in the open garden are not 
always the best; the plants should not be cast aside 
because of these premature blossoms. Better results 
may be looked for in the spring following, when they 
will produce a mass of blossoms. Pansies intended 
for bedding out should be set quite 6 in. apart. 
Diseases :—In the spring and autumn Violets are 
subject to fungoid diseases. The autumn complaint 
is caused by a brown Puccinia, a relation of the P. 
graminis, which attacks Corn, and the P. malvacearum 
of Hollyhocks. Violets are also badly affected in 
spring and early autumn by the fungus Aecidium 
Violae, which attacks leaves, stems, and sepals. It 
can be best seen on the leaves. The Dog Violet is 
much troubled with the disease, and this pest is 
liable to starve and destroy the plant. Another 
autumn disease of Violets is caused by a fungus 
named Urocystis Violae. This causes gouty swellings 
to form on the stalks and veins, which afterwards 
burst and discharge sooty spores. No cure can be 
found, therefore it is best to burn infected leaves or 
plants. I will finish my paper with a few lines from 
Keble’s “ Christian Year ’’ and Crabbe:— 
“ But vernal airs should sorrow heal, 
Spring should be gay and glad ; 
Yet as along this Violet bank I rove, 
The languid sweetness seems to choke my breath, 
I sit me down beside the hazel grove 
And sigh, and half could wish my weariness were 
death.” 
“ Lo! when the buds expand, the leaves are green, 
Then the first opening of the flower is seen ; 
Then come the humid breath, and rosy smile,. 
That with their sweets the willing sense beguile ; 
But as we look, and love, and taste, and praise, 
And the fruit grows, the charming flower decays, 
Till all is gathered, ana the wintry blast 
Mourns o'er the place of love, and pleasure past.” 
