56 
THE GARDENING WORLD 
September 24, 1898. 
INTS FOR MMATEURS. 
Violets. 
The last two months of hot weather have been ex¬ 
ceptionally trying to the young Violets which have 
been slowly developing into plants from the runners 
dibbled out towards the end of the spring. For the 
first part of their career the divisions had a fairly 
favourable time, for there were frequent showers, and 
thus, although the temperature was rather low for a 
long time, the runners had a good start. During the 
long spell of drought which has not even yet come 
to an end frequent soakings of water with occasional 
doses of liquid manure have been of great service, 
and the plants, although they are not quite so large 
as they are in wetter years, are yet sturdy and 
vigorous specimens that will give a good account of 
themselves during the dull weather through which 
we must pass in the near future. 
It is only in the extreme south of our island, and 
only then during especially mild winters that the 
finest forms of the double Violets can be had in 
bloom out-of-doors without protection. The plants 
themselves are hardy enough it is true, but the 
flowers are rather delicate,, and although they will 
stand a few degrees of frost yet they succumb if the 
cold is very acute, and under the same conditions a 
check is put upon the blooming capabilities of the 
plants, and the flower buds, if, indeed, they are not 
actually at a standstill, develop with exceeding 
slowness. But cold is not the only adverse condition 
from which the plants require to be protected. 
Heavy showers of rain are even more destructive, for 
they not only wash all the fragrance out of the 
flowers but they cover them with mud, and thus 
spoil their beauty and perfume at the same time. 
In order to avoid all this it is necessary to place 
the plants under glass some time before the winter 
sets in. Seeing that it is shelter from rain that is 
most wanted and not so much protection from cold, 
it is apparent that the cold frame is the handiest 
method of giving the desired protection from the ele¬ 
ments. 
The cultivation of Violets in cold frames ha' 1 , 
therefore, become a very commonly practised sys¬ 
tem, and there are very few gardens, indeed, we may 
say none of any size, in which there are not to be 
seen some frames devoted to them. These, by the 
way, are regarded as a very important part of the 
winter's crops, which is not to be wondered at when 
we consider how much Violets are in request by the 
ladies. 
In addition to the plants which are put into 
frames considerable numbers are grown in pots, for 
pots of Violets are popular decorations for dwelling 
rooms, but this system is not followed to any extent 
to supply the flowers for gathering. 
It is necessary that the plants should be lifted 
trom the open ground and installed betimes in their 
winter quarters in order that they may get over the 
check of lifting and have a chance to establish 
themselves in the new soil before winter sets in in 
earnest. From the middle to the end of September 
is the best time to perform this part of the pro¬ 
gramme, for thus the whole of October, with its 
usually genial weather, is before the plants. 
First, as to the preparation of the beds. These 
will vary according to the character of the frame or 
frames that it is proposed to utilise. In some cases 
we have seen deep brick pits employed, in which it 
was necessary to take advantage of the filling up of 
leaves that had been put in earlier in the year for 
Melons and Cucumbers. If any amateur possesses 
some of these pits and they are not wanted for other 
purposes, a capital bed for Violets can be furnished 
with the minimum of trouble, for all that is neces¬ 
sary is to put in a little fresh soil, making this about 
a foot in depth all over the bed. The plants root 
into the decaying leaves underneath and invariably 
grow strongly and flower well. 
If such halt formed beds are not ready to hand an 
ordinary cold frame should be cleared and a bed 
made up in it. Old leaves, or leaves mixed with 
half rotted stable manure, will form capital material 
for filling in the lower part of the bed and thus giv¬ 
ing a foundation for the soil. The latter should 
consist of two-thirds of good mellow loam, to which 
may be added one-third of well rotted stable manure, 
or failing that, leaf soil. Mix the whole well to¬ 
gether by repeated turnings, and put it in the frame 
to the depth of at least a foot. It may be a little 
deeper at the back of the frame, but under no cir¬ 
cumstances is a great depth of soil required. The 
plants would do very well in a deep bed of soil, but, as 
they will do equally well in one of the depth that we 
have indicated, it would be waste of time to give 
them more. 
When finished, the surface of the bed should be 
within 6 in. or at the most 8 in. of the glass, for 
there is sure to be more or less sinking, especially 
where fermenting material has been employed, with 
the result that if too much room is allowed in the 
first place, at the beginning of the new year the plants 
will be a long way from the glass and will become 
drawn and weakly as a natural consequence. 
Lifting.—In lifting the plants it will be found that 
they have rooted too deeply to allow of the blade of 
the trowel being long enough to fetch them out of it. 
An ordinary digging-fork must therefore be employed. 
It will thus be possible to lift the plants with good 
balls of earth attached to them and the roots practi¬ 
cally intact. These balls of earth may be reduced to 
some extent by means of the fingers, but still a fair 
amount of soil should be allowed to remain about the 
roots. All young runners should be cut away, as 
these only serve to impoverish the plant without 
producing any result in the way of flowers. 
It will be advisable to mention here that it may be 
necessary to give the plants a good watering the day 
before they are lifted, unless, of course, they are 
naturally watered by the clouds, otherwise the dry 
soil will fall away from the roots, and it will be 
almost impossible to get balls of earth of the proper 
size attached to them. 
Another point that must not be lost sight of is to 
avoid having too many plants out of the ground at 
once ; also if the frames are some distance away from 
the nursery beds whatever method of transit is 
employed it should be one that is not likely to shake 
much of the soil away. 
Planting. — The amount of space given the plants 
in the frames must depend to a great degree upon 
the size of the plants themselves. At least 4 in. of 
clear space should be allowed between them, and 
this will probably mean that the centre of each 
plant is distant 10 in. or a foot from the centre of the 
next, no matter in which direction the measurement 
is taken. Do not bury the plants too deeply. The 
crowns should not be covered, but the soil should 
come up to or just above the point that it did when 
they were growing in the open ground. The soil 
may be made sufficiently firm by pressure with the 
fingers. A good watering may be given immediately 
after planting. 
Subsequent Treatment. — This is of the simplest 
description, for Violets have few wants and are very 
easily satisfied. Still they will require a little extra 
care for a week or ten days immediately after the 
transference. After the initial watering-in the lights 
should be placed on, and although they must not be 
kept quite close, still they should not be removed. 
Shade of some sort will be required in order to 
prevent the plants from flagging, which they will do 
in such weather as we are having now, no matter 
how carefully the operations of lifting and replanting 
are executed. A sprinkling over with the syringe or 
with a fine rose can of an evening will be very 
helpful and refreshing, and will supply the plants 
with all the moisture they will be likely to need for 
some time to come ; that is if the soil itself is in a 
properly moist condition to start with. 
After the plants have once got a start more air 
should be given, and the lights should be pulled off 
whenever the weather is fine and the thermometer 
keeps above freezing point. It is a great mistake to 
coddle the plants, for it invariably leads to weakly 
growth, and leaves are produced that have very 
little substance in them. During most winters we 
get a spell of frost which prevents the coverings from 
being removed from the frames for several days, 
sometimes for two or three weeks, together, and such 
an experience as this is sure to cause the leaves with 
their thin and enfeebled tissues to damp off whole¬ 
sale. As damp is, in the winter, almost like a plague 
amongst plants that are subjected to continued low 
temperatures, the healthy leaves and buds are soon 
attacked, and the crop of flowers obtained is exceed¬ 
ingly scanty. 
All this may, in a great measure, be prevented by 
giving the plants plenty of air and light whenever 
occasion offers. — Rex. 
Correspondence. 
Questions asked by amateurs on any subject pertaining 
to gardens or gardening will be answered on this page. 
A nyone may give additional or more explanatory answers 
to questions that have already appeared. Those who desire 
their communications to appear on this page should write 
" Amateurs' Page ” on the top of their letters. 
Potting Perns.— E. C. G .: It is now much too late 
in the season to think of pottiDg your Ferns. Let 
them stand over until about next April. 
Apple Blenheim Orange.— J. L .: There seem 
to be several forms of this popular Apple in existence. 
This is probably due to the influence of various soils 
and climates upon it, for being a good Apple it has 
been, and is, very widely cultivated. 
Apple Yellow Ingestre — J. L .: Although a very 
small Apple, this is still a favourite in most quarters, 
and the fruit generally fetches a good price. The 
tree is also a good bearer in most seasons. 
Pear Pitmaston Duchess. — W. N .: This Pear is 
one of the finest for exhibition purposes, but it is 
not of such good flavour as some others, although it 
is still fairly good. Where quantity is required, 
however, the variety is a profitable one to grow. 
Caladiums. — P.C. : The Caladiums are approach¬ 
ing the end of their growing season. They die down 
every year some time in the autumn, but the exact 
time depends in a great measure upon the time at 
which they were started. Thus those which com¬ 
menced to grow early in the seasonjwill not last so 
long before dying down as those which were started 
later. 
Grapes Shanking.— R. Lindsay : There can be no 
doubt as to what is the matter with your Grapes. 
They are badly ‘ shanked,’ and those showing this 
condition will never ripen or lose their sourness. 
The only thing to do now is to cut out the ' shanked ’ 
berries. In the winter you must see to the border 
and put that to rights, for the evil is caused by the 
roots having penetrated in^o some cold and uncon¬ 
genial stratum of soil from which they can get no 
nourishment. 
Montbretias — 7 . L. : Both Montbretia Pottsii and 
M. crocosmiaeflora.with the hybrids raised by cross¬ 
ing the two species, are hardy enough in the south of 
England, and would also be so on the west coast of 
Scotland, with its comparatively warm and moist 
climate. Even an ordinary winter’s frost does not 
hurt them, for it is not an uncommon thing to find 
clumps that have been growing in the same position 
for a number of years, having been undisturbed 
through the whole of that time, and yet they flower 
well and freely each season. 
Ferns to Name .—Peter N .: No. 1 is Polypodium 
aureum, a very common window plant, and a 
favourite with many on account of the easiness with 
which it may be grown. It will do in a cool house, 
and does not need heat. No. 2 is Gymnogramme 
japonica, a Fern that is not often met with in 
amateurs’ collections. It requires a warm house to 
do well, alihough it will grow in the greenhouse 
during the summer. 
Cucumbers for Seed. — Largo: One of the fruits 
will be quite enough to supply you with all the seed 
that you are likely to require. You may, therefore, 
cut the other two off at once, thus giving the remain¬ 
ing one a better chance. Let it stay upon the plant 
until it has swollen to its full size, and assumed a 
yellow or yellow-brown hue, when it will be ripe. 
The seeds may be abstracted by cutting the fruit 
open, squeezing the pulp out, and washing it in 
water. Any seeds which float are valueless. 
Fruit Room — Geo. L. : The best kind of fruit-room 
is one that is so built that it will keep out at least 20° 
of frost without the necessity for artificial heat. 
The walls in such a house are generally double, with 
a space of about a foot between the inner and the 
outer wall. This interstice may be stuffed with hay 
or straw, or left empty. The roof should be of 
thatch, which will keep out a lot more frost than 
either tiles or slates. Next to the thatch weather 
boarding forms the best roofing material. Wooden 
shutters must be made to fit the windows exactly. 
