February 15, 1908. 
TUB GARDENING WORLD. 
109 
A Graceful 
.. Viola .. 
(Viola gracilis valderia.) 
The ordinary form of V. gracilis is a 
aative of Greece, and until a few years 
igo was little or not at ali known in this 
zountry outside botanic gardens. In ap- 
jearance it resembles a Pansy, or, in 
>ther words, it would represent the section 
)f Viola to which the Pansy belongs. It 
night be compared to our wild V. lutea, 
nit, as the specific name of this plant in- 
licates, all parts are slender, especially 
he stems and leaves. The flowers of the 
variety V.g. valderia are purple-violet, 
k'ith a darker violet blotch on each of the 
hree lower petals. The flowers are about 
| in. across and gracefully borne on the 
op of slender shoots arising from the 
ground. The leaves are also particularly 
larrow or slender, so that the specific 
tame is very appropriate. 
In the more favoured parts of the coun- 
ry, but particularly in places away from 
hei smoke of large towns, this would 
Qake a beautiful rock plant for outdoor 
ockeries. Near London and other large 
owns the smoky atmosphere would, no 
loubt, be as much against it as the actual 
rost. Under smoky conditions it would 
>e safe to preserve seeds every year, or 
Ise a stock of young plants should be 
aised from cuttings and kept in a cold 
rame, which serves to keep them clean 
nd well lighted. On account of its 
raceful habit and uncommon appear- 
nce, it is also very suitable for pot cul- 
ure in cold frames or in an unheated, 
ardy or alpine house, where plenty of 
entilation could be given on all favour- 
ble occasions. Being an unimproved 
pecies, no doubt seeds would be readily 
btainable, but in any case the suckers 
an be rooted either in pots or boxes in a 
old frame about August or the beginning 
f September. 
- +++ - 
ounty Technical Laboratories, Chelmsford. 
A two weeks’ course, to be followed 
j'ith a six weeks’ 'course in dairy work, 
ommenced on Monday, the 3rd Febru- 
ry, at the Dairy School, Chelmsford, 
'ith 16 students, including three from 
lertfordshire and one from Surrey. 
0 Encourage Window Gardens. 
The Earl of Meath, chairman of the 
letropolitan Public Gardens Association, 
ills attention to the efforts of that body 
) encourage the formation of outside win- 
ow gardens in the poorer streets of the 
letropolis. * The object we have in 
•ew,” he says, “is to relieve the great 
lonotony of many of these thoroughfares 
T getting the occupiers to grow plants, 
owers, creepers, etc., in boxes, pots, or 
caskets outside some of their windows. 
“The Association has therefore started 
'rize competitions in various centres, get- 
ng the assistance of some suitable or- 
misation in the vicinity to arrange local 
etails. Last year there were twenty 
•ntres (chiefly situated in the central, 
istern, and south-eastern parts of Lon- 
hn), 520 entries, and 140 prize-winners, 
itailing an outlav on our part of some 
25.” 
Beneath the winter's frost and rime 
Our Roses rest awhile, 
L T ntil the spring shall call them forth 
To seek the summer’s smile; 
So we shall rest from toil and strife 
And rise to share a nobler life. 
Baynton-Taylor. 
The Roses this month require but 
scant attention. Beyond continuing 
somewhat of last month’s treatment, there 
is not much to do, so we can devote some 
time to make plans and preparation for 
the future. 
Grafting in'heat may 7 still be done, and 
the soil should be kept loose with the hoe. 
Digging, if required, should be attended 
to and weeds cleared away. 
Cuttings should be examined and any 
that have been lifted by the frost be 
set firm again either by pushing them 
down or by pressing the soil around them. 
We may now, towards the end of the 
month (not before the third week), prune 
Roses on sunny walls, and commence 
-pruning summer and hardy garden varie¬ 
ties. 
Indoors, Marechal Niel and other clim¬ 
bers will be starting, and these, with all 
forced Roses, should be examined for mil¬ 
dew and insects. They will also require 
much care in the regulation of tempera¬ 
ture, ventilation, and moisture. Should 
the weather be favourable, we may at the 
end of the month finish arrears of plant¬ 
ing. All kinds of Stocks may still be set 
out. Roses planted now may require 
watering regularly in March and April, if 
the weather is dry, until they have got a 
good hold of the ground. Personally I 
prefer to finish planting about the middle 
of March, and must warn my brother 
amateurs not to expose their Roses dur¬ 
ing east winds. One year, when a green¬ 
horn, I lost over a hundred Roses which 
arrived during a long spell of east winds, 
bv unpacking them in the open and heel¬ 
ing in ground, which was commencing to 
freeze. It was a stupid thing to have 
done, but inexperienced amateurs are 
usually clever in making mistakes for 
want of a little thought. The wind dried 
all the life out of my plants, hence I 
warn others to protect their plants against 
east winds and to provide shelter for 
them. 
Manuring should now be done. Be sure 
that any farmyard manure is thoroughly 
decomposed, or it will do more harm than 
good. Fork it in well. I prefer a fork 
to a spade for this purpose. It is neces¬ 
sary because supplying humus—where the 
soil is raw and light coloured—although 
