THE LADIES' FLORAL CABINET. 
359 
Brun, Mr. George Glenny, Mrs. G. Rundle, Mons. 
Elio, Princess Teck, Prince of Wales, Refulgence, 
Sir B. Seymour, Tragedie, Venus, Verescliagine, 
White Eve. 
Chinese JReJlexed Flowers. 
Alfonso, Doctor Sharpe, Felicity, Gazelle, Julie La- 
gravere, King of Crimsons, Progne, Perie des 
Beautes. 
Fimbriated Chrysanthemums. 
Fremy, Fimbriatum, Princess Meletia, Souvenir de 
Jersey, Toussaint l’Ouverture. 
Pompons and Hybrids. 
Bob, LaVogue, Model of Perfection, Salamon, Gen. Can- 
robert, Curiosite, Arbre de Noel, Crimson Perfection, 
CometeBiela, Eleonore, Fanny,Golden Mile. Marthe, 
Lais, M’e Marthe,President,Orange Beauty, Virginia. 
THE PANSY. 
I presume that but a very few of the readers of The 
Ladies Floral Cabinet are acquainted with that simple 
little annual of Europe, known as the Heartsease, or 
Viola tricolor. Be this as it may, they are all acquainted 
with its child, the popular Pansy of our gardens. In its 
native home the Pansy is an annual, and the perennial 
character of the Pansy of the present day is the result 
of hybridization which was effected between Viola tri¬ 
color and some perennial species of Violets. It appears 
to be a matter of doubt when the Pansy was first intro¬ 
duced into gardens, but about some eighty years ago the 
attention of the professional florist was attracted to it, 
and since that time there has been a constant im¬ 
provement in both size and form, and at the present day 
the Pansy ranks as one of the choicest gems of the flower 
garden. It is indeed a favorite flower with both our 
amateur and professional cultivators, and is extensively 
grown in green-houses by the latter during the winter 
season for its flowers, which are then very highly 
prized. 
In order to cultivate the Pansy to perfection and to 
secure the finest flowers, it should be given a strong, 
rich, deep soil. The soil should be dug as deeply as pos¬ 
sible, and an abundance of well-decayed stable or cow 
manure thoroughly incorporated with the soil. In pre¬ 
paring the beds, it is well to take into consideration the 
time that we wish to have a display of bloom, for 
if it is our intention to have a fine display during the 
summer, the bed should be given a partially-shaded 
situation, while for spring or autumn, the plants do best 
when fully exposed to the sun. In order to obtain the 
finest flowers, it is necessary to have fresh, vigorous 
plants, and to have them several sowings must be made 
each season. For flowering during summer, the seed 
should be sown about the first of March in a shallow 
box (three or four inches deep) of light, rich soil; sow 
thinly, cover slightly, and place in a warm, light situa¬ 
tion ; when the young plants are well up, transplant 
into boxes (similar to those above) an inch or so apart each 
way. When the young plants are well established, re¬ 
move to a cold frame, gradually hardened off, and plant 
out as soon as the ground can be properly prepared ; or, 
the seed can be sown about the middle of September, 
and the young plants removed to a cold frame and 
placed in rows, three or four inches apart each way. 
Keep them as cool as possible during the season, and 
plant out early in spring. Grown in this manner, the 
plants will flower much earlier than those obtained from 
seed in the spring, but they will not stand hot, dry 
weather as well. 
For flowering during winter in cold frames, or green¬ 
houses, the seed should be sown about the middle of 
August, and the young plants removed under glass 
about the end of September. It is generally supposed to be 
rather difficult to get the seed to germinate in August, but 
if it is sown in a paitially-shaded situation, and the soil 
well firmed and kept moist, no difficulty need be appre¬ 
hended. When grown under glass, every care should 
be taken to maintain a temperature of from 45 to 4S 
degrees, keep well watered, and admit air as freely as 
possible. When grown in frames, remove the sash during 
the middle of the day at every convenient opportunity, 
and in the event of severe cold weather protect well from 
frost by means of shutter, matsor straw. If the flowers are 
intended for exhibition purposes, watering with liquid- 
manure will increase the size of the flowers wonder¬ 
fully. If extra fine Pansies are desired, we must pro¬ 
cure the choicest seeds or plants that can be obtained; 
beware of cheap seed, as it will prove very unsatisfac¬ 
tory, and is often dear at any price. 
Of late so much attention has been given to the im¬ 
provement of the Pansy and the selection of choice 
strains, that our seedsmen have been enabled to offer 
several named varieties, as well as seed in separate col¬ 
ors, and as a rule they can be relied upon to reproduce 
themselves true from seed. Of the named varieties may 
be mentioned Emperor William, with flowers of a beau¬ 
tiful ultramarine blue ; King of Slacks, with beautiful 
velvet-like coal-black flowers, and Snow Queen, with its 
satiny-white flowers. In England, however, special 
named varieties have been given from cuttings for many ■ 
years, but in this country the plan is hardly practicable 
for the plants, become so much infested with the red 
spider during the summer months, that their vitality is 
so much weakened as to render the cuttings compara¬ 
tively worthless for the purpose of propagation. 
A few years ago, several varieties of double Pansies 
were offered by our florists, but their only merits were 
as curiosities, and as the only way in which they 
could be increased was by cutting, I believe they were 
ultimately lost. I see, however, that this season a 
double black Pansy is again offered by the Messrs. Can- 
nel, of Swanley, England. Chas. E. Parnell. 
Queens, N. Y. 
