final bed where the plant blooms. For that reason the very liberal 
use of cow manure or compost is to be recommended. A good appli- 
cation of steamed green bonemeal can be used to advantage with 
almost any soil. The main thing is to have an abundance of usable 
food in a soil that does not bake hard and holds moisture well with- 
out waterlogging. 
Cow manure or compost 24% to 3 inches deep sprinkled with 
steamed green bonemeal at the rate of 6 pounds to the 100 square 
feet spaded into the top 8 or 10 inches of soil should be just right. 
Allow at least 14x14 inch spacing for all giant types in mass 
bedding or 12 inches where solid borders are being set. Cut flower 
types may be set 10x10 inches as this will promote longer stem 
growth and the plants will support each other. 
In transplanting use special care not to set the plant too shallow 
or too deep. Set just so the stool of the root is at ground level or 
very slightly below. Shallow planting will make illformed plants 
while deep setting will cause dwarfing or loss. Spread the roots well 
and firm the soil moderately with your hands around each plant. 
Sprinkle at once after planting and give enough water often enough 
to prevent excessive wilting for the first ten days after transplanting. 
By this time the danger of damping off is usually past. Keep beds 
weeded and well cultivated during the active growing season until 
winter slows or stops growth. Don’t winter cultivate. 
A word about specimen beds. If setting formal beds to a color 
scheme always plant at least 15% in extra plants in another bed in 
the garden so you will have reserve plants to reset any which may be 
off color. All separate color stocks in Pansies will show rogues and 
the number of these will vary both with the variety and season. 
Parks and large estates where color designs are carried out usually 
follow this practice of what is called transplanting into selection beds 
and transplanting a second time into the final beds after the first 
blooms have appeared. In this way it is possible to have a formal 
bed very closely matched as to color. This is also a very useful way 
to set a specimen bed of mixed colors and is to be highly recommend- 
ed where show results are desired. The second transplanting is usually 
done in early spring when first blooms appear and care should be 
used to transfer the plants with a large ball of earth. If you use the 
selection bed method transplant 6x6 or 8x8 inches in the selection 
bed but use full spacing mentioned above in the blooming bed. 
FEEDING PANSIES 
After the plants have been in full bloom a month they will begin 
to deplete the food available to their roots and if continued show 
results are to be obtained it will be necessary to supply supplemental 
food. This may be done in two ways. 
Possibly the least trouble and the method giving very good 
results is to apply a complete fertilizer like Vigoro at the rate of 2 
to 3 pounds per 100 square feet of bed. at intervals of a month or 
six weeks after feeding is first started. Apply this over the surface 
and mix in well by cultivation using care not to get it closer than 
two or three inches from the plant stool. Don’t cultivate too deeply. 
These compounds are mostly water soluble and watering will soon 
distribute them evenly. Use care not to over feed or to get the com- 
pounds on the foliage heavily. Water bed thoroughly after application 
and cultivate as soon as dry enough. 
The professional grower who is feeding for show purposes usually 
prefers monthly applications of dried blood and bone. This may be 
applied at the rate of 4 pounds per 100 square feet and worked in. 
It may be applied up close to the plant and is not dangerous to the 
foliage. In cultivating Pansies always use care not to dig so deeply 
as to disturb their rather shallow roots. 
Moisture must be supplied regularly and in adequate quantity 
for large flowers over the longest possible period. The bed will requ- 
ire watering some every day usually as soon as good growing weather 
comes in the spring and frosts stop at night. Don’t over water, how- 
ever. A good test for proper moisture is to take a small ball of dirt 
from the bed an inch under the surface and squeeze it into a ball in 
your hand; if the dirt just barely crumbles when pressure is released 
the moisture content is ideal. Watering will usually be required, how- 
ever, within a few hours. 
Pick flowers from your Pansy bed freely but don’t keep it denud- 
ed. They are planted for display so flowers should develop fully on 
the plants at all times. Keep the withering flowers picked off and do 
not allow seeds to develop if you want your beds to stay in good 
condition, As soon as seeds are permitted to start forming the vitality 
of the plant will go into the development of the seeds with resulting 
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