10 
THE AUSTRALIAN GARDENER. 
February 1, 1909 
'COX’S SPECIAL EXHIBITION PANSY. 
The Pansy. 
Its Cultivation. 
[By R. Blee] 
It is very seldom that I meet a person 
who does not like the Pansy. Itis just as 
easy to grow a good bloom asa bad one. 
Pansies are so easy to srow from seed that 
any person with a small plot of ground can 
have abundauce of flowers for several 
Smonths in the year. The most that is 
required is to give them plenty of water 
during dry weather and a good mulch of 
manure keeping the dead flowers picked 
off, and as they begin to get shabby cut 
back, when another flowering will result. 
th I make it appear such an easy 
ater a6 grow Pansies—and I admit any 
schoolboy can grow his Pansy plant— 
there is a wide difference in growing them 
simply as flowers and cultivation fit for 
exhibition. ‘Tne standard rule of judging 
is not upheld with the Pansy as it should 
be at our Shows. 
—Position.— 
This should be in an open aspect, clear 
of trees, and for early flowering ground 
sloping north-east is best; for late flower- 
ing ground facing south with a breakwind 
to the north will do. But I find the 
Pansy comes on early north of Adelaide, 
as the subsoil is composed of limestone, 
inducing good drainage, which makes the 
ground warmer. 
_—Making the Beds.— 
These should be about four feet wide. 
January is the most suitable time for 
making them. ; 
—Soil — 
- Suppose there is not good soil to start 
with, take out to about 18 inches, not less 
than 15, loosen up the bottom after which 
put in some ordinary rough loam. and 
manure to the depth of 6 inches, ’ filling 
the remaining foot with good loam, mixed 
with a third of cow or horse manure of 
equal parts, to be well rotted; the whole 
to be turned over several times before 
planting, without mixing the bottom six 
inches. 
; —Propagation.— 
There are two wuys of doing this. One 
by sowing seed, the other by cutting. The 
first should be put in about the middle of 
February, and fortnightly sowing up to 
the end of March oreven later. Shallow 
boxes, 5 inches deep, are suitable, and I 
find a galvanised iron case answers well 
for this. Fill in with sandy loam up to 
1 inch of top, the whole when pressed 
down, well watered. Sow seeds half an 
inch or more apart. If they are sown too 
thickly they will most likely damp off. 
Cover over to the depth of an eighth of 
au inch, moisten then put in a shad 
place Cover with glass slightly darkened. 
and in from ten to fourteen days the 
plantlets will appear. Then gradually 
remove the glass. Do not keep them too 
wet. In about five weeks the plants will 
be ready to handle, when they may be 
pricked off three or four inches apart into 
shallow cases, using soil much heavier 
than for seeds, and keep from strong 
sunshine. For cutting, young off-shoots 
SN 
are most suitable when they are about 
_ two or three inches long, with the heel 
attached, which does not require*trimming 
putting them into very sandy soil, pressing 
about bottom of cutting firmly. Keep in 
shady place. The best time to strike the 
cuttings is from March to November. Do 
not let them want for water or flower 
too much if cuttings are wanted for 
March. 
—Planting Out.— 
Asarule I do the first planting from 
the 5th of May to the 25t . The rows 
should be about 9 inches apart each way. 
After planting give a good watering, and 
keep free from weeds. This can be done 
by constantly moving the soil ‘in dry 
weather, which I consideris one of the 
most important parts in the cultivation 
of plants. It tends to keep the ground 
cool in summer and warmer in winter, 
besides clearing the land of weeds. Too 
many shoots should not be allowed to 
grow on a plant, fiveis plenty. Keep the 
plants from flowering till within a fort- 
night of a Show taking place. 
—Watering, Manuring, Shading.— 
In warm weather a watering twice a 
week is beneficial, with syringing over- 
head after sunset until the flower begins 
to expand which are intended for exhi- 
bition. Give about the same time a good 
mulch of rotted horse manure. Stimulants 
can also be applied in liquid form of cow 
manure, which is the safest touse. Make 
it like weak coffee, applying once or twice 
a week. Other manures can be used, but 
I find this is the best. Shading is some- 
times wanted to make the flower come to 
time. This can be done by partially 
covering the plant with pieces of card- 
board so as to prevent the sun striking 
down on the flower. It is also a good plan 
to put something under the plant to keep 
the flower clean. 
—Diseases and Insect Pests.— 
The Pansy is often attacked with 
mildew. The best remedy is dusting with 
sulphur before the dew is off the plants. 
Red spider and green fly get into the 
points of shoots and disfigure the buds, 
Spraying with kerosene emulsion will kill 
them before the plant comes into flower. 
Sparrows do a lot of damage to the young 
buds and shoots by eating them. Place 
cotton across the beds, This will some- 
times stop them. 
—Staging for Exhibition.— 
A good exhibitor will always stage kis 
flowers or plants to the best advantage, 
knowing that good setting up is a point 
with judges. I think they look better in 
their own foliage than in the white 
co.lars now used. The box should be in- 
clined a little, not flat. If collars are 
used, two inches for show, three inches 
for fancies, are plenty large enough, 
The various points of the Pansy will be 
dealt with in our March issue. 
