306 
JOURNAL  of  horticulture  and  cottage  gardener . 
April  2,  1896; 
mounds  placed  on  a  south  border  or  any  other  sunny  position.  When 
the  compost  in  which  they  have  to  grow  is  made  up  chiefly  of  manure 
the  plants  produce  thick  stems  and  large  leaves  in  it,  but  this  is  not  the 
way  to  get  fine  fruits  or  plenty  of  them. 
Robust  growths  and  astonishing  productiveness  are  never  associated, 
but  moderate  growths  and  heavy  crops  may  easily  be  produced.  To 
accomplish  this  the  soil  should  consist  of  turfy  loam  or  common  garden 
Soil,  with  a  small  quantity  of  horse  droppings  added,  and  in  this  it  will 
be  found  that  the  plants  will  make  hardy  short-jointed  wood  with  small 
leaves,  and  one  or  more  fruits  at  every  joint.  Many  who  have  9een  our 
Marrow  plants  with  the  fruit  clustering  along  the  stems  wonder  why 
they  are  so  prolific,  but  it  is  solely  the  result  of  stinting  them  at  the 
roots.  Plants  poorly  supplied  with  feeding  at  first  come  into  fruit  very 
much  sooner  than  those  which  make  a  large  quantity  of  soft  growths 
before  a  fruit  is  formed. — Gardener. 
NOTES  ON  VIOLETS. 
There  is,  perhaps,  no  Violet  equal  to  Marie  Louise  for  continuous 
flowering.  Unfortunately,  however,  if  left  outside  it  does  not  stand 
severe  winters  well  enough  to  flower  freely  in  the  spring.  Lady  Hume 
Campbell  is  much  hardier,  and  flowers  profusely  outside.  It  is  worth 
growing  in  frames,  and  forms  a  capital  succession  in  pots  to  Marie 
Louise.  The  Czar  we  use  for  supplying  leaves  and  for  the  main 
supply  of  single  flowers  outside.  When  planted  in  different  aspects  a 
long  succession  of  bloom  is  maintained,  the  latest  from  north  borders. 
As  a  single  variety  of  good  colour  and  fragrance  this  old  variety  is  not 
readily  surpassed. 
To  grow  Violets  well  in  frames  artificial  heat,  either  derived  from  hot 
water  pipes  or  supplied  by  the  aid  of  fermenting  material,  is  not 
necessary.  The  latter  may  be  employed  if  it  prove  necessary  to  push 
some  plants  into  flower  quickly,  but  when  they  are  needed  over  a  long 
period  it  is  neither  essential  nor  advisable  to  use  it.  When  heat  from 
hot  water  pipes  is  employed,  however  carefully  it  may  be  used  to  exclude 
frost,  the  plants  soon  become  a  prey  to  red  spider  and  aphides,  which 
quickly  render  them  useless. 
In  April,  as  early  in  the  month  as  possible,  we  follow  one  of  two 
methods,  and  sometimes  both,  in  the  preparation  of  plants  for  the 
following  season.  The  first  is  to  lift  the  plants  from  the  position  in 
which  they  have  been  growing.  The  whole  of  the  soil  is  shaken  from 
the  roots  and  the  strongest  crowns  selected.  These  are  planted  outside 
on  a  north  border  1  foot  apart,  the  crown  only  being  left  just  above 
the  ground.  If  we  have  plenty  of  these  rooted  plants  we  do  not  trouble 
about  cuttings.  If,  however,  we  are  anxious  to  increase  the  stock 
cuttings  are  inserted  in  light  sandy  soil  in  a  cold  frame,  which  is  kept 
close  and  shaded  from  the  sun  until  the  cuttings  are  rooted,  when  they 
are  hardened  and  placed  outside. 
The  border  on  which  Violets  are  planted  is  dug  in  the  autumn  and 
exposed  to  the  pulverising  influences  of  the  atmosphere.  In  the  spring 
as  planting  proceeds  a  good  dressing  of  old  Mushroom-bed  refuse  is 
incorporated  with  the  soil,  which  as  a  rule  works  well,  and  the  manure 
is  mixed  with  it  to  a  depth  of  6  inches  at  least.  From  the  time  of 
planting,  except  in  showery  weather,  the  plants  are  syringed  twice  daily 
or  sprinkled  over  by  means  of  a  rosed  watercan.  Unless  the  weather 
prove  exceedingly  dry  this  is  ample  to  keep  them  clean  and  growing,  but 
during  spells  of  drought  a  good  watering  or  two  in  addition  may  be 
necessary. 
From  the  time  the  plants  begin  to  grow  the  hoe  is  frequently  used 
amongst  them  to  prevent  the  growth  of  weeds,  and  assist  the  plants  in 
making  good  growth.  When  the  plants  grow  freely  they  commence 
flowering  in  July,  and  continue  to  do  so  until  the  time  arrives  for  lifting. 
Whether  they  are  benefited  by  the  removal  of  the  flowers  i3  an  open 
question.  At  one  time  we  removed  them,  now  we  do  not  trouble  to  do  so 
unless  they  are  wanted,  and  we  have  observed  very  little  difference.  We, 
however,  remove  all  runners  as  they  appear,  which  results  in  larger  and 
bolder  crowns.  The  time  to  lift  the  plants  depends  on  circumstances 
and  the  time  the  plants  are  needed  in  flower.  The  earlier  the  plants  are 
lifted  the  earlier  they  become  established  and  flower.  For  instance,  those 
lifted  early  in  September  flower  freely  during  November  and  December  ; 
those  lifted  towards  the  end  of  the  month  flower  in  January  and 
February.  We  lift  the  whole  of  our  plants  during  the  month  of 
September. 
The  position  selected  is  a  sunny  one,  except  a  few  for  late  flowering, 
which  have  a  more  shaded  position,  light,  but  where  the  sun’s  rays  during 
the  winter  do  not  reach  them.  These  rarely  flower  until  the  others 
are  nearly  over.  For  the  past  two  years  we  have  utilised  the  front  of 
outside  Vine  borders  for  Violets.  Temporary  frames  are  formed  at  the 
front  of  the  borders.  The  plants  are  lifted  with  good  balls,  and  practi¬ 
cally  stood  on  the  surface  of  the  border.  It  is  sometimes  necessary  to 
lower  the  base  of  the  balls  to  prevent  the  foliage  crowding  on  the  glass 
when  the  lights  are  placed  over  the  plants.  We  aim  at  having  the  plants 
as  close  as  possible  to  the  glass  without  the  foliage  touching.  The  plants 
as  they  are  stood  on  the  border  are  surrounded  with  soil,  which  is  pressed 
firmly  about  the  plants,  care  being  taken  not  to  bury  the  crowns. 
After  placing  the  plants  in  their  flowering  quarters,  if  the  soil  is  on 
the  dry  side  a  good  watering  is  given.  If,  on  the  other  hand,  moderately 
moist,  the  plants  are  syringed  lightly  twice  daily,  and  shaded  for  a  few 
days  from  the  sun  until  they  begin  to  root  afresh.  The  lights  are  placed 
over  the  plants  from  the  time  of  planting  until  established,  when  they 
are  removed.  If  the  weather  continues  fine  the  lights  are  left  off  day 
and  night,  syringing  still  being  practised.  In  case  of  frost  or  heavy 
rains  the  lights  are  placed  over  the  plants.  If  frosted  growth  is  brought 
to  a  standstill,  which  must  be  avoided.  If  drenched  with  heavy  rains 
and  severe  weather  follows  the  foliage  is  liable  to  damp.  During  slight 
frost  the  frames  are  protected  with  oiled  canvas  covers,  later  with  two 
mats  thick  below  the  covering,  and  during  severe  weather  with  sufficient 
litter  from  the  stables  above  to  exclude  the  most  severe  frost. 
By  protection  from  frost  and  abundance  of  air  we  have  succeeded  in 
having  a  good  supply  of  Violets  whatever  the  weather  has  proved  to  be. 
Daring  the  severe  weather  of  1895  we  gathered  blooms  sufficient  for 
eighteen  buttonholes  every  morning. 
During  the  mild  weather  of  December,  January,  and  February  last 
the  plants  have  done  well,  the  bloom3  being  fragrant  and  of  the  very 
darkest  shade  of  colour,  equally  as  good  as  when  flowered  outside. — 
W.  Bardney. 
LILY  OF  THE  VALLEY  FOR  FORCING. 
As  is  well  known  this  plant  is  a  native  of  the  British  Isles,  and  some 
of  the  best  I  have  seen  growing  in  a  wild  state,  were  in  theiWest  of 
Scotland,  where,  in  the  early  days  of  my  gardening  career,  I  have  often 
been  to  the  woods  and  lifted  large  masses  of  them,  which  were  placed  in 
boxes  in  the  forcing  house.  Although  rather  a  primitive  way  of  growing 
them  this  usually  resulted  in  a  great  crop  of  foliage  and  very  few  flowers, 
but  as  there  were  no  imported  crowns  to  hand  at  that  date  the  flowers 
were  acceptable  during  the  early  spring  months.  On  an  East  York¬ 
shire  estate  many  acres  of  Lilies  grow  wild  in  the  woods,  but  the 
individual  flowers  are  small.  The  plants  appear  to  have  deteriorated,  as 
the  majority  of  the  spikes  will  not  average  more  than  four  or  five  blooms 
each.  In  the  South  of  Ireland  and  also  in  Wales  I  have  found  them  in 
a  semi-wild  state,  but  I  concluded  they  had  been  planted  at  no  distant 
date. 
There  is  no  plant  that  will  respond  more  readily  to  cultivation  than 
Lily  of  the  Valley,  but  as  there  are  good  and  bad  varieties  it  is  advisable 
to  grow  only  the  best  for  early  forcing.  For  this  purpose  the  Berlin 
variety  is  the  one  to  choose,  and  when  once  a  stock  of  plants  is  obtaiced 
they  will  increase  rapidly.  Gardeners  as  a  rule  do  not  devote  as  much 
attention  to  their  cultivation  for  forcing  as  their  merits  deserve,  but  rely 
chiefly  on  imported  crowns,  whereas  1  am  convinced  they  may  be  grown 
equally  well  in  this  country  if  only  worked  on  the  right  lines.  But 
growers  must  be  prepared  to  adopt  a  different  system  of  cultivation  to 
that  followed  by  their  forefathers,  whose  usual  practice  was  to  plant  a 
bed  of  them  in  some  out-of-the-way  corner  of  the  kitchen  garden,  where 
they  were  left  to  take  their  chance,  often  not  being  disturbed  for  many 
years.  No  wonder  there  were  more  leaves  than  flowers,  and  the  latter 
small  and  insignificant,  and,  from  a  fairly  wide  experience,  I  am  inclined 
to  the  belief  that  there  is  very  little  change  in  the  majority  of  gardens 
at  the  present  day.  As  this  is  the  period  of  the  year  in  which  a  start 
should  be  made  in  their  cultivation,  a  few  notes  on  the  subjsct  may  be  of 
interest  to  those  who  are  anxious  to  extend  their  culture. 
It  should  be  remembered  that  it  is  the  three-year-old  crowns  that 
will  flower — i.e.,  the  small  offset  or  young  growth  that  was  formed  last 
summer  will  require  growing  two  more  years  before  it  will  bloom.  In 
lifting  the  plants  from  a  bed  that  has  been  made  two  or  more  years, 
there  will  be  found  growths  or  crowns  of  three  sizes.  These  must  be 
carefully  divided  and  placed  in  their  sizes,  and  with  a  little  practice  the 
flowering  crowns  may  be  easily  distinguished  from  the  others.  In  many 
instances  two  crowns  will  be  found  close  together,  and  if  sufficient  roots 
cannot  be  obtained  for  both  one  should  be  rubbed  off. 
They  grow  much  better  and  make  finer  crowns  if  planted  out  in 
light  sandy  soil  than  in  cold,  heavy  land.  It  is  an  advantage  to  grow 
them  in  the  full  sun,  in  drills  9  or  more  inches  apart,  and  2  inches 
between  the  plants,  slightly  covering  the  crowns  with  soil.  Keep  the 
beds  clear  of  weeds,  and  should  there  be  a  spell  of  dry  weather  before 
they  have  fully  matured  their  growth  a  good  soaking  with  liquid  manure 
will  be  an  advantage. 
In  the  following  autumn  the  three-year-old  plants  may  be  lifted, 
placed  in  pots  or  boxes  in  readiness  for  forcing,  and  will  be  found  to 
equal,  and  in  some  instances  to  excel,  the  imported  crowns.  The  same 
operation  as  to  dividing  the  different  growths  must  again  be  strictly 
adhered  to,  or  the  crop  of  flowers  will  not  be  satisfactory. 
As  showing  the  quantity  that  may  be  worked  up  from  a  small 
beginning,  I  have  for  several  years  saved  the  plants  of  the  imported 
Berlin  variety  that  were  not  cut  down  when  gathering  the  flowers. 
These  were  gradually  hardened  and  planted  out  singly  as  above,  and  at 
the  present  time  I  have  several  thousand  spikes  of  bloom  in  various 
stages  of  development,  and  upwards  of  sixty  thousand  crowns  planted 
out  in  beds  for  future  use. 
When  we  take  into  consideration  the  millions  of  plants  of  this 
variety  alone  that  are  annually  imported  into  this  country  for  forcing,  it 
shows  the  fabulous  sum  that  is  paid  for  plants  that  may  be  grown 
equally  as  well  in  many  parts  of  the  British  Isles  as  on  the  Continent. 
If  those  who  have  suitable  land  would  take  up  their  cultivation  on  the 
above  lines  a  great  deal  of  the  money  that  is  now  sent  abroad  might  be 
circulated  among  our  own  workpeople. — S.,  Yorks. 
Refrigerated  Lily  of  the  Valley, 
In  the  leading  article,  on  page  222,  “A  Worker”  asks,  in  reference 
to  refrigerated  Lily  of  the  Valley  crowns,  “  Is  there  any  just  cause  or 
impediment  debarring  us — private  growers — from  sharing  the  benefits  of 
the  new  and  novel  procedure.”  This  is  not  altogether  a  new  procedure, 
and  there  is  no  reason  why  cultivators  should  not  obtain  these  crowns  if 
