April  18,  1901. 
JOURNAL  OF  HORTICULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 
331 
Violets  and  Violet  Culture. 
There  are  a  few  flowers  which  will  probably  command  undying 
and  almost  universal  popularity.  The  number  is  very  limited,  but 
the  claims  of  the  Violet  to  a  place  amongst  the  favoured  few  are 
irresistible.  There  are  Violets  aud  Violets.  Millions  of  bunches, 
almost  crushed  out  of  recognition,  and  utterly  innocent  of  any  pre- 
ten8ioi  s  to  fragrance,  find  a  ready  sale.  But  there  are  better 
representatives  of  the  species,  and  if  the  best  sorts  are  selected  and 
these  varieties  are  thoroughly  well  grown,  blooms  will  be  produced 
without  any  artificial  heat  which  will  s  ifelv  b'  ar  individual  comparison 
with  the  choicest  productions  of  the  stove  or  the  Orchid  house.  The 
three  best  single  Violets  are  unquestionably  La  France,  Luxonn0,  and 
Princes  of  Wales.  In  merit  these  probably  should  stand  in  the  order 
given.  La  France  has  the  largest  blooms  and  the  most  intense  colour; 
it  is  compact  in  habit,  and  generous  in  production.  Luxonne  is  an 
immense  Violet  of  lovely  form,  and  is  a  variety  whiih  may  be  trusted 
to  give  a  good  autumn  and  winter  supply  of  blooms  ;  it  is  more  | 
rambling  in  habit,  and  makes  almost 
coarse  foliage.  It  succeeds  with 
many  who  find  La  France  somewhat 
difficult.  Princess  of  Wales  is  too 
well  known  to  call  for  description 
here ;  it  is  identical  with  the 
German  Violet  Kaiser  Wilhelm. 
Other  useful  single  Violets  are 
Admi  al  Avellan,  with  its  reddish 
purple  bio  soms,  which  put  on  a 
wonderful  brilliance  in  the  spring 
months  ;  W hit*  Czar,  which  is,  so  far, 
the  best  representative  of  its  colour  ; 
and  California,  which  is  large  and 
hardy,  and  an  immense  cropper. 
Another  sweet  single  Violet  rarely 
seen,  but  which  has  a  great  future, 
is  Princess  de  Sumente,  illus¬ 
trated  herewith.  It  is  an  Italian 
production,  with  a  most  exquisite 
fragrance.  The  flowers  are  of 
perfect  lotm,  the  ground  colour  of 
each  petal  is  white  with  blue 
shadings.  A  strong  plant  will 
bear  a  multitude  of  blossoms  which 
open  almost  simultaneously,  aud  it 
is  said  to  force  well.  1  hope  to 
have  more  to  say  respecting  it  in  the 
future. 
Other  interesting  single  Violets 
are  sulphurea,  or  the  Khaki-coloured 
Violet  ;  St.  Helena,  which  produces 
quantities  of  sky  blue  flowers  during 
the  sharpest  weather  ;  and  semper- 
florens,  which  should  surely  be  also 
called  multiflora.  The  small  pale 
purple,  but  sweetly  scented  blossoms 
are  thrown  up  positively  by  the 
thousand,  and  it  commences  to 
flower  shortly  after  midsummer, 
continuing  with  little  interruption 
till  the  following  May. 
In  double  Violets  there  are  at 
least  six  first-class  sorts.  It  is  impossible  to  do  otherwise  than 
give  old  Marie  Louise  the  place  of  honour.  The  intense  perplish- 
blue,  with  a  pure  white  base  to  each  petal,  touched  with  “  a  little 
fire”  in  the  springtime,  coupled  with  its  sweet  and  lasting  perfume, 
make  it  indeed  a  thing  of  beauty.  This  variety  has  a  sound  con¬ 
stitution,  is  very  free,  and  if  well  grown  will  provide  its  blossoms 
with  excellent  footstalks. 
All  the  foregoing  remarks  apply  with  equal  force  to  the  American 
double,  Mrs.  J.  J.  Astor,  except  that  the  colour  of  this  variety  is 
pinkish  purple.  This  sort  has  a  good  claim  to  the  second  place 
amongst  the  doubles.  Goolcronan,  which  is  probably  the  largest  of  all 
the  double  Violets,  is  clear  deep  sky  blue  in  colour,  and  is  free  flowering. 
It  is  probably  a  superior  Lady  Hume  Campbell,  and  is  a  welcome 
addition  to  the  Parrnas.  Comte  de  Brazza,  or  Swanley  White,  is 
considered  by  many  gardeners  as  hopelessly  difficult  to  grow.  If 
one-quarter  the  time  which  is  ungrudgingly  devoted  to  tne  Chrys¬ 
anthemum  could  be  spared  in  the  cultivation  of  this  Buperb  variety, 
the  results  would  amaze  and  delight  the  cultivator.  It  is  the  best  of 
the  double  whites,  and  the  supply  will  perhaps  never  come  up  to  the 
demand  for  bloom.  Tbe  deep  purple  doubles  are  very  pretty,  but  are 
short  in  stem,  almost  scentless,  and  somewhat  difficult  of  culture.  I 
shall  be  glad  to  give  a  few  hints  on  Violet  growing  next  week  if  the- 
editor  will  allow. — -James  C.  House. 
[Only  a  few  years  ago  the  good  varieties  of  Violets  could  ba 
numbered  by  the  fingers  on  one  hand.  Now,  however,  a  round  score 
might  easily  be  selected.  Amongst  English  growers,  Messrs.  Isaic 
House  &  Son,  Westbury-on-Trym,  Bristol,  have  done,  and  are  doing, 
splendid  service  by  their  endeavours  to  further  the  culture  of  the  best 
sorts  of  Violets.  The  two  fine  varieties  we  illustrate  were  recently 
shown  by  them  at  a  recent  meeting  in  the  Drill  Hall.  Our  readers 
will  doubtless  be  pleased  to  have  further  cultural  hints  from  Mr.  J.  C. 
House.— Ed.] 
- - 
Vines  for  Planting  and  Forcing. 
( Concluded,  from  p.  298.) 
Treatment  After  Potting. 
Place  the  young  Vines  after  potting  at  the  sides  of  a  pit  or  low 
house,  with  the  pots  as  near  the  base  of  the  roof  as  is  practicable,  and 
train  the  canes  to  a  trellis  about  a 
foot  from  the  glass,  otherwise  train 
the  Vines  upright  from  the  stage  or 
floor  to  the  roof,  allowing  such 
distance  between  them  as  to  expose 
every  leaf  down  to  the  base  to  the 
sun’s  influence.  The  oblique  training 
secures  fruiting  buds  nearly  the 
entire  length  of  the  cane,  while  the 
vertical  training  results  in  strong 
upper  buds  and  weak  lower  ones. 
Secure  the  canes  loosely  to  the 
trellis  or  stakes  as  they  advance, 
stopping  the  laterals  and  sub-laterals 
to  one  leaf,  and  removing  the  ten¬ 
drils.  The  leader  should  be  pinched 
at  6  to  8  or  9  feet,  according  to  the 
vigour  and  length  of  cane  required. 
A  temperature  of  65°  at  night, 
70°  to  75°  by  day,  advancing  from 
sun  heat  to  80°  or  85°,  and  rising 
to  90°  or  95°  after  closing,  is  suitable. 
Admit  a  little  air  at  70°,  allow  a 
free  circulation  over  75°,  yet  do  not 
lower  the  temperature  from  sun  heat 
through  the  day  below  80°.  When 
the  growth  is  complete  admit  air 
freely  day  and  night.  After  the 
Vines  have  made  their  full  growth 
and  may  not  be  ripening  kindly, 
keep  the  house  rather  warm  by  day 
and  open  the  ventilators  fully  at  night. 
Watering. 
In  respect  of  watering,  the  foliage 
must  never  flag  through  lack  of 
water  at  the  roots,  but  the  soil  ought 
to  be  sufficiently  dry  to  take  water 
freely  before  applying  any,  then 
afford  a  supply  sufficient  to  pass 
quite  through  to  the  drainage.  A 
rather  dry  medium,  however,  is  better 
than  a  sodden  condition  of  the  soil, 
extremes  either  way  being  very 
pernicious.  Liquid  manure  may  be 
supplied  after  the  pots  become  fully 
occupied  with  roots,  never  using  it  when  the  soil  is  dry,  but  first 
moistening  it  moderately  with  water.  An  occasional  syringing  will 
free  the  foliage  from  dust,  and  regular  syringing  in  the  afternoon  will 
remove  signs  of  red  spider.  A  sufficiently  moist  atmosphere  will 
otherwise  be  secured  by  damping  the  house  in  the  morning,  at  closing 
time,  and  in  the  evening. 
By  August  the  canes  will  be  turning  brown,  and  the  buds  prominent, 
then  give  more  air  and  lessen  the  watering,  but  the  leaves  must  not  flag 
through  want  of  water.  After  the  wood  becomes  thoroughly  firm,  and 
the  leaves  advanced  towards  maturity,  plaoe  the  Vines  outdoors, 
standing  the  pots  on  a  board  or  slates  at  the  foot  of  a  south  wall  or 
fenoe,  aud  secure  the  canes  to  the  surface.  Afford  water  only  to 
prevent  the  foliage  becoming  limp,  and  during  wet  weather  place  some 
waterproof  material  so  as  to  throw  the  rain  from  the  pots’  surface. 
Pruning. 
Cut  the  laterals  to  one  joint,  and  in  the  course  of  a  few  da,ys,  there 
not  being  any  indications  of  starting  in  the  buds,  and  the  main  leaves 
maturing,  prune  them  close  to  the  cane,  but  do  this  without  injuring  the 
main  leaves.  When  these  fall,  shorten  the  cane  to  the  first  plump  bud 
below  the  point  of  stopping  the  leader,  or  to  the  length  required.  It  is 
advisable  to  dress  all  the  cuts  with  best  French  polish  or  patent  knotting. 
NEW  VIOLETS  : 
V.  SULPHUREA  (TOPMOST)  ;  V.  PRINCESS  DE  SUMENTE  (BELOW). 
