A dictionary of modern gardening - University Library

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VIN 618 VI
cies and several varieties. Hardy
evergreen trailers. Division. Common
soil.
VINE. Vitis vinifera. See Grape
Vine.
VINE BOWER. Clematis Viticella.
VINE LEEK. Allium ampeloprasum.
VIOLA. Violet. Ninety-nine species.
Chiefly hardy herbaceous perennials,
annuals, deciduous and evergreen
trailers, a few are half-hardy, and a
few others belong to the green-house.
The herbaceous kinds increase by division
or seeds : the shrubs by cuttings.
The annuals by seeds. Loam, peat, or
leaf-mould, and sand suits them best.
VIOLET. Viola odorata.
Varieties.—The best are Neapolitan,
Russian and Neapolitan Violets.—
There are two double varieties of the
Russian, the purple and the white. At
the close of autumn, in a rich yet light
soil, some year-old plants of each variety
should be planted, some in a border
which is exposed to the full meridian
sun; some in a border which only receives
its morning rays; and a third
quantity in pots on a north border. The
only attention they require is to keep
them free from weeds, and to remove
all runners as they appear. These will
bloom in succession from March until
the end of May; and if those in pots in
the north border are prevented from
blooming by having their flower-buds
picked off as they appear until late in
May, and are then plunged in the
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double pale blue; Russian, h[\ie; Tree border which enjoys the morning sun,
Violet, semi-double, blue, stem eighteen they will, if carefully watered and atinches
high. Double Blue; Whiter tended, bloom in June and early in July.
Pink.
The double purple may be most suc-
Soil.—All the varieties prefer a light cessfully cultivated in this way. For
rich soil on a well drained subsoil. forcing, Mr. Ayres directs some year-
Stable manure makes them too luxuriold plants of the Neapolitan varieties
ant; and when they require the addi- to be taken up after having done flowertion
of a fertilizer, none is so beneficial ing, and planted in a light rich border,
as leaf-mould, or the bottom of an old a foot apart each way, care being taken
wood stack.
Propagation. — By Division, &c.
to remove all runners, but to injure the
roots as little as possible. A copious
They all multiply by parting the roots, watering is to be given at the time of
and by their side shoots rooting in the
earth. They may be parted or slipped
planting ; they should be shaded through
the summer, and all runners removed
in spring, summer, or autumn, as soon as they appear. In September, the
as they have done flowering, in moist
weather. Each plant may be slipped
or divided into several slips, not too
Neapolitans with good balls of earth
are to be placed in forty-eight or thirtytwo
size pots, and removed into a gentle
small; and planted either at once to hot-bed, and protected by a frame. If
remain, or the weakest may be planted air be admitted freely and the heat be
in nursery beds; and in either method kept up very gently, these may be
each slip will soon increase into a large brought to bloom in February. Another
tuft, and flower abundantly the next mode of making the Neapolitan violet
year. bloom during the winter is to plant some
of the runners at the end of April, in
By Seed.—Sow it either soon after it '
is ripe, or early in the spring, in a bed small pots filled chiefly with leaf-mould,
or border of light earth, and raked in ; watering them until rooted, and then
and when the plants are come up an moving them to a cold shaded place, as
' inch or two high in summer, prick them the north side of a wall—the colder the
out in a shady border to grow till Oc better. In October bring them under
tober, and then plant out to remain. the sunny side of the green-house, or
Pink Violets. — The best time to into an empty frame to be closed at
plant them is in September, but they night, and then move them the second
should be planted in a dry situation. week in December into a sunny window
and not fully exposed to the sun at any or green-house. They will bloom in
part of the day. The principal points January, and for some months after, by
to attend to are, never to disturb them having a proper succession,
^ by clearing or digging about them, Dr. Lindley says— " To have Russian
and always to plant them in a shaded violets in flower during winter, you
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place. must treat them in the following man-