The Dorset County Express and Agricultural Gazette.
Dorchester, Dorset, England, 1881-04-05 00:00:00

LORD AIJNOTON'S VIOLETS.

Knowing • little of the fame of Mr. Beck, Lord
Alington's able gardener at Cridiel, a. a .uccewsful culti-
vator of violate, I meats a special journey to the place to
see them for myself, and, like the 12.1.. e a of :Melts of old,
can truly say that half was not told me of the splendour
af the display which, I believe, WWI been an annual one
at Cricbel tor many years. The season is now at band
when I.7ardene will he giving the requisite attention to
the work of propagating stock for the prownt year, and a
few remark. may therefore not be out of place upon this
subject.
At Crichel thc atock appears to be raised by layering
the ruuners upon the old pilots. therby securing a gain in
point .4 time and well-rooted plants ready to plant out
rally in the season. They are planted out upon • west
border for the summer, cud are strictly at tended to during
the growing mewls by way of keeping the plants clear
from reopens and free from red-spider, their natural
memy in hot weather.
A* a rule violets are not attended to in summer as they
should be, owing to inadequate labour; and so work,
aow ever imp wt.sut it may be to future reoults, has to fall
behind in order to secure a superficial appearance of good
coannlzetuttit. %%Imre time cannot be found to layer the
re, were upon the plants before the flowering season is
lyrr. al..' the pits or frames, Al the ease Clay be, are
?et] n in: (I for other purivaes, the stock might with advan•
Inge be raised ite.erting the runm.re into boxes filled
with lealmouLl and ellarmemel with a email proportion of
omgh mind. this way strong weihrootcd plants are
secured earlier in the season than by trusting to the.
summon way 1,1 prop.igating upon open borders.
But there is something more than this to account for
Mr. 1 I..ek's ore at success in violet culture, and I believe
it is Oda :—lU,king full allowance for superior skill and
it. I. w,-11 I.nown that there are certain con-
litioto. under which Nil phuabs sneered better than others.
Ii le here that Mr. Beck's foreight has enabled him to
zhow4) a winter situation fir violets which is the cosy
heat that hae ever oasis, under my natice. The
'elected ie n owy warm corner enchoo cl by a "sloping
haul; facing the south and rant.' Into this bank two
min ttttt &imp, raneea of hrick pits are fitted, into which
the plant, ate son n: the end of Septeusber or begin.
Mug of 0.-tolao. It will be observed that the object of
the two a-pect.. is to 14,1114 a Rumens of flowers, an
in r, ali.edt.i the (tal' i The ;nit, have a
:ruck p.t.A, id are substantial and well glazed, com-
manding a flad dozer., of warmth an 1414.
From 12 to 1i Miles of the ohl soil le removed every
er-tr, sod a fresh comp.t consistiny of generous open
Bell, well eliarjemed with road-scrapings or coarse sand,
... de.% The plant. when planted are brought into close
contact with ti e liulit and when in full flower (as I saw
ilrot oily ii 1.-w .1.)0 od pre.ent &eloping bank of vivid
blue, whi,,b w.ll atom.; the otteution of any one having
tins meow ,d merit a long time before they approach it.
'II,. peculiarity of Lb.- plants at Crichel is their "mink-
tine rise, cool t. err extreme floriferousuess." Mr. Beck
told me that mini-,; the late Royal visit of the Duke and
Idueloos 04.x:do:ht. in January, he had the curiosity
to make a rough calculation of the number of flowers that
well 'lmo at . he time, stud that they ran up to the hand-
some lieure of %MO. The varieties grown are the Czar,
Marie Louie.., eapolitain, and Belle de Fontenay.—
VDII7OII. in °cadent rs' Chronicle.