THE CENTENARY OF THE PANSY

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LIII, Issue 227, 31 January 1911, Page 3

THE CENTENARY OF THE PANSY

(By Rev. F. P. Kellowj. fu addressing the young people at a Sunday morning service recently on "The Pansy and some of ils 1 made reference to its origin and date of appearance. A gentleman was present at the service who takes a good deal of interest in horticultural matters, and who concluded from dates given that next year would lie the centenary of this popular little Mower. He suggested that it might be a good idea tu make the fact known in the local press, and if possible to induce the young people of the district to procure some good strains of seed and grow for the next November .show, so as to make this exhibit a strong feature of the show as marking the centenary of this favorite among garden flowers. I have since received a letter from the secretary of the Horticultural Society asking me to write a history of the pansy for the local papers. This 1 willingly do, partly because of the. sweet comradeship that I have enjoyed with this little flower, and partly because I am sure that a careful cultivation of it by our young people will exert a refining influence, and afford a degree of plea.sure out of all proportion to the care bestowed. In writing this I assume that I am speaking to the young people only, which will account for some things 4 may say. Now, then, a word for the pansy—not that it need,s it; the pansy is competent .to speak for itself. As to its history 1 ' suppose that most people are aware that the viola (not the violet; therewith lies quite a different story, and a very interesting one, too) is the parent of the pansy. There are .several varieties of viola, but the following three are generally considered the joint parents of the pansy: Viola lutea, viola grandillora, and viola amoena. The history of the pansy is not an obscure one, and may be told in a few words. ,tn the year 1812 there was living at Walton-on-Thanies the Lady Mary Bennett, daughter of the Earl of Tankcrville. The favorite flower of this, lady was the common heartsease

viola), and a large space of her garden \'M devote;! to the cultivation of it. Her fardenor, Mr. Richardson, desiring to ilease his mistress, selected the best seed «ch year, and had the satisfaction of inding that he could in this way obtain ome remarkably good varieties. These cedlings were shown by Mr. Richardson o other florists, who became interested n the experiments, and in a few years he culture of the heartsease, became popular, and it soon took rank among the lorists' flowers. There we have the ,'enesis of the pansy. Just about' 11)0 , •ears ago the pansy was born and out of the departure that was then made in he life and habits of the viola or heartsiase what a revelation of loveliness has iecn given to lovers of flowers! This little flower is now a favorite in almost ivory country, and in many respects tands unrivalled among our garden trea■ures. It is a humble (lower. - It rememicrs its origin; it puts on no airs; it is ust sweetly natural. And yet what ithcr flower requires, to express its life, ind the sweet things it would say, such . range, variety and beauty of coloring?' I ust let it be remembered that our little [ leartsease takes to itself almost every [ I olor that the earth has seen. ' From) ilaek to white: from purple to gold; rom deep rose tints to pinks fairy-like in heir delicacy. And what yellows, and irowns, and blues, and cardinals, and ' rimsons deck the little upturned faces! again, what manipulation of colorng! Blotches and stripes, edgings and narblings and margins and simple self :olors, or rich shades further enriched by dending and suffusion of still richer coijrs. Now, in flower language pansy itands for "thoughts." The giving of a lansy is therefore equivalent to saying, 'I think of you." But the pansy more ;han any other flower has suggested 'thoughts/' and a very interesting folklore in nearly every country lias clusterid about this little favorite. I would like :o give here the latest instance of the <ind which has come under my notice, A few days ago I was tying tip a clump of pansics when a neighbor, a. Dane, came forward, and taking one of the flowers in his fingers, said, "Do you know what we say about this (lower in my country ?" "No," I replied; "tell me." "Well," he said, "we call this flower a family of five" (alluding, of course, to the five petals). "The odd petal is both mother and step' mother, the pair of petals next are her two children, and the pair at the top are her step-children." Then turning the underside qf the flower up he showed the arrangement of the petals and said these (the petals) stand for chairs and, you see, the mother has two chairs to sit on, the two children have a chair each, but the step-children have only one chair between them. |

Tf the young people who may read this will examine this Moral household, the pansy and its parts, they will perceive the reason of this thought-play. And now, in conclusion, I must presume to advise the young people of our town and district to spend a shilling or two in some good strain of pansy seed, and sow early so as to be ready with their exhibits for the next November show. In this way they would mark the centenary of this beautiful (lower and add a very effective feature to the show.