Handbook of Practical Gardening

Whilst the greatest effort has been made to ensure the quality of this text, due to the historical nature of this content, in some rare cases there may be minor issues with legibility. The beautiful flowers of the Pansy, that we are now accustomed to see in nearly every garden worthy of the name, were not evolved in one short space of time. They are the outcome of many years of persistent effort on the part of a comparatively few enthusiasts, who, by dint of infinite patience and labour, have helped to evolve the glorious blooms that are now so largely grown. The origin of the Pansy is, to a certain extent, wrapt in obscurity. The earliest detailed information we have of any special work being done with the Pansy, is that of Lord Gambier and his gardener, Thompson by name. These two pioneers conducted their experiments at Iver in Buckinghamshire at the beginning of last century.