Illustrated - Jtrl" NET. Cornell Wnfrtttitg fptag BOUGHT WITH THE INCOME FROM THE SAGE ENDOWMENT FUND THE GIFT OF Henrg 199. Sage 1S91 z..&.£,8.3:.& 3.c/jjr.J/.o.. 6896-1 RETURN TO ALBERT R. MANN LIBRARY ITHACA, N. Y. Cornell University Library SB 413.S9W95 A book about sweet tttmmSuESm" Cornell University Library The original of this book is in the Cornell University Library. There are no known copyright restrictions in the United States on the use of the text. http://www.archive.org/details/cu31924002824476 A BOOK ABOUT SWEET PEAS. P UxJ-A A Book about Sweet Peas A Descriptive and Practical Treatise' on the Most Charming of all Annual Flowers GIVING HISTORY, CULTURE, USES AND VARIETIES. WALTER P. WRIGHT, Author of the " Illustrated Garden Guide.' WITH COLOURED PLATES, PHOTOGRAPHS, AND NUMEROUS PRACTICAL ILLUSTRATIONS. LONDON : HEADLEY BROTHERS, 14, BISHOPSGATE STREET WITHOUT, E.C. D BY THE SAME AUTHOR. WALTER P. WRIGHT'S ILLUSTRATED GARDEN GUIDE. Giving Plain Instructions for Growing all the Principal Vegetables, Fruit and Flowers. IOO PRACTICAL ILLUSTRATIONS. Paper covers, is. Cloth, is. 6d. Post free, is. 3d. and is. o.d. Headley Brothers, 14, Bishopsgate Street Without, London, E.C. PREFACE. I have made an earnest attempt in this book to show how much of interest, charm and pleasure he in the Sweet Pea, while giving ample practical information as to its culture. We must not limit our thoughts of great garden flowers to a calculation of how many barrow-loads of manure are required to win a certain silver cup with them. We must take into account the joy which their beauty and perfume bring into our lives, and the uplifting impulses which arise out of a conception of the creative forces which lie enfolded within their petals. In doing this we need not forget the spade and manure. No flower can influence human lives more strongly than the little Sweet Pea. Suitable for culture in the smallest as in the largest of gardens, beautiful alike in form and colour, possessing a delicious odour, it further enchains our interest by the glimpses which Mendelian experiments with it have given us into the half revealed mysteries of the laws which govern the creation of new plants. I hope that the simple verses with which the chapters are introduced will not so far offend purists in prosody as to neutralise the pleasure that other parts of the book may possibly give them. Walter P. Weight. December, 1909. "* CONTENTS. [For General Index see the end of the volume.] CHAPTER. PAGE I. OF THE BEAUTY AND PERFUME OF THE SWEET PEA 9 II. OF THE INTRODUCTION OF THE SWEET PEA, AND ITS RISE INTO PUBLIC FAVOUR - "13 III. OF THE STRUCTURE OF THE SWEET PEA FLOWER, SELF-FERTILISATION, CROSS-FERTILISATION, THE LAWS OF MENDEL, AND OTHER MATTERS CON- NECTED WITH RAISING NEW VARIETIES 24 IV. OF THE SEEDS OF SWEET PEAS AND THE RAISING OF PLANTS, WITH A WORD AS TO CUTTINGS 36 V. OF THE BEST SOILS AND MANURES FOR SWEET PEAS 47 VI. OF THE METHODS OF PLANTING AND SUPPORTING SWEET PEAS - S 2 VII. OF THE PLACES IN WHICH SWEET PEAS MAY BE GROWN, HOW THEY MAY BE USED IN BEDS AND HERBACEOUS BORDERS, AND ON WALLS AND FENCES 57 VIII. OF THE SWEET PEA AS AN EXHIBITION FLOWER 64 IX. OF THE SWEET PEA AS A MARKET FLOWER - 70 X. OF THE SWEET PEA UNDER GLASS 74 XI. OF THE ENEMIES OF THE SWEET PEA 79 XII. OF THE VARIETIES OF SWEET PEAS 85 XIII. OF THE SWEET PEA IN ENGLISH COTTAGE GARDENS 93 XIV. OF THE SWEET PEA IN SCOTTISH GARDENS - 98 XV. OF THE SWEET PEA IN WALES AND THE WEST COUNTRY - - IOI XVI. OF THE SWEET PEA IN IRISH GARDENS - I05 XVII. OF THE SWEET PEA IN THE BRITISH COLONIES IO7 XVIII. OF THE SWEET PEA IN THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA - - - III XIX. — OF WOMAN'S INFLUENCE ON THE SWEET PEA 115 XX. — THE SWEET PEA GROWER'S A. B.C. - - - II9 APPENDIX. — A CATALOGUE OF VARIETIES OF SWEET PEAS WITH SELECTIONS - - 142 INDEX ... ... IO "j LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS. portrait of Walter p. wright Frontispiece. princess victoria (dobbie) Facing p. 14 sweet pea leaves eaten by a looper caterpillar „ 15 raising sweet peas in pots ,, 24 a sturdy, well-rooted sweet pea seedling ,, 25 a weak sweet pea plant - ,, 32 autumn sown sweet peas - >> 33 nora unwin - - „ 40 etta dyke ,, 4 1 helen pierce - - ,, 48 paradise ivory - - ,, 49 SWEET PEA AND ROSE BEAUTY (Coloured plate) - ,, 56 SUNPROOF CRIMSON - ,, 64 THE MARQUIS - ,, 65 JOHN INGMAN - ,, 72 KING EDWARD SPENCER - 73 SWEET PEAS AT THE RIGHT STAGE FOR CROSS-FERTILISING OR GATHERING TO PACK - ,, 80 A LOOSE SPIKE AND A WELL -FILLED SPIKE ,, 80 STAKING SWEET PEAS ,, 8 1 sweet pea and rose beauty (Coloured plate) ,, 88 SWEET PEAS GROWN IN FRONT OF A GARDEN SHED - ,, 96 A TYPICAL POT OF SWEET PEAS - ,,97 CONSTANCE OLIVER - - - ,, IO4 ZERO - - „ IOS ZARINA - - - ,, 112 AZURE FAIRY - - - ,, 113 A VASE OF SWEET PEAS - ,, 120 A BOWL OF SWEET PEAS ,, 121 MRS. CHARLES FOSTER ,, 128 ASTA OHN - ,,129 AUDREY CRIER - - - ,, 1 36 MRS. WILCOX - - - - - „ 137 PRINCE OLAF - - - ,, 1 44 JESSIE CUTHBERTSON - - - - „ 145 DIAGRAMS IN TEXT. FIG. PAGE 1. SWEET PEAS AND BEES - -27 2. SWEET PEA FLOWER AFTER THE PETALS HAVE GONE 28 3. SWEET PEA AT THE RIGHT STAGE FOR CROSS FER- TILISATION - 29 4. SWEET PEA FLOWER EMASCULATED '29 5. SEED AND SEEDLING OF SWEET PEA . - 40 6. RAISING SWEET PEAS IN POTS 42 7. PLANTS IN POTS WHEN TO SUPPORT THEM 54 8. STAKES AND STRING FOR SUPPORTING CLUMP OF SWEET PEAS SS 9. SYDENHAM'S WIRE LADDER SUPPORT FOR SWEET PEAS 56 10. JONES'S EXHIBITION OR TABLE VASE FOR SWEET PEAS 69 11. GROWING SWEET PEAS IN POTS - f6 12. A SPRAY AT THE RIGHT STAGE TO GATHER FOR PACKING - 129 A BOOK ABOUT SWEET PEAS. CHAPTER I. OF THE BEAUTY AND PERFUME OF THE SWEET PEA. You ask me what I see in tiny you That's better than the others ? There's just one little sparkling drop of dew That's brighter than its brothers. You ask me why I leave the friendly throng To be with you alone ? There's always one dear warbling linnet's song That's purest in its tone. You ask me why, in hard-snatched leisure hour, 'Tis you I'm always seeking ? Because the perfume of one special flower Is sweetest in its greeting. You ask me why I keep you by my side ? You ask me why I love you ? Your clinging tendrils take my hand and guide My steps to realms above you. DO we love Roses, Carnations or Chrysanthemums less, because we love Sweet Peas more ? I write beside a Cornish sea. The crests of the waves in the bay of St Ives break white as snow, but theseamews' breasts seem whiter still. There are flowers as beautiful, as fragrant, as the Sweet Pea, but none so appealing. Is it the grace of the fluttering shapes that dance so lightly above the supporting sticks, or the mute pleading of the slender tendrils which grope for a friendly hand, or the lovely tints that overlie the dainty blossoms ? We cannot answer. We know that they win our love and sympathy as well as our admiration. It is easy to grow Sweet Peas, because they are in our hearts. They spring into radiant life under hands that are softened by affection. The beginner succeeds with them at the outset, for he gives them the gentle touch of instinctive love. No weary period of probation tries him, beauty comes swiftly into being. There is no flower of the first rank that is so rapidly, so generously responsive as the Sweet Pea. Note the bursting A BOOK ABOUT SWEET PEAS. leaves, the extending stems, the eager buds. See how they press each other in the race for beauty. The plant loves to bloom. It experiences a passionate joy in flinging out its glorious largesse of blossom. It pours out flowers as a thrush pours out song It loves the sunny haunts of old gardens, and finds joy in every hour of the summer. The Sweet Pea is the dearest because it is the most com- panionable of flowers. Its frank delight in existence arouses a responsive impulse in breasts that are growing cold to the world. Reader, has the time come with you when you have asked yourself whether it is all worth while — the strife, the burden, the pain of a life that was once very fair ? Has the spring-time lost its magic, the sea its glamour, the country- side its message, the fruit its flavour ? If the answer is in the affirmative, my duty is clear ; it is to take you by the hand, lead you into my Sweet Pea garden, and teach you its joys. There you will find new hope, new courage, new interest, new youth. Let me show you the simple but beautiful structure of the Sweet Pea flower. It is made up of four parts. The largest js an upright one at the top of the flower, and is called the standard. Two petals spread right and left just below it : they are called the wings. The fourth part is folded in so as to form a little sac, and it hangs at the bottom of the flower : it is called the keel. Standard, wings, and keel ! We suc- cumb at once to the temptation of obvious parallels. On its wings our floral butterfly soars afar, on its keel it seeks distant seas. These figures of fancy are as inevitable as they are harmless. In simple, unstudied beauty the Sweet Pea has no superior amid all the flowers of the garden. Its tints are exquisite and varied. We get soft pearls and ivories and opals, and the pure whiteness of the Alpine snow. The softened yellow of Cornish cream vies with the primrose of the woodland. The rich yellow of the Buttercup and the Tulip, or even of the Gorse which spreads over the rocky hills around my window, is denied to us as yet, but we are nearer than we used to be, and the time may come when it is given to us. It always seems to me that the approach to yellow is nearer in those flowers which have pink or rose in a belt upon the edge of the petals than in any of the selfs. Shall we reach yellow, then, by a by-road ? No matter, so that we really get it. These same bordered flowers, with some approach to yellow as to their body, are painted with a wondrous and exquisite delicacy. Sunset lights glow in their warm tints. BEAUTY AND PERFUME OF THE SWEET PEA. n The pinks are many, from the soft hue that merely shines through white to the brilliant colour that is as full of character and decision as a zonal Geranium. These are the colours for people who adorn their rooms with flowers, because they are as beautiful by night as they are by day. Rose, cerise, carmine, crimson and scarlet are all represented. A bold florist introduces a magenta now and then, but it is flung forth with scorn. The pale blue of the sky has never so pearly a tint as when a floating belt of cumulus passes slowly beneath it. This coveted shade we get in Sweet Peas, with many another of blue, from French grey to purple, claret and maroon. But we have not quite touched the glistening, pellucid blue of Salvia patens. We have many pretty parti-coloured flowers — rose, blue or purple on white, rose standard and peacock wings, and other combinations. In all there is that delicious perfume which is the soul of the flower. The reproach cannot be levelled at raisers of Sweet Peas, as at raisers of Carnations, that varieties without fragrance have been multiplied. The newest Sweet Pea has all the odour of the oldest. Take what colour we will, the Sweet Pea is the sweet Pea still. But after all, little has been said when only beauty of form, variety of colour and constancy of perfume have been eulo- gised. There still remains the Sweet Pea as a plant — that lightsome, free-hearted, happy plant which blossoms so early, so abundantly, and so long. Its flowers dance and sparkle in the sunlight the whole summer through, ever changing, yet ever beautiful. We cut armfuls, basketfuls of flowers. We cut day by day. Still the plant smiles on the steel, and pursues its beneficent way. Is it not a delicious thought that everyone can grow this beautiful flower ? Too old at forty, or even eighty, does not apply to Sweet Pea growers. A man who takes them up at seventy has just learned how to feel his way to the true enjoyment of life, and may look forward with every confidence to a green and happy old age, whatever his past may have been. As to the other sex, all women love Sweet Peas. And their love is real love — love unqualified, undiluted, untinged by pedantry, or love of controversy, or desire to beat another grower in the show tent. It is the flower for its own sake — the gracious, delicate, winning blossom, with its appealing charm of form, colour and perfume, not for its possibilities as a winner of cups, medals and money. A BOOK ABOUT SWEET PEAS. Is the inference gatherable that all of the sterner sex grow Sweet Peas for cups, medals or cash ? I do not mean that. It is far otherwise. But I think it may be said fairly that the average woman's love for Sweet Peas is purer and more disinterested than the average man's. You do not grudge her this credit, my reader ? You do not become angry with me, and, hunting out my name as a winner of prizes for Sweet Peas in past years, cry, " Out upon this man as a blatant hypocrite, who prates of pure devotion and himself pockets cash won in competitions ? " You understand, do you not, that I am less concerned to condemn competitions than to lay a tribute of respectful homage at the feet of our wives and sisters ? Let us vie with each other in offering chivalrous acknowledgment of their unsullied love for our beautiful flower — and try and beat each other just the same. In truth, there is pleasure in the merry joust. It is inspir- ing to see lances broken and shields rung. And among those who gather round the lists to see the knights perform there must be many who receive their first impulse to become participators. They see Sweet Peas of rare beauty — the finest products of the best cultivators, and they are ravished, enchanted. They gaze in wonder. They eagerly fill note- books with names. They buttonhole growers, and hurl forth a heavy bombardment of questions about soils and seeds, manures and varieties. They stuff pockets with pamphlets and catalogues, which are perused with thirsty eagerness on the way home, and after the evening meal. They have seen something which has been a great revelation to them. New horizons have opened out before them. They have found that rarest of treasures after the rubicon of forty has been passed — a new interest in life. What system of philo- sophy, what raking of libraries, what expenditure on travel, what zeal in the collection of works of art, could do more for them than the beauty and perfume of this little flower ? Rally, my brothers ! rally, my sisters ! to this gentle and flowing standard. Rejoice when you think that in a few short weeks it may be floating over your own garden. Gather, my brothers ! gather, my sisters ! under these perfumed and protecting wings. And let your hearts swell at the thought that as long as life is with you they may remain your shield from depression and despair. Go forth, my brothers ! go forth, my sisters ! on this trusty keel, which the winds of adversity cannot overwhelm, nor the waves of worldly trouble drown. CHAPTER II. OF THE INTRODUCTION OF THE SWEET PEA, AND ITS RISE INTO PUBLIC FAVOUR. When history's re-written I hope you will pardon A version that's born in the peace of a garden ; It touches a matter of national weight, No less than the union that made Britain great ; For the will that made England and Scotland one Power First sprang in men's hearts through the love of a flower. The stroke of the sword had failed as a plea And victory was won by the little Sweet Pea. It came from the South in the days of Queen Anne (The news that she's dead you regretfully scan), And Southron and Scot, still half longing to fight, Were charmed with the flower, and made haste to unite. They saw that with enemies over the seas They had better, themselves, battle mainly with Peas ; So they hastened to smother their ancient dislikes — To bring out the spades and to store all the pikes. And ever since then the cool Sassenach's lot Has been to keep peace with the fire-headed Scot. The task has been easy, as fights with the Rose Form an adequate vent for the oldest of foes. The exhibitor's tube takes the place of a gun, And, between you and me, it's far healthier fun. The Carnation, the Pansy, the Aster, the Stock, Keep hands from sharp blades, and hot heads from the block. THE Sweet Pea came to us from the South — from sunny Italy. There are some flower-lovers who want to hear every scrap of information which somebody else can collect for them about their favourite, and so I am going to tell how and when the Sweet Pea came. Practical folk may skip all this, of course. They want to know how to manure ground, when to sow seed, and so forth ; and they do not care in the least where the Sweet Pea came from, or indeed, if it never came from anywhere at all, but just " growed." These good folk will begin their innings in Chapter IV., to which, if they take no interest in derivation and develop- ment, I respectfully refer them. < jj K A w H o « w p, o o w o t/) w «! W ►J K W « H Pi O -< fa 6 w 53 o t/3 (/} STAKING SWEET PEAS. The magnificent row on the left is supported entirely by string, . and is better than the right hand row, which is supported by sticks. These Peas won many important prizes. Sec Chapter VI. THE ENEMIES OF THE SWEET PEA. 81 Wire worm. — It is well known that freshly-broken pasture land is liable to be infested with wireworm, because the roots of grass afford it sustenance. Lucky the gardener who, having turned a meadow into a garden, does not find himself involved in a long fight with wireworm. If he takes the turf away and stacks it, so that it may rot down into potting soil, he takes away most of the wireworm with it (see chapter V.), and although some are always left behind, yet the battle is more than half won. If he turns the turf down so as to get the benefit of its rich store of nitrates he preserves the wire- worm with it. What is your choice, reader ? But you want to hear my opinion. It is to read my opinions that you have bought my book. Let me give it to you with an all-embracing emphasis — an emphasis that brooks no qualification and no reservation, which has neither doubt nor hesitation. Do not turn in undecayed turf. If you like to take it away, stack it until it has rotted, and replace it ; or if you like to remove it, char it and replace it, well and good. In either case the worst that can be said of you is that in your earnest- ness you have given yourself a good deal of hard work. Of the intrinsic merits of either plan there can be no doubt. Do either, but do not turn the turf in untreated. You may put it two feet down if you like, but the wireworm will not stay there with it. He will come up ravenous. Sowing ground with Mustard and turning it in green, and dressing with Vaporite or Apterite, are approved methods of reducing wireworm. Special plants may be protected by inserting baits of Carrot or Potato near them. Slugs. — The slug is very destructive in some seasons, and harmless in others. The Sweet Pea has no special attraction for him, but if he is present in numbers which put a severe strain on the food supply, he will attack Sweet Peas: When he starts he often carries things to a point which leaves the grower in despair. Raisers of new varieties have assured me that the slug has a maddening aptitude for finding out and devouring their choicest seedlings. When there are novelties about, commoners have no charm for him. Freshly slaked lime is a potent safeguard against slugs. It is best used in two forms : as a powder sprinkled along the rows beside the plants, and renewed after rain; and as lime water dis- tributed over the garden through a rosed can at night. To get the powder, sprinkle some lumps of lime fresh from the kiln with a little water, and they will crumble down with emission of heat. To make the lime water, put a lump of lime as large as a cocoanut in a pail of water, and let it stand for a few 82 A BOOK ABOUT SWEET PEAS. hours. As an additional precaution heaps of brewers' grains may be put near the most valuable plants as a bait, and examined at night, when any slugs which are found can be destroyed instantaneously by dropping them in a vessel of salt and water. Weevil. — Perhaps the reader has seen neat notches cut in the leaves of his Sweet Peas in the spring, and has wondered which one of Nature's tailors has been at work with sharp and well-trained scissors. It is the weevil known as Sitones lineatus, and as, in addition to its attack on the foliage, its larva feeds on the roots, it is capable of working great mischief. Perhaps the slug sometimes gets the credit of some of the injury which this enemy does, anyway, those who notice young plants going off in spring would do well to make a careful investigation before they put the damage down to their old enemy. Even a slug deserves justice. The weevil is about a quarter of an inch long, dark on the upper side, with grey lines, clayey beneath, and therefore difficult to distinguish when it has dropped from the plants on to its back and lies motionless, which it does promptly if disturbed. The best way to stamp out an attack is to reduce the soil to a fine tilth, keep it close and firm, dust lime along the rows, and in extreme cases spray a mixture of paraffin and soft soap at the rate of half-a-pint of the former and one pint of the latter to five gallons of water (first boiling the soft soap) over the plants. Mould or Blight.— If the lower leaflets of young Sweet Pea plants become affected with small yellow patches in early summer, which spread and eventually cause the leaves to shrivel ; and if the trouble extends upwards, the presence of Pea mould (Peronospora trifoliorum var. vicice) may be suspected. - The patches may be covered with a grey mould and the roots shrivel. The plants should be dusted with powdered quicklime and sulphur, two parts of the former and one part of the latter, directly the disease is noticed. The powder is best applied with a Malbec bellows while the leaves are damp, especially on the under side. Or they may be sprayed with a solution of liver of sulphur (sulphide, of potassium) half an ounce per gallon of water. The following fertiliser may be pointed in near the plants at the rate of one ounce per yard : superphosphate i part, kainit I part, nitrate of soda \ part, sulphate of iron \ part. All diseased growths should be burned, and the crop should be put on fresh ground the following year. The disease is worst in wet, cold seasons. THE ENEMIES OF THE SWEET PEA. 83 Spot. — The leaves of Sweet Peas sometimes become marked by small, whity-brown or greenish spots, which generally -lie below the surface of the leaf, and in some cases fall out, leaving small holes. This disease is known as spot (Ascochyta pisi). It may be checked by spraying with Bordeaux mixture, which can be made as follows : — (t) dissolve £-lb. bluestone (sulphate of copper) in a wooden vessel containing a little water, (2) put £-lb. of quicklime in a gallon of water and let the vessel stand a few hours, (3) pour the two liquids together in a tub containing enough water to bring the total quantity up to five gallons. Badly affected plants should be burned. Root-rot. — Sweet Peas sometimes grow strongly up to a certain stage, then yellow veins appear on the leaves, the tops of the plants become stunted and turn over, and they die. This may happen when they are only a foot high, or when they have nearly reached the flowering stage. It is the root-rot disease (Thielavia basicola). If it should appear, the plant should be supported by pointing in half-an-ounce each of sulphate of potash and sulphate of iron along each yard run of row. Badly affected plants should be burned. In pre- paring fresh ground plenty of wood ashes should be dug in, and basic slag and kainit may be applied at the rate of seven pounds of each per square rod in autumn. Mildew. — The greyish mould which sometimes spreads over the plants is the fungus Erysifhe folygoni. It is rarely troublesome when the plants are well grown, but it often affects weak plants badly. Good soil should be provided, and growth may be stimulated with liquid manure. At the same time an effort maybe made to destroy the first patches of mildew by making one of the applications advised under mould. Streak.— Plants with grey lines on the leaves, and with flabby, streaky flowers, are sometimes seen. The conjunction of the two caused growers to suspect a new disease, to which the name " streak " was applied. Serious misgivings were entertained respecting it. A number of plants which I had on freshly broken pasture in 1907 were badly affected in this way. I do not think that streak is a new disease, and I think it likely that there is no connection between the affection of the leaves and that of the flowers. The appearance of the leaves is probably due to an attack of one of the fungi already named, or to root worms (see below), and that of the flowers to green fly (see below). Green Fly. — This well-known green aphis sometimes attacks the foliage of Sweet Peas, although it is not generally a serious pest, and it may be kept under by dusting with 84 A BOOK ABOUT SWEET PEAS. tobacco powder and afterwards syringing vigorously. But I think that it often affects flowers in a manner not suspected. Establishing itself on the buds it sucks the juices and causes the colours to " run," so that the flowers look muddled and streaky. More than once a grower has seized on one of these variations as a new break. Root Worms. — Root worms are of two kinds, the eelworm and the white-worm. The presence of one or other may be suspected if a young plant suddenly becomes .stunted and shortly afterwards collapses completely, the stems withering and the roots rotting. Such plants should be burnt, together with the soil near them. The growth of the others should be stimulated with liquid manure. A splendid chemical fer- tiliser is nitrate of potash, an ounce of which may be dissolved in a gallon of water, and applied every other day for a week. Birds. — Aggrieved amateurs speak of injury from birds at two stages : when the seeds are freshly sown, and when the plants are in bud. Birds are certainly fond of Pea seeds, and while I think that they are more partial to culinary than to Sweet Peas, I approve of the simple precaution of moisten- ing the seeds with paraffin or Unseed oil, and then rolling them in red lead before sowing. Paraffin alone suffices as a rule, but in some places the bird pest is present in special force. Complaints' of young birds pecking off Sweet Pea buds are more common in dry than in wet seasons. No doubt bird lovers will tell us that the birds are less concerned to prevent us winning a particular Challenge Cup than to find moisture for themselves, but whatever their object the result is the same. Syringing with soot water, or the use of scares, may be suggested jas preventives. Mice. — The field mouse, ever ready to change his quarters and become a garden mouse, has always had a weakness for Peas. He loves them when they are swollen and tender with the juices of germination. Many a time and oft he has got the seedsman (who, on the strength of a ioo per cent, growth in his trial book, glows with indignation at any reflec- tion on the germinating power of his seeds) a " wigging " from an impulsive amateur. Really, if Peas do not come up it is not always the fault of the seedsman. The oil and red lead device mentioned in the paragraph on birds discourages mice also. Small traps, baited with Peas or cheese, may be set as an additional precaution. Caterpillars. — As one of the photographs shows, Sweet Peas are sometimes attacked by caterpillars. They should be picked off and destroyed. CHAPTER XII. OF THE VARIETIES OF SWEET PEAS. Scarlet are the Sweet Peas, the Sweet Peas, the Sweet Peas, Scarlet are the Sweet Peas, that dance the hours away ; There's many a dainty colour in the fragrant little Heartsease, But it has no coat that exactly suits the red of a hunting day. Shining blue are the Sweet Peas, the Sweet Peas, the Sweet Peas, Shining blue are the Sweet Peas that cling to the hazel spray, There's many a sky tint borrowed by the heaving waves of the deep seas, But it isn't the hue of the bluetit's coat as he twitters his little lay. White as snow are the Sweet Peas, the Sweet Peas, the Sweet Peas, White as snow are the Sweet Peas, so lightsome in their play, There's white in many a fragrant Stock that brings the hum of the big bees, But it isn't the white of the Hawthorn bloom in the merry month of May. THE student of Sweet Peas loses himself in a maze of colour variations, but it is a maze so delightful that he never wishes to extricate himself from it. He is content to wander on from year to year, sometimes a little dazed, always more than a little bewildered, never so absolutely sure of himself as to undertake willingly the task of naming a collec- tion of flowers for the amateur who has mixed up his labels. Up to a point it is fairly easy to group the Sweet Pea colours. We might work from white to crimson with the white ground flowers in the following stages : — (i) Etta Dyke, white. (2) Lady Althorp, white with a faint suffusion of pink. (3) Elsie Herbert, white with pink edge. (4) Mrs. Hardcastle Sykes, blush. (5) Countess Spencer, pink. (6) Olive Ruffell, rose. (7) John Ingman, carmine rose. (8) Sunproof Crimson, or Mrs. Duncan, crimson. Thus we get to a deep self flower in eight easy stages. 85 86 A BOOK ABOUT SWEET PEAS. With the yellow grounds we might proceed as follows : — (i) Clara Curtis, cream. (2) Evelyn Hemus, or Mrs. C. W. Breadmore, cream with pink edge. (3) Gladys Burt, Mrs. Hugh Dickson, or Mrs. Henry Bell, cream with pink border. (4) Constance Oliver, pink with cream centre. And so again reach the selfs. Or we might work up to scarlet by : — (1) Clara Curtis, cream. (2) Audrey Crier, pink with salmon suffusion. (3) Earl Spencer, salmon. / (4) George Stark, scarlet. The stages of the blue shades might be : — (1^ Mrs. Higginson, Jun., Lady Grizel Hamilton, or True Lavender, lavender. (2) Masterpiece, lavender with rose suffusion. (3) Flora Norton Spencer or Zephyr, medium blue. (4) Asta Ohn, lilac. (5) Lord Nelson, deep blue. (6) Horace Wright, violet blue. (7) The Marquis, mauve. (8) Menie Christie, magenta. These gradations are not difficult to follow, but fortunately or unfortunately the florist will not leave the matter there. He shows us whole strings of sorts which come very close to one or other of those in our lists, and he assures us that they are true. We meet him at a show, and he has a cream with a pink edge in his buttonhole. We wish to be pleasing and polite, and we say : " Ah, Mrs. Henry Bell, and very nicely grown, too." A change comes over his features. He looks half pained, half disgusted. We feel that we have " put our foot in it." However, he recovers himself, and even assumes a pitying expression as he asks : " When did you ever see Mrs. Henry Bell with as rich a colour on the edge as this ? " Here he extracts Mrs. Henry Bell from a con- venient box, and places it alongside of the flower in his button- hole, " What do you say now ? " What can we say ? We can see a difference between the flowers, and we hasten to say so — perhaps with a little extra emphasis because of having unwittingly ruffled him. We go from grower to grower, and each shows us selections on his grounds that differ in a greater or less degree (it is always in a greater degree according to the grower himself) from the standard colours. There really is a difference on THE VARIETIES OF SWEET PEAS. 87 the particular soil, and in the particular climate, of the par- ticular grower ; yet when we transfer them to our own gardens we sometimes have to rub our eyes very wide open to enable ourselves to see it, and if the varieties were mixed up in a box we could not separate them. In such circumstances what are we to do ? Those of us who have time, and ground and money enough can grow them all, and make our own comparisons ; we become, in a word, specialists. The situation has its charms. We may be asked to judge at a show, we may have long letters (the stamp: ing of which was inadvertently overlooked) sent to us from anxious novices athirst for information. If, however, time, ground and money are scarce we cannot aspire to such dis- tinctions as these, and thus, the arrival of the seed catalogues throws us into a terrible quandary. We do not know what to choose. In an appendix to the present work a catalogue of varieties of Sweet Peas, together with selections, is given. That appendix will be brought up to date each time that an oppor- tunity arises through the demand for a new edition. And the beginner has another source of information in the official lists of the National Sweet Pea Society. This most estimable institution issues two lists annually that are helpful to begin- ners. The first is a " Classification list," and the second a " Too much alike " list. The former gives the names of the varieties which the Society thinks are the best in their respec- tive colours. In the latter are grouped those which are so nearly alike that they must not be exhibited in the same stand. The Society's publications, the gardening papers, and many of the Sweet Pea catalogues, contain these lists. With them to guide him the beginner need never be worried over the choice of sorts. Let us, however, glance at a few notable Sweet Peas — varieties which are likely to live in spite of the redhot " extra special, all the winners, latest cricket scores " rush of com- peting novelties. There is a Pea which bears exquisitely waved flowers, which produces four on a stem, which grows vigorously, which flowers freely, which has a colour as soft as a pink Orchid, and yet as bright as a Tulip, which is fixed, which is as beautiful a garden as it is an exhibition variety, which looks charming on a dinner table — a variety in which grace of form and beauty of colour are delightfully blended. It would be futile for me to set you the riddle of naming my Pea. You know at once that it must be the peerless, the lovely, the 88 A BOOK ABOUT SWEET PEAS. delicious Countess Spencer. Do you want the Countess with a gleam of gold instead of silver in her beautiful heart ? You get her under the name of Constance Oliver. Both are larger, richer and better in form and waving than Gladys Unwin. If you and I, readers, were desperadoes who had to be banished to a desert island, and were given the privilege of taking one variety of Sweet Pea with us, which would it be ? (Do I see a cunning twinkle deep down in the eye of one of the criminals ? It means — such is the depth of his depravity — that he would select an unfixed sort, in the hope of getting several colours to break in it, and so give him the material for selecting several varieties.) But, fixed or unfixed, it would be a pink. We might choose that tender hued Spencer, Mrs. Hardcastle Sykes — a variety of ravishing beauty, soft of hue as the clinging fingers of a babe, with flowers of huge size and perfect shape. Many Sweet Pea growers consider this to be superior even to Countess Spencer itself, and give it the palm as the most beautiful of all Sweet Peas. Differing from both, being pale pink with a shade of salmon, is the lovely Zarina. The noble John Ingman, large of bloom, gracefully waved, and generous in its. production of four per stem, of a brilliant carmine rose colour, but with more than a suspicion of deep orange in the standard, is a variety which we can hardly dis- pense with, whether we grow it under this name, or that of George Herbert. The rich rose, Marjorie Willis, would run John Ingman close in the race for popularity were it not for the magenta suffusion in it. We must have a selection of orange Spencer, whether Helen Lewis, or Edrom Beauty, or Maggie Stark, or Edna Unwin, for a well selected stock has all the qualities of the true Countess Spencer type, with a rich and distinctive colour. The last is a much finer Pea than St. George. Spencerism does not flow so freely over the scarlet as the pink Sweet Peas, and it is apt to be associated with a want of texture that results in burning, but for the matter of that the first real scarlet self — Scarlet Gem — one of the old plain standard type, was too flimsy to stand the sun. Queen Alexandra was better. George Stark has Spencer grace, vivid colour, and sufficient substance to keep its character in sunshine. The early crimsons, both old and Spencer types, were subject to burning, but in King Edward Spencer, Mrs. Duncan and Sunproof Crimson we have varieties of brilliant colour that do not burn — large flowers and well waved withal. They SWEET PEA AND ROSE BEAUTY. A dark Sweet Pea, such as Mrs. Waller Wright, A. J. Cook or Duke of Westminster, near a pillar of Alister Stella Gray Rose. (From the Author's Garden). THE VARIETIES OF SWEET PEAS. 89 have superseded the old type King Edward. The florists selected most of them out of John Ingman. They eliminated the rose, the carmine and the orange, and put crimson in its place — surely a feat of legerdemain worthy of the highest praise. There is no patience like the patience of the florist. It carries him triumphantly through everything. Such is my faith in it that I look to be able to record in some future edition of this work, success in a task which at the time of preparing the first issue seems hopeless — that of giving vigour of growth and substance of petal to the salmon Spencers. Such of these as exist at the time of writing have the weakness for burning of the original plain standard salmon, Henry Eckford, with more constitutional flabbiness. Only the best of culture, supported by shading when the plants come into flower, can insure good blooms of Nancy Perkin and Earl Spencer. When we get the vigorous, sunproof salmon what a treasure we shall have ! Societies will stumble over each other in their haste to give it awards. Seedsmen will be besieged by clamorous amateurs, scrambling for seed. (Raiser of the sunproof salmon, a word in your ear. Let us away into yonder quiet corner, lest we be overheard. Are you inexperienced in the ways of florists ? Are the mysteries of the seed trade a sealed book to you ? Then you want a practical adviser, one of a generous nature, who will give you the vast benefits of his knowledge for a paltry half share in the profits. A letter addressed to me will have attention. You take me ? It is well.) Pink and salmon being colours which amateurs love, what of a Sweet Pea which combines both — pink, let us say, with a suffusion of salmon ? Just this, that such a variety must have as ardent a following as a pure pink, provided it comes true. There's the rub. We have a pink with suffusion of salmon ; its name is Audrey Crier. But, alas ! endeavours to " fix " it have hitherto proved futile. It seems incredible, but year after year passes, the most expert florists work at it, and still it throws "rogues" in exasperating profusion. Audrey Crier is the most baffling, the most perplexing, of Sweet Peas. It is adorable, but impossible. It overjoys and infuriates us by turns. An amateur comes to me and rubs his hands. " Odd, all this I hear about Audrey Crier not being fixed," he says ; " it is all right with me." He is secretly exultant. He gives one the impression that he con- siders he has done something profoundly clever. His family all catch scarlet fever, his most important shares slump 90 A BOOK ABOUT SWEET PEAS. badly, but he remains cheerful : he has Audrey Crier true. The next year there is a different story to be told. His family is riotously healthy, his shares have soared again, but he is gloomy and depressed: Audrey Crier has broken up once more! A good white Sweet Pea is as indispensable as a summer holiday. Our delight in it is so hearty and sincere that it refreshes us like the famous ozone breezes of Margate. The whites have ever been kind to us. They have been pure in hue, free in bloom, early and true. We have always loved the whites. We loved dear old Mont Blanc and Mrs. Sankey, and Blanche Burpee, and Queen of England, and Sadie Burpee and Dorothy Eckford and other old type whites. We love the modern waved varieties, like Nora Unwin and Etta Dyke. These snowy Spencers have an irresistible charm, with their exquisitely curved and pure flowers. They are delightful in the garden, winning on the table, pleasing on the show stand. A woman can overcome us by arranging a few white Sweet Peas as completely as she can by fingering, with down- cast eyes, a tiny laced pocket-handkerchief. They were provided for the sex by a special dispensation of Providence. I am as hopeful about the yellow Sweet Pea as about the sunproof salmon, and I expect to issue a special edition in its honour before my first is many years old. When we get more than a cream and only a little less than a primrose, when we see a clear canary coloured band on the edge of one flower and a gleam of gold in the centre of another, have we not food for hope ? But " all is not gold that glitters." A waggish florist has shown me a Buttercup yellow Sweet Pea before now, and has gone off chuckling gleefully when I have returned it with the laconic admonishment " Get out." Anyone can make a cream Sweet Pea yellow by subj ecting it to the fumes of ammonia, and no law has yet been passed by a lagging legislature for the summary execution of practical j okers. Meantime, we are near primrose with the old type Dora Breadmore and James Grieve, and with the new type Clara Curtis, Primrose Spencer and Paradise Ivory. Glorious are our blues. Who does not know and love the beautiful old hooded lavender, Lady Grizel Hamilton ? That, with Countess of Radnor, Mrs. Higgihson, Junior, Captain of the Blues and Navy Blue, held sway once upon a time. They lost their supremacy to Frank Dolby, Lord Nelson and A. J. Cook— beautiful Sweet Peas all, yet destined, perhaps, to wane before the rising stars of Masterpiece, Asta Ohn, Zephyr, and Lord Nelson Spencer. The veined blue Helen Pierce combines the attractions of beautiful colour, THE VARIETIES OF SWEET PEAS. 91 distinctiveness, and free blooming. We salute the Stars and Stripes with heartfelt gratitude for this lovely variety. From veining to flaking is not a far stride, and it takes us into an even more spacious field of beauty. The old pink and rose flakes, Aurora, America, and Jessie Cuthbertson, retire to make way for waved forms, and dull must they be to the sense of beauty who do not do homage to Aurora Spencer, Mrs. Wilcox and Mrs. W. J. Unwin. Prince Olaf and Marbled Blue still stand as representatives of the blue flakes — a class in comparatively small demand. We did not part from our old mauve, Dorothy Tennant, without a sigh, but with the newer Mrs. Walter Wright beside it there was no room for doubt — its day was done. Time, however, brought a dramatic revenge for the humiliated Dorothy. Driven, passes, from the stage to make way for a larger, brighter rival, she returns triumphant in a waved form, and as Tennant Spencer bids fair to revive all the triumphs of her youth. Thus does the Sweet Pea enjoy a power which poor humanity can only win, like Faust, at the cost of its soul. In the days of the old plain-standards there was much shifting of places among the purples, violets and maroons. Stanley, Shahzada and Othello had their little hour, only to give way finally to Black Knight, that maroon whose glossy sheen eventually gave it undisputed pride of place. Until the great Spencer break-up came, Black Knight seemed destined to enjoy a long career of supremacy, but with the advent of the giant waved standards it was seen that it was only a matter of time before a maroon Spencer should super- sede it. The maroon Spencer is here. It came first as Silas Cole, but that was unfixed. It followed as E. C. Mathews and Douglas Unwin. Prince of Asturias came between, and it is a good variety, of majestic size and rich colour, but it is not quite a self. There is a suspicion of chocolate in the standard, of violet in the wings. Many like it, and I do not seek to disparage a fine variety but merely to make it clear that it is not a maroon self. How far we are from having exhausted the list of beautiful Sweet Peas we realise when we reflect that we have given no consideration yet to the edged and " Fancy " varieties. In the old days these were the weakest section of all, but that is not the case now that the Sweet Pea is Spencerised, and comprises yellow as well as white grounds. Dainty was a charming Pea, and long held sway among the Picotee- edged varieties, but the -glorious Elsie Herbert, with its superior size and exquisite waving, came only to conquer. 92 A BOOK ABOUT SWEET PEAS. We had no old-type flower to anticipate in colour the bor- dered yellow ground, of which the first to be shown were Evelyn Hemus and Mrs. Rothera, afterwards called Sutton's Queen. The former had only a pencilling of pink round the edge, the latter had a broad but not denned border. Mrs. C. W. Breadmore came to vie with Evelyn Hemus; and Mrs. Henry Bell, Mrs. Routzahn (from America), Gladys Burt, Syeira Lee and Mrs. Hugh Dickson with Sutton's Queen. In the days of my first edition Mrs. Routzahn and Syeira Lee remain unfixed. Gladys Burt and Mrs. Hugh Dickson are true, and they display a richness of colour on the edge, com- bined with beauty of form and large size, that renders them amongst the most charming of all Sweet Peas. Too broad a belt of colour is not wanted in this class. If it extended nearly to the centre it would come close to Constance Oliver, which only falls short of self dom in showing a primrose heart. Among the old Bicolors were Apple Blossom, Beacon and Triumph. Many growers remember the pretty, free-blooming Apple Blossom, with its rosy standard and blush wings. It fives again in the American waved variety Apple Blossom ' Spencer, and in a richer coloured form in Mrs. Andrew Ireland — a Pea of noble proportions and weighty substance. Triumph also has its waved or Spencer form. Few of the old-type flowers had a more distinct form than Coccinea, the colour of which is cerise. Its shape was repeated in the ivory-hued May Perrett, with its brown calyx, and in the pearly pink Queen of Spain. The Coccinea Spencer is coming to the market at the time of publication. Chrissie Unwin and Cherry Ripe are near it in colour. An author who sees what is being done on the grounds of the principal raisers must needs write with reservations. In raising Sweet Peas, as in wireless telegraphy and aeroplanes, all is in a state of development. The leading variety of one year is all but forgotten the next. Thrills and sensations are provided at every show, just as they are at the end of each instalment of a serial story. The fact that people were talking of finality before the first waved flower appeared should warn us to avoid the most distant hint of it now. I hope that an ever-growing multitude of readers will make many editions of this book necessary, and that as many changes in the Appendix will tell of the development that is going on. There is but one prophecy that it is safe to make, and it is that the changes will be restricted to the flower. The fate of the Cupid and Bush Sweet Peas affords no encouragement to expect changes in the habit of the plant. COTTAGE GARDENS. [See Chapter XIII.] The roof with its weather-worn thatching, The chimney-pile, crumbled and rent, The eaves where young swallows are hatching, The gutter all tangled and bent, The porch with its smother of Woodbine, The wall with its time-mellowed stain, The byre with its mantle of Jasmine All come with the summer again. I see, in the dreams of the winter, When the biting wind howls through the street, And the rage of the storm tears to splinter The moonlight that pierces the sleet — I see by the path of the cottage The border aglow with its bloom, And the elder who creeps in his dotage Into sunshine from shade of the tomb. I see the wild tangle of Roses A-swing on the frame of the arch, I see the soft green that discloses The tenderest tint of the Larch. I see the red Paeonies blending Their ripeness with youth of the Phlox, While the heads of the white Pinks are bending To meet the caress of the Box. I see the tall Larkspur upflinging Its blue to the blue of the sky, I see the white Lily upspringing, And the Poppies blown in from the rye. I see the Sweet Pea tendrils twining, Like baby hands clutching at space, I see gay Geraniums shining, And the smile of the Pansy's bright face. Oh, cottage homes, humble and lowly, The heart in its weariness turns From the world, unillumed and unholy, To the hearths where your modest fire burns. The soul that the fierce city hardens, And binds with a steel-riven chain, Grows soft in the scent of your gardens. And bursts into freedom again. 93 CHAPTER XIII. OF THE SWEET PEA IN ENGLISH COTTAGE GARDENS. SWEET PEAS never seem to look happier than in the cottage garden. One might fancy that they had an innate sympathy for Hodge, and loved the intimate association of his Cabbages, his Onions, and his children. Hodge himself has a way with them which they cannot resist. Not for him are the new-fangled ideas of sowing the seeds in frames, and cultivating the plants in pots before planting them in the garden. " Peas is Peas," and the place for them from the outset is the open garden. He does not prepare composts, drain pots, nurse and coddle. He would just as soon think of wrapping Mary Ann, aged seven, up in a blanket, and carrying her to school on a wet day. Mary Ann has got to trudge it, and sit the morning through with her little fat toes damp, while she acquires valuable practical information to help her through life, such as the date of the Norman Conquest, and the whereabouts of the watershed of the Euphrates. And Mary Ann, who ought to fall an early victim to rheumatic fever, grows up healthy and rosy, while the Sweet Peas flourish. The fact is, Hodge is a gardener by instinct. Nearly everything that he handles grows, although it only gets the plainest of fare, because he has the knack of managing his soil properly. He knows when to work it, and when to keep away from it. He knows when it is right for sowing, and when it is not. He could not point out to you all the signs and tokens which guide him in his decisions, but he knows the right thing to do at the right time, and that goes a long way in gardening. One of the great charms of the cottage flower garden is its irresponsibility. When the cottager arranges his vegetable crops he works on some sort of plan. There is a place for every crop, and the rows are as straight as gun barrels. But he has rarely any order with his flowers. Somehow, they never look as if they had been put in, but only as if they had grown. Note the patch of ground between the gate and the IN ENGLISH COTTAGE GARDENS. 95 parlour window. It contains Asters, Stocks, Pansies, Pinks, Canterbury Bells and a standard Rose. The flowers chum together without a bit of formality. There has never been an exchange of cards. Every day is an At Home day with all of them. It would be thought hardly possible to get Sweet Peas in without smothering the other things, unless they were put in a straight row at the back, but Hodge manages it with a few clumps of sticks. The Peas drop in casually, are told to make themselves at home without any fuss, and straightway do so. Sometimes one sees a row of Sweet Peas in a cottage garden sown in mixture. Is it not always a healthy row, a gay row ? Do not the colours seem to blend naturally ? Whoever saw a more pleasing row of Sweet Peas than Hodge's own ? Taller plants, if you like, thicker stems, longer stalks, bigger flowers, but never a more delightful picture. The cottager is more at home with mixed than with named Sweet Peas. It is true that the names are not quite so for- midable as those of many Roses, particularly Roses of con- tinental origin. Hodge is not staggered with " Souvenir de Maria Zozayas " or " Kaiserin Augusta Victoria." Most Sweet Peas have originated in England. But even Mrs. Hardcastle Sykes takes a little handling for a man who was worried with a dozen useless subjects during his time at the village school, and thankfully escaped at thirteen with doubt- ful ability to write his own name. The cottager need never grow Sweet Peas under names unless he is cultivating them for show. He is right to con- sider his pocket, and save himself perplexity, by buying cheap mixed seed. But if he is an advanced man who makes a point of competing at the exhibitions he ought to know something about named varieties, because the schedule is likely to stipulate that there shall be six, twelve or more separate sorts sown. It is rarely compulsory to put name cards to the vases, but it is understood that judges (who are supposed to be capable of recognising every variety in exist- ence at a glance, but are rarely anything of the kind) like to see them, and are influenced in their decisions by seeing considerable diversity of colours. The village schoolmaster is often a good friend to the cottager in this matter of names. He will help with the labels when the seeds are sown, and with the cards when show days arrives — unless he happens to be secretary, in which case he will be in a highly worried and peppery state, owing to competitors breaking every regulation in the schedule. 96 A BOOK ABOUT SWEET PEAS. tent-contractors being late, judges missing their trains and the band wiring that it cannot come, because the conductor has contracted measles. In such extremity let the cottager think of his own Freddy, recently passed into the fifth standard, who will seat himself firmly on his prominent breeches patch, and with copious inking of fingers write out the names in a bold round hand, with no worse average than two spelling mistakes per card. When the cottager thus grows Sweet Peas under names for exhibition, it is perhaps best that he should put them in separate clumps beside the garden path. They will have plenty of room there, and be easy to get at from the time that they are sown until the great day comes. They will get many a bucket of water, many a pailful of liquid manure, which they might not receive if they were in a more distant part of the garden. A Cornish cottager crony of mine grows his prize Sweet Peas in a semi-circle round the midden. He lives in the same cottage that his grandfather had. The reader may have heard of Kenaz Rosewarne. He was a terrible fellow for a "wrastle." I have heard that Kenaz (whose portrait now adorns the wall just above the chimneypiece of the cottage) weighed eighteen stone," although only five feet six and a quarter inches high, and was so far round that when rivals appeared they took one good look at him, and then retired in despair of ever being able to span him. Michael Rosewarne • is proud of his famous grandsire, but prouder still of the Sweet Peas that grow so luxuriantly with their roots in the rich soil around the midden. As he put it : — " 'Tis well to be able to throw a man a clean fall, but I be not gifted that way. Happen I tried it I'd get thrawed myself, an' I rackon that any game where you gets the warst of it be a fule's game. When I was a young feller I went into no wrastling rings. I took one day off a year, and that was Helston Flora Day, when I danced the Furry dance with the young gells in and out o' the houses in Coinagehall Street and Meneage Street, and down by the Bowling Green in Helston town in May month." Michael, we see, was for Flora from his youth up. His Sweet Peas make a screen for the midden, and win him prizes at summer shows. If the average cottager has one failing with Sweet Peas it is to sow the seed too thickly. Michael Rosewarne is not guilty of that error. He puts his seeds just six inches apart, neither more nor less, and he sprinkles Hayle sand around . t ^^^^^r i 1 . i-*«ir ^ ^gg^V wh ■ -*TP^^pp^^^—- i^M* fHI f ■|k 1 ;,^ J j Fl 1 < 1 1. £*$&? <-• iiS^wl ra •W> ^"Pi ' ' 1 P<: ^S^ioR * i ■ ■ ■ T '/• Jb ■ ( i ■ ' wu I ^p» 4 m >4* ^ ii : t* 7 v£ . f SWEET PEAS GROWN IX FRONT OF A GARDEN SHED, showing how an inartistic object. may be screened. See Chapter VIE A TYPICAL POT OF SWEET PEAS, This charming object has come from one seed. See Chapter X. IN ENGLISH COTTAGE GARDENS. 97 them, because the gentleman who first encouraged him to grow Sweet Peas told him that Hayle sand was a sure pre- ventive of the attacks of mice and birds, and so he had proved it. Myself. — " Why not any other sand, Michael ? " Michael. — " Because Hayle sand's say-sand to start with, and full o' small shell besides. No mice will come nigh it, nor birds, no, nor yet slugs when the plants are through the ground if only you sprinkle a bit o' Hayle sand round them." Michael did not positively assert that other sea-sand would not serve the purpose equally as well as Hayle sand, provided it contained a good deal of fine shell ; but he had grave doubts about it. He collected a supply of Hayle sand once a year, when he paid a visit to a brother in the fishery at St. Ives ; and he told me how the fishermen made tea, which was to keep on adding fresh lots of tea leaves to the contents of the kettle (a teapot being regarded as a useless complication) without shaking the old ones out until the kettle got so full that a fresh start was absolutely necessary. A charged kettle had once been left unemptied when a mackerel boat was laid up for the season in Hayle river, and by great good fortune Michael was present when the boat was fetched out again, some months afterwards. Water was put on to the old leaves, the kettle was boiled, and a brew of " tay " was yielded the like of which Michael had never tasted before. The very thought of it, years afterwards, filled him with ecstacy. Michael Rosewarne had a recipe for trapping slugs which was far remote from tea. If he found traces of slugs about his garden he placed small heaps of brewers' grains here and there, because he had found that they presented an irresistible attraction for slugs, which trooped as eagerly to the spoil as the continental fleas, of which Thackeray wrote, to the succulent Briton. 10 CHAPTER XIV. OF THE SWEET PEA IN SCOTTISH GARDENS. Ower the border, ower and away, Eager and hot for the merry foray. v No cattle to steal, no foemen to smite Mid clatter and yell in the dead of the night. But a boxful o' flowers in the shade of a tent, And a wee drap together when show day is spent, Scotsman or Southron, whichever may fa', Crying : Hey for the Thistle, Rose, Shamrock and a'. THE reader is making, perhaps, for Abbotsford. He is fresh from the enchanting pages of Lockhart, and he wants to see the room where the Master, lighting his own fire and lamp early on winter mornings when all the household still slept, wrote his matchless romances and stirring verse. Shall I try to draw the reader away from such a pilgrimage ? No, no, for thither I too have gone with reverential steps. But afterwards ? If the objective is Edinburgh, why go through Galashiels, with its bare factories ? Why not follow the Tweed eastward, even at the cost of some extra miles. Here come Melrose, and St. Boswells and Dryburgh, with their hallowed stones. The charm of the Tweed grows with every seaward mile. Awheel with valise, or afoot with knap- sack, we ramble towards Berwick. Often the imperious road takes us high above the stream, and we see the water in flashes among green foliage and brown tree trunks. But in places it carries us down to narrow, grey, shambling bridges, over whose stained stones we lean and dream. Anon we come to Kelso, where Tweed and Teviot meet, and smile up with foamy expansiveness at a clean white town that once knew all the stormy riot of border war, but now pursues a peaceful career of Turnip-growing. Still the cunning river lures us on, losing little of its influence until we reach Coldstream. Now we turn northward, though Flodden Field lies a few miles to the south. We have allowed our- selves to linger for a few hours under the spell of the past, in spite of its atmosphere of intrigue, vioAen.ce, %x& bloodshed, 98 72V SCOTTISH GARDENS. 99 because of the overpowering personality of Scott. But Flodden has no charm with which to beguile us. We come back to the present. We draw in the fragrant breath of a peaceful countryside, we see the blossoms in the cottage gardens ; and we realise that within a few miles of us lies that fertile valley under the shadow of the Lammermuir Hills wherein Sweet Peas grow with a luxuriance and a beauty of blossom that no other part of Scotland and few parts of England can equal. The old town of Duns, once the county town of Berwick- shire, is the centre of Scotland's Sweet Pea garden. The little villages of Fogo to the South, and Edrom to the North, vie with the gardens of, Duns itself in producing gigantic and richly coloured Sweet Peas, as fresh, as healthy, as winsome, as the border maids. Visitors from the dry and burning south gaze in wonder at the marvellous Sweet Peas of Duns. The dull old town has grown bright and youthful again with the glory of its blossoms. Drowsing after its turbulent past, when the Armstrongs came from beyond the Cheviots with strong arms, sharp blades and no consciences worth mention- ing, sometimes to drub the men of Duns and sometimes to be drubbed by them — drowsing on the memory of old-time melees, it suddenly awakened to the discovery that it possessed a soil and climate in which Sweet Peas luxuriated, and to find that its florists could give the Sassenach as shrewd a thrashing with flowers as ever their ancestors had done with pikes. A few miles north-west from Coldstream brings us to Fogo. We make for the school, and in the Dominie's garden we find Sweet Peas of most amazing vigour — plants twelve feet high — plants with flower stems two feet long — plants covered with great flowers that have all the glowing freshness of a highland morning. We ejaculate another famous Dominie's favourite exclamation as we gaze. What size ! What colour ! Pro- dee-gi-ous ! We pass on to Nisbet, to Duns, to Edrom— still the same lofty stature, gigantic stems and gorgeous colouring. We ask ourselves if we ever saw Sweet Peas before. We revise our ideals, raise our standards. We draw forth our watch and lay the face upon one of the flowers, only to find that the flattened petals overlap its edges. Of course, we lead the happy growers into selected corners, and extract the secrets of their culture. We find that they sow their seeds in autumn, winter the young plants in cool houses (keeping them dry) and put them out in spring in soil that has been dug three feet deep and interlarded with rich too A BOOK ABOUT SWEET PEAS. manure. All this and much more we learn, but it is not always that we find, after we have sown, wintered, and planted in deepened, highly manured land in our own garden, that our plants are as the plants of Duns, and our flowers as the flowers on which we gaze with such astonishment and delight when we come up out of the South into bonnie Scotland. CHAPTER XV. OF THE SWEET PEA IN WALES AND THE WEST COUNTRY. In the broad moist western marches, where the ocean winds blow sweet, And the dead years echo faintly to the tramp of Cymric feet, Where the swift Atlantic surges send their salt-tinged breath to land, And the shadowy mists drip goodness with a large and far spread hand, There are gardens rich and fertile — gardens mellow with the scent Of the Sweetbrier and the Hawthorn, and the Violets born in Lent, Gardens golden, gay and gleaming when the Daffodils unclose, Gardens radiant, ripe and ruddy with the Paeony and Rose. There's the garden of the cottage, there's the garden of the mill, There's the garden of the coastguard, shining white upon the hill, There's the garden by the churchyard where the sombre Yew trees sleep, And the garden of the herdsman on the down among the sheep. There's the garden of the Welshman, there's the glebe of Somerset, There's the fair Devonian homestead, where the winsome maids are met — One and all of these bright gardens, by the heaving western seas, Get their crowning charm and perfume from the dancing, glad Sweet Peas. WOULD the Sweet Pea pilgrim see Sweet Peas in all the stature and majesty of their kinghood, let him go West. In those gardens that are watered by a rainfall which ranges from forty to a hundred inches per annum, and where the generous loam lies deep, the plants grow with a lustihood of vigour that rejoices the grower's heart. Every kind of plant is favoured by certain natural condi- tions. Where they exist the grower is like the happy cyclist who reels off the miles before a following wind and on a down- ward road ; when they are absent he is like the yachtsman who has to." ratch and ratch " in the face of an adverse breeze. A BOOK ABOUT SWEET PEAS. Consider the tall growth, the long stems, the ramifying shoots, the many leaves, of the Sweet Pea. Does it not possess a very considerable evaporating surface ? Must not its demands for moisture vastly exceed those of a small, fine- foliaged plant like a Carnation ? We note these things and we acknowledge their force. We find ourselves face to face with plain physiological facts, and, accepting them frankly, we make certain deductions. We say that a plant which so plainly calls for so much moisture may be suited by districts where there is a heavy rainfall. I have spent long, happy hours among the Sweet Peas of the Western gardens. It is good to see beautiful Sweet Peas anywhere, but it is best to see them at home, with the strong stems beneath them, and the green leaves as their setting. Beauty at the opera, with her snowy neck, her jewel-crowned hair, has something that suggests the distant, even the un- approachable. We admire from afar. We can see the laughing eyes, but not the love which lurks within their depths. Perhaps we feel a twinge of scepticism as to the reality of it all. We have heard of the secrets of the dressing room, and we fear that there may be something artificial at work. Beauty at home is real, and within our reach. It is companionable. When one sees Sweet Peas at home in the West Country one see them at their best. In a Cornish garden (" Trevarrick") that I know there is a glory of Rhododendrons and Camellias in spring, and of Sweet Peas in the summer. The Rhodo- dendrons are great trees, laden with huge trusses of crimson, rose, pink or white flowers. The Camellias spread into magnificent bushes, and are a mass of bloom in March and April. Seen in the soft light of a spring morning these glorious shrubs form a picture the recollection of which can never be effaced. But the Sweet Peas are as beautiful in their season. In the rich loamy soil and moist climate they grow eight to ten feet high, branch from the very base, flower early and low, and for many weeks bloom unweariedly. And there is a Devonian garden, a few miles south of Exeter, the memory of which comes to me. With her rich red soils, almost as bright as the famous Potato lands of Dunbar and North Lincolnshire, and her heavy rainfall, the fair county of Devon can grow Sweet Peas with the best when she makes the attempt. There should be wholesome rivalry between her and her neighbours Dorset and Somerset. With such rich pastures as these two counties possess there must be favourable conditions for Sweet Peas. The pleasant little Dorsetshire town of Blandford produces Sweet Peas of the IN WALES AND THE WEST COUNTRY. 103 finest exhibition quality. Mr. Thomas Hardy's Wessex rustics will add new charms to their pretty thatched home- steads when they have learned how suitable Sweet Peas are for cottage gardens. Wales has mighty growers of Sweet Peas. Let the reader who loves this beautiful flower, and at the same time admires magnificent scenery, make for the north-western marches. He is at Shrewsbury, perhaps ? Then let him make a circuit north and west. Some ten miles due north of Shrewsbury will bring him to Wem, a little whity-brown stone town which is a very Mecca for Sweet Pea pilgrims. Here are the gardens of that great flower wizard, Henry Eckford, under whose patient hands the flower first learned to spread its wings. Who that knew him can ever forget Eckford ? The stalwart figure, the noble, white-bearded face, the gentle voice, the tender hands, caressing alternately the lovely flowers which his genius had called into being and the grandchildren toddling at his knee — remain a green memory. When this poor Scottish lad came south he had but one asset in the world — a deep interest in the improvement of flowers. He did not know what he was going to make ex- periments upon, for he loved them all. While pursuing his daily work as a professional gardener he began cross-fertilising Verbenas, and quickly added many beautiful new varieties to those which existed already. But the Verbena had begun to decline in public favour, and the time came when there was no longer a demand for novelties. Reluctantly he had to give up work on his old favourite. He was crossing other flowers, but it was only under strong pressure from circumstances that he abandoned the Verbena. It was not long, however, before the Sweet Pea more than filled the vacant place. The early crosses yielded some charming new varieties, and the public speedily grew interested in them. Here there was double encouragement for the raiser. Henry Eckford pursued his labours with renewed ardour. He opened a new mine, and struck a lode of pure metal. Thenceforward to the end of his long lif e he produced an unceasing stream of exquisite new Sweet Peas. The appetite of the public grew on its dainty food. The Sweet Pea became a universal favourite. It found its way into every garden. From Wem the pilgrim will bear westward, although still moving to the north. He will pass through pretty Ellesmere, with its spacious lake, and enter Wales near Overton, where the winding Dee flows at the foot of lofty banks and murmurs placidly over a rocky bed. In nearly every village between 104 A BOOK ABOUT SWEET PEAS. here and Wrexham he will find Sweet Peas during the summer — Sweet Peas eight feet high and more, with long stems, with huge flowers, with colours so fresh and lustrous that one might almost suppose that a new race had come into being in this favoured climate. Why not such delightful flower pilgrimages as these ? Tourists rush heatedly from place to place, choking in trains, suffocating in towns, gazing with ill-concealed weariness at pictures, statues and brasses, fondly imagining that they are acquiring " culture " and " a wider knowledge of art," when they are only learning how to become insufferable bores and pedants. The flower-lover has the countryside, the gardens, the cottages, the old country inns, the woods, the meadows, the streams for his entertainment. From Wrexham he moves into Cheshire. My thoughts linger on a lovely garden a few miles from Chester (not far from the Shropshire border), where an amateur of means, taste and enthusiasm raises new Sweet Peas, and grows them magni- cently. They fill beds, they fringe walks, best of all they cover old walls, to which they are trained on sticks. Sweet Peas are not generally looked upon as wall plants, nor, indeed, are they climbers, although they throw out tendrils with which to support themselves ; but in this case they form a beautiful mantle for a lofty garden wall, reaching to a height of quite ten feet, and bearing splendid flowers on long stems. This system of culture reminds me to raise a protest against the accepted idea that Sweet Peas are only suitable for the open. I have myself grown them successfully on wooden trelhs-work, and a Hertfordshire gardener grew a beautiful lot on the netting enclosing a fruit plantation. Sweet Peas thrive in the Lake Country, of course. In that humid climate they are favoured by one of the most important factors in success — atmospheric moisture. Carnforth, which is on the threshold of the lake country, enjoys a reputation for its Sweet Peas as great as Banbury for its cakes. And Ulverston is a famous centre for our beautiful flower. CONSTANCE OLIVER. A lovely waved pink with primrose centre. See Chapter XII. 11 ^r^ ■ « ^ .^^fl V ■ ?%tfEk 4 ZERO. A fine early white. See Appendix. CHAPTER XVI. OF THE SWEET PEAS IN IRISH GARDENS. Fair Sovereign who robs of stern nature her frown ! Green fields are your throne and gay flowers are your crown, Your pastures are matchless, your gardens are famed For a richness that leaves other gardens ashamed. Seek wealth in the Tulip, Narcissus, Sweet Pea And no longer unfruitful your labours can be. When England is bare' mid the smoke of her mills, You will send her the flowers from your valleys and hills. Sweet island of flowers, once a land of unrest, No longer your peasants shall fly to the West. No longer in squalor your children shall lie, No longer in hovels your elders shall die. Fertility's hand shall be laid on your soil, Prosperity's blessing shall guerdon your toil ; For the land is your people's, and Nature has given To freshen your crops the moist largesse of heaven. IN a mid-September day I enter a hall in the heart of London to see a show of Roses. Where do the principal prizes go ? To Ireland ! Those magnificent stands, full of flowers of huge size, splendid substance and rich colour, have come from the Green Isle. The flowers of the English growers who fight out the principal competitions in July are as the products of suburban amateurs by comparison with the wonderful Irish blooms two months later. We do not have great Sweet Pea shows in September, not because it is impossible to get good flowers then, but because the trade growers have allowed their plants to ripen in order to be able to supply amateurs with seed for the following year. If we did have late Sweet Pea exhibitions — if this problem of seed (which does not affect Rose growers) were non-existent — who can doubt that Ireland would distinguish herself as greatly with Sweet Peas as she does with Roses ? Not, assuredly, he who has seen the Irish flower gardens in the full richness of their September splendour. The mild climate, the abundant rainfall, give the gardens a wonderful glow and freshness. Under a kindly September sun they burst into a great crash of beauty. 105 11 io6 A BOOK ABOUT SWEET PEAS. Sweet Pea culture is spreading in Ireland. We must not expect to find so many amateurs there as in England — remember that the population of Ireland is only about one- tenth that of the " predominant partner " — and when we glance through the A's in the members' list of the National Sweet Pea Society, we are not surprised to find that there are fewer members in all Ireland than there are in Surrey alone. But if the increase is not rapid it exists, especially near the principal towns. Sweet Pea growers multiply apace around Dublin, around Belfast, around Cork. These great cities are famous for the beauty of their gardens, and the Sweet Pea helps to give them that beauty. It will spread faster still when the work of the Depart- ment of Agriculture and Technical Instruction, has developed. When Pat has a decent cottage and a bit of ground, and has listened to illustrated lectures on gardening, he will want to have flowers around him ; he will no longer be satisfied with a bare and filthy yard. In the years to be he will be England's market gardener. He will send her fruit, vegetables and flowers. He will add to her food supply over narrow seas that an enemy's cruisers cannot menace. He has a huge market at his gates. With his fertile soil and favourable climate he can extend the area of his nurseries and seed grounds with the confidence that there is a profitable trade awaiting him. Meanwhile, there is a band of Sweet Pea amateurs spread over Ireland. We find them in County Kildare (particularly at Naas), in County Meath, in Queen's County, in County Armagh, in County Louth, in County Carlow, in Limerick, in County Westmeath, in County Wexford, in County Antrim, in County Down, in Kilkenny, in County Dublin, in County Wicklow, and in County Tyrone. It is not a large band, but it is a keen one, and its influence will spread rapidly as the years pass on. CHAPTER XVII. OF THE SWEET PEA IN THE BRITISH COLONIES. Here's a cheer for the flower, and a cheer for the flag (There are red, white and blue in the seedsman's dull bag). Where the Peas climb the sticks and the Jack mounts the pole It's England and home — we are one heart and soul. Beyond the snows of the north and the warm southern seas The folds of our ensign flow out on the breeze ; And the scent of our flowers in the wilds of the earth Brings back to the exile the sweet land of his birth. TV/T EMORY plays us strange tricks at times. We have 1V1 g t to the halfway stage of life, perhaps, and we see things through a haze. There is a certain old village in far- away England — a village that once we knew. We like to think of it now and then, and to wonder if it is still the same, while we grow our tea in Ceylon, shear our sheep in New Zea- land, prune our Apple trees in Columbia, sow our wheat in Canada, cord our wool in Australia, or mine our gold in South Africa. In the early years of our Colonial lif e that village in the old country stood out sharp and clear, as St. Ives stands out from its Cornish seas at dead of winter, every detail distinguishable. There was the square tower of the church, looming in grey solidity among the beeches ; the brown roof of the Rectory, with its ivy-clad gables ; the great tithe barn, with its lichen- stained walls ; the forge with its tumbled roof ; the school that emitted a dull droning, as of some monstrous hive, in the morning hours, and at noon suddenly emitted a whooping horde of children ; the house near the pond, with the Cedars beside it, where she who caused such turmoil in our youthful breast lived with a gang of awkward, lumber- ing brothers. A year or two ago we remembered it all. But time has passed, and the haze has grown up. We remember that something was cleared away near the village green, and we are not quite sure whether it was the tithe barn or the stocks.. Were the Cedars really Cedars, or were they Wellingtonias ? She married, we have heard, or was it her sister — the sister with whom we squabbled perpetually ? 108 A BOOK ABOUT SWEET PEAS. We are loth to let the old village go, but bit by bit it is slipping away. We cling to it, but unavailingly. There are moments when we look back to it with a sudden, unex- plainable yearning ; can it really be that once when we looked into the millstream there we saw a fresh young face with a tangle of brown hair ? The haze grew thicker year by year, as our hair grew greyer and thinner, but one day it disappeared, and we saw the village again just as it was on the day that we left it. The mist of the years went out, as the mist sometimes goes off the sea, quite suddenly. A new chum had sent us a bunch of Sweet Peas, and the scent of them— the same scent as that which always hung around the garden of the Cedars (we remember quite well that they were cedars now) during summer — had achieved this miracle. Old village ! old flowers ! If a lump tries to grow up in our throats that we insistently choke down it only means that we still love you. We love you, and we will not let the memory of you pass away. We will keep it green with some of the old flowers from England, the fragrance of which shall bring back the happy days of youth, and keep our outlook on life fresh, cheerful and hopeful. We had not realised how arid our hearts were growing amid the unwholesome dust-shower of our rush for wealth until those Sweet Peas came. We had not noticed how often pessimistic reflections and cynical criticisms escaped our lips. We had not remarked how rapidly the pile was wearing off the world's carpet, and how threadbare the latter was becoming. But we had noticed that the years were passing, and that as each slipped away our interest in life lessened. To the writer in England there come many letters from overseas which tell of the craving of Colonials for sweet English flowers. And not a few of the correspondents — dear, trustful souls — send sums of money to a person of whom they know nothing except through his books, to be transmitted to some approved florist or seedsman for the purchase of flowers. They make anxious inquiries about transit, fearing injury to the seeds from bilge-water and change' of climate. There is no need for apprehension. Every seedsman of standing knows how to pack seed for export. He has his damp-proof paper and his air-tight boxes. Even if the wicked stevedore were to throw every box of seeds into the deepest depths of the hold (which he does not do, of course) the seeds would be safe. The stowaway could sit upon the box in tender melan- choly, while he chewed his lump of hemp and, drawing a IN THE BRITISH COLONIES. 109 narrow subsistence from this unappetising fare, weep for his mother. Many Colonials send letters about Sweet Peas, and some send unmounted photographic prints of their flowers. Here is a budget from New Zealand, which contains a garden scene. How mindful of home ! There are tall columns of bloom, towering over stalwart figures, and there' are smiling British faces, from which beams a wholly pardonable pride in the flowers beside them. The scene might almost as well be Addlestone as Taranaki. The New Zealander who comes home tells us that the Islands will grow everything, and so, of course, they will grow Sweet Peas. The soil is fertile, the climate is equable, and there is adequate but not excessive moisture. In so favoured a climate it would be strange indeed if so free-growing and adaptable a plant as the Sweet Pea did not thrive. Macaulay himself did not know it, but the principal question in the mind of the New Zealander standing amid the ruins of London will be whether the aeroplane service to the Essex flower seed grounds is suspended or not. He has come over for the latest Sweet Pea novelties, and — for your New Zealander is nothing if not pertinacious — he means to get them. Australia is taking to Sweet Peas. While her statesmen build up navies for the defence of the Commonwealth in the stormy years that are supposed to be ahead (but which will be years of peace instead when the nations have become civilised by the love of flowers), while her great towns breed cricketers capable of whipping the Old Country, her rural folk cultivate the all-popular flower. Perhaps her climate, so favourable to good wickets and fast scoring, is a little too dry in the main to suit Sweet Peas perfectly ; but amateurs are not to be baffled altogether, even by so potent a factor as climate. This morning's post brings a letter from Camperdown, Victoria, which tells me of spreading interest there. In England it is odd to read a paragraph like this : " The seeds were sown in pots in March and the seedlings transplanted at the end of May. They do not make much growth through the winter, but they flower in November. We have about eight weeks of bloom provided that the sun does not get too fierce, and they seed very freely." Of course, our summer is the Australian winter. South Africa has sent us many beautiful bulbs, and we have sent her the Sweet Pea in exchange. In her fertile soils, no A BOOK ABOUT SWEET PEAS. and under her sunny skies, it flourishes amazingly. It is spreading fast into the most distant corners of the united colonies, and the future fights of Briton and Boer will be in the show tent. " East is East and West is West," but the twain have one common interest, and that is in their love for Sweet Peas. There, if there only, they can meet. India loves the flower, and is eager to get all the best varieties from the seedsman. Canada wonders if she has time, amid the rush of her develop- ment, to grow Sweet Peas, and, wondering, succumbs to its charms. Sweet Peas are grown in all parts of Nova Scotia. The climate is suitable, as there is abundance of sunshine, yet it is never excessively hot in the daytime and the nights are cool. Halifax is the principal centre of culture, as there is a magnificent public garden in that favoured town. Almost everybody who has a garden in Nova Scotia grows Sweet Peas. Letters about Sweet Peas come from British Columbia, from Newfoundland, from Jamaica, from the Bermudas, from Burmah, from the Gold Coast, from New Guinea, from St. Helena — wherever British people settle gardens come into being, and wherever gardens rise Sweet Peas grow. CHAPTER XVIII. OF THE SWEET PEA IN THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA. It's a far, far cry to San Francisco From London town where the Plane trees grow ; And if you go by Magellan's Strait It's a weary steam to the Golden Gate. But the land that once flung gold in showers To-day is a glorious land of flowers, And no thought lives of the angry seas 'Mid the league-long lines of the gay Sweet Peas. THE British globe trotter who has visited Japan and Australia will often make his way homeward by Cali- fornia. From the land of the Golden Fleece to the Golden Gate ! That town of glamour, San Francisco, attracts him irresistibly. Tales of the old gold-digging days haunt him. There is the fascination of the gigantic, the bizarre, the cos- mopolitan, about 'Frisco. It is a town of stupendous things. Destroyed one year, it is rebuilt the next at a cost of £40,000,000. Of course he visits it. And then, perhaps, he hears about the flower farms, goes to see them, and makes a discovery. The California of the gold-digger he knew of, the California of the fruit-grower he knew of, but these vast spaces of Sweet Peas — miles upon miles of vivid colour, endless acres of brilliant bloom, filling the air with fragrance — these he had not known of. California is becoming the world's great Sweet Pea garden. England, as well as America, draws from her. When the Sweet Pea lover goes into Essex, Cambridgeshire and Norfolk, and sees the large Sweet Pea farms, he will tell himself that here, surely, are being grown seeds enough to supply the whole country. Of a limited number of special varieties — perhaps novelties, perhaps sorts which loom largely on the show boards — yes ; of the rank and file of sorts which are grown in every garden up and down the countryside — no. These cheap, popular things, often sold in fifty-seed packets for a penny or two, have to be grown by the ton in a climate where free-seeding can be' relied upon, and in places where A BOOK ABOUT SWEET PEAS. cheap labour is available. California has these conditions, England has not. These great, plump seeds of Sadie Burpee, of Navy Blue, of Miss Willmott, of Phenomenal, which gratify you so much, my amateur friend, by their size and freshness (you can actually see the huge, rollicking plants and bushels of flowers which they will produce in your mind's eye) — those seeds were not grown in Essex", Cambridgeshire,'- 1 or Norfolk : they were grown in California. It would not pay a British trader to grow these popular " lines " himself, even if he could rely upon a hot, dry summer for his harvest ; which he cannot do, by any means. Taking bad seasons with good into consideration, he can buy them cheaper than he can grow them ; and so, like the practical, , hard-headed man that he is, he* turns his attention to special sorts, of which less seed is wanted, and of which the price is higher. The Calif ornian seed grower has had two blessings bestowed upon him by a beneficent Providence : the first a summer that is always hot and dry; the second — John Chinaman, The sun ripens the seed, and John gathers it. He places no exorbitant value upon himself. He works hard and long for a low wage. The two assets put the English, seed grower at a disadvantage. Even if he tried to get on level terms by importing John he could not import the sun with him. Californian seed is nearly always good for the variety. It is as large as seed of the particular sort can be expected to be. It is thoroughly ripe. It germinates well. You may take six seeds out of a packet and find that they fall almost to powder under a sharp hammer stroke, but the remaining^ seeds speedily prove their vitality when sown. British growers do not complain of the quality of Californian seed, but they do sometimes grumble at the want of truth of Californian stocks. There is no trouble with the old varieties; which are quite fixed, but with the newer sorts that ought to be fixed there is often cause for lamentation. The Cali- fornian seed grower tells you that he has pulled out all the rogues which appeared in them. What has happened is that he has told John Chinaman to pull them out, and John has not done it. He has perhaps pulled off a part of the rogue, with the first flowers, and left the remainder. As the plants are mostly grown unsupported, it is easier to leave a portion of the plant than when the crop is on sticks or wire. Sometimes it is not the rogue which is pulled out, but an entirely inoffensive plant next to it. The rogue then goes ZARINA. A charming salmon pink. See Appendix. 1 fm ^B 1 \ i I I^HtilB^^^^^^^^^^P -4 1 H 1 1 k ^^1 AZURE FAIRY. French grey and pale blue. See Appendix. IN THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA. 113 to seed and befouls the stock. We applaud John for the splendid seed he sends us, but we shake a warning finger at him for this careless rogueing. Let him look to it. Let him mend his ways. If it costs a little more to produce seed when the plants are supported we will pay it cheerfully, so long as we can be sure of getting true stocks. California grows nearly 1,000 acres of Sweet Peas for seed. Think of it, 1,000 acres of Sweet Peas ! What a wonderful colour effect must be produced ! What vivid armies of scarlet, what tender breadths of cream and rose, what brilliant clouds of blue, what snowdrifts of white ! Fields of Sweet Peas stretching away to the horizon, with the orange and salmon and apricot of Helen Lewis, Henry Eckford and Mrs. Henry Bell blending with the beautiful shades of sunset ! As the sea takes its tint from the clouds above, so we might fancy the waves of Lady Grizel Hamilton, Lord Nelson and Flora Norton glistening with a new brilliance under the rich colour of the Western skies. America has taken many beautiful Sweet Peas from England but she has given some splendid varieties in return. Let us tabulate a few of her gifts to us : — Admiration. Janet Scott. America. King Edward Spencer. Apple Blossom Spencer. Lottie Hutchins. Asta Ohn. Modesty. Aurora Spencer. Mrs. G. Higginson, Junior. Blanche Ferry. Mrs. Routzahn. Cupid. Navy Blue. Dainty Othello Spencer. Earliest Sunbeams. Phenomenal. Flora Norton Spencer. Senator Spencer. Gorgeous. Stella Morse. Helen Pierce. Tennant Spencer. These two dozen new and old Sweet Peas comprise some magnificent sorts. America, Apple Blossom Spencer, Asta Ohn, Aurora Spencer, Dainty, Gorgeous, Helen Pierce, King Edward Spencer, Navy Blue and Tennant Spencer all made a most favourable impression on British growers when they first came over. Note among the twenty-four, too, the little Cupid, the old early Blanche Ferry, and the once popular pink Janet Scott. American and British raisers have more than once produced the same variety at almost the same time. Thus, Burpee of Philadelphia, and House of Westbury-on-Trym, near Bristol, got a rich, bright, deep blue out of Navy Blue at 12 114 A BOOK ABOUT SWEET PEAS. practically the same time. The American raiser called his Brilliant Blue, the English specialist gave his the mighty name of Lord Nelson ; the two proved to be identical. Then followed one of the most magnanimous acts ever performed in connection with a popular flower. Although Burpee had introduced the parent, Navy Blue, and might be said to have an inherited right in its offspring, he readily conceded to the English raiser the priority. But indeed, the American raisers have ever shown a generous spirit with regard to the question of priority in names, readily bowing to the decisions of the British National Sweet Pea Society. This has prevented what must otherwise have become a most troublesome state of confusion. » Although Sweet Pea improvement on a systematic scale began in England before it commenced in America, the first wave of popular enthusiasm for the flower started in the United States ; and the early Eckford novelties sold much more largely in America than they did in the land of their birth. The American amateur enthusiast and writer, the Rev. W. T. Hutchins, the great seedsmen Burpee, Farquhar, Henderson, Morse, and Vaughan, have stamped their names indelibly on Sweet Pea history in America. All of these exercised influence on the progress of the Sweet Pea. The majority of the best novelties bear the familiar names of Burpee and Morse. About the time of the British Bi-centenary celebration in 1900 American development sustained a setback, owing to trouble from a fungus, but the cloud passed, and progress was resumed. America, led, too, with winter-blooming varieties. These are a very popular class with her, and a source of profit to her growers. She sent us the Bush and Cupid sections, but British growers hardly find that they have a use for them. The Cupids are charming when full of bloom, but they are so prone to cast their buds that it is exceptional to see them well flowered in England. We do not always like the " tall " things of America best, but in the case of her Sweet Peas we do. Let her live up to her highest reputation for the gigantic in raising Sweet Peas. Expansive ideas will never prove too grandiose when they find expression in new and improved forms of this beautiful flower. CHAPTER XIX. OF WOMAN'S INFLUENCE ON THE SWEET PEA. We need her for her patience, we need her for her taste, We need her for her hope when we are down, We need her in the weary search for seeds that we've misplaced, And we need her at the show when judges frown. We need her in the dairy, we need her in the ward, We need her at the play and at the ball, We need her when a fretful babe has struck a midnight chord. But we need her in the garden most of all ! We need her for our Daffodils, because she always thinks Of planting ways that discord never mars. We need her for our Roses, we need her for our Pinks, Because her colour-blending never jars. We need her for Chrysanthemums, which, in the autumn hours, Revive our drooping spirits when they fall. In fact we really need her for all our favourite flowers, And we need her for the Sweet Peas most of all ! WHEN a political question is being fought out those who read the arguments of the contending parties might readily believe, if they did not know better, that every mem- ber of the community is absorbed in that particular matter. The real truth generally is that the nation as a whole takes very little interest in it, and merely allows itself to be diverted by such humour as there' may happen to be in the fray. Shall I be accused of inaccuracy if I say that the majority of women are more interested in Sweet Peas than in the Suffrage ? Pray, ladies of the Union, do not conclude from this that it is necessary to send a deputation to me to convince me of the justice of your cause. That would be entirely supererogatory. Besides, it would be bad for the deputa- tion. Having speedily convinced it, by irrefragable evidence, that I was in no need of salvation, I should lead it into my Sweet Pea garden, and, politically speaking, its doom would be sealed. There would be a simultaneous outbreak of rapturous exclamations, an excited snatching forth of note- books, and the deputation would be a deputation no more. It would have resolved into its components, each of whom would be scribbling down the names of the varieties and clamouring eagerly for hints on cultivation. And next morning, when the heads of the Union sat grimly awaiting J'5 n6 A BOOK ABOUT SWEET PEAS. its report, the deputation would be scattered all over the country at Sweet Pea shows. Woman has already made her mark on Sweet Peas, just as she has on books. You, unhappy novelist, whose MS. has been returned by a dozen publishers in succession, may fume and fret, but why kick against the pricks ? Are those publishers not advised by professional " readers ? " And are not those professional " readers " aware that more than ninety per cent, of the people who read novels are women ? Go to, my dear lad, you have not written what she wants ; you have written what you want. Try again. Raisers of Sweet Peas who want to make money are in somewhat the same position as novelists. They have to produce what the public wants, and the Sweet Pea public, like the novel-buying public, is largely composed of women. The father, the husband or the brother may actually write the cheque which accompanies the order, but the hand that guides the pen is that of the daughter, the wife, or the sister. It is not the influence of the men who win the great prizes at exhibitions which dominates Sweet Peas, but the influence of quiet, unobtrusive women who never take a Sweet Pea farther away from their gardens than their drawing-rooms. Ask a market grower what Sweet Peas are most in demand, and he will give you the names of a few sorts, the colours of which you will find to be pink, scarlet, or white. Ask the seedsman what varieties he sells most of, and he will name varieties among which pink, scarlet, and white predominate. Are prizes won through the marked effect of the pink, scarlet or white varieties in the stand ? No ! Judges make their awards on the size, substance and freshness of the flowers. It follows, therefore, that it is not the influence of the exhibitor which makes pink, scarlet, and white sell in such predominating quantities. The reason why they are in such demand is that they show up well under artificial light, and are therefore particularly good for room decoration. Now, as it is woman who chooses the material for beautifying the home, the point is triumphantly established that the influence of woman dominates the Sweet Pea world. Nothing, indeed, could be more convincing. Exhibitors may protest, but they are overwhelmed by un- alterable facts. The cold logic of the market garden and seed shop reduces them to a subordinate position, and exalts their daughters, wives and sisters. When I dip back into the past I find no small amount of WOMAN'S INFLUENCE ON THE SWEET PEA. 117 evidence in favour of my next contention, which is that the Sweet Pea owes the extraordinary popularity which it enjoys now far more to woman's influence than to man's. When the late Henry Eckford began to produce , his novelties, exhibitors took very little notice of them. Committees of horticultural societies looked at them, said " rather nice," and passed on to something else. Little enough of encour- agement did the grand old florist receive from them. But wherever he showed his flowers there was a cluster of admiring women eager to scribble down names, and to prod their husbands and their gardeners into some show of interest in the new flower. Have you ever noticed how feminine names, or names embodying feminine qualities, predominate among the older Sweet Peas ? Recall Lady Grizel Hamilton, Countess of Radnor, Duchess of Sutherland, Princess Beatrice (long the most popular of all market varieties), Sadie Burpee, Blanche Burpee, Dorothy Eckford, Mrs. Walter Wright, Lovely, Modesty, Queen Victoria and Queen Alexandra. It was not alone the innate courtliness of his nature that made Eckford give his Sweet Peas feminine names, it was in part the encouragement that he received from women which influenced him. And the tendency continued when the waved type of flower came into existence : Countess Spencer, Gladys Unwin, Mrs. Hardcastle Sykes, Etta Dyke, Clara Curtis, Elsie Herbert, Evelyn Hemus, Audrey Crier, Nora Unwin and Nancy Perkin continued the tale of beautiful Sweet Peas with feminine names. There is so much of arduous physical work connected with growing Sweet Peas for exhibition — so much trenching, wheeling of manure, staking and other laborious tasks — that we cannot look for woman to hold her own with men except in one department — that of decoration. Here it is taste that scores, not muscle, and here consequently, we find her supreme. The classes for decorated dinner tables and epergnes which form so charming a feature of Sweet Pea shows give woman her chance, and nobly she avails herself of it. (Let it be whispered that she also eagerly seizes on any chance of admonishing a judge who has only placed her second or third. But if it comes to that, is hers the only sex which considers the first prize a special prerogative ?) Sweet Peas are only grown to be gathered. Abstain from gathering them and the plants run to seed, and so lose their beauty. It sounds paradoxical, but it is only by taking the flowers off a Sweet Pea that we can make a good garden n8 A BOOK ABOUT SWEET PEAS. plant of it. By gathering Sweet Peas regularly woman showed that it could be made a good garden plant. Man did not make this discovery, he never would have done. Except when he was young and in love, and wanted a few flowers for his inamorata, he would never take the trouble to gather Sweet Peas — unless, indeed, he saw a way of making something out of them at a show, and in the early days of Sweet Pea development it was not a show flower. He would not spend an hour in gathering Sweet Peas, and another in arranging the flowers in his rooms. He would say that his time was too valuable for such trivialities. (Of course, he would spend any length of time in cutting up tobacco for rolling cigarettes.) Woman, therefore, at one and the same time proved the beauty of the Sweet Pea for room decoration, and its value as a garden plant. In a word, she made it. When she had done it man came along, formed a society, organised exhibitions, got his name inscribed on challenge trophies, and by these and other means usurped the leading position. There is no flower so peculiarly a woman's as the Sweet Pea. Given a little help (such as any sturdy labourer will provide) in trenching and manuring the ground and in sharpen- ing and forcing in the sticks, she can perform every cultural detail with ease. The sowing of the seed, whether in pots or in the open ground ; the setting out of the plants if they have been raised under glass, the blending of colours, the tying, the stopping, the training— all these are light and agreeable tasks. The plant is not coarse, rough and spiny ; it is soft, clinging, delicate and smooth. It is gentle, pure and sweet. In short, it possesses all the attributes that give woman herself her charm and influence. We look to woman for many useful services with the Sweet Pea — for the suppression of monstrosities in shape and atrocities in colour, for lessons in the tasteful use of the flower, for persistent evidence of its value in the home. She has i taught us already that it is the best of all garden flowers for filling vases, for decorating the dinner-table, and for imparting cheerfulness and grace to the drawing-room. In some directions her influence is active, in others passive, but it is always an influence for good. We cannot do without it among Sweet Peas, and we are not going to try. We know that we can have it for the asking. Woman will no more be. satisfied with a garden that contains no Sweet Peas than with a novel which lacks love. You see, she knows what raally counts in this world. CHAPTER XX. THE SWEET PEA GROWER'S A.B.C. A BIOGRAPHY, GUIDE AND SUMMARY. To the Artist his Art, to the workman his wages, To the gardener the flowers that are named in my pages. I tell you the tale of the flower and the man, Be blind to its faults as the chapters you scan. Just think of the blossoms — the old and the new— And think of the florist who carried them through ; The factors and facts, after all, make the story, Put writers aside, and give workers the glory. IN a series of paragraphs, placed in alphabetical order, I give brief particulars of the men who have been mainly instrumental in developing the Sweet Pea, and a summary of the cultural and descriptive information which this work contains. Aldersey, Hugh, of Aldersey Hall, Chester. Head of an old Cheshire county family. Having a great love of flowers he developed the garden at Aldersey Hall in a remark- able way, making it one of the most beautiful in the west of England. Giving special study to Sweet Peas he made many crosses, and raised the varieties Syeira Lee, Ruby, Scotch Pearl, Tortoiseshell, Topaz, Amethyst and Helen Grosvenor amongst others. All the varieties raised by him are dis- tinguished by the breadth and substance of the standard. America, United States of. — There is close communion between the United States and Great Britain in respect to Sweet Peas. Both of the great English-speaking nations are lovers of the flower. America has produced many beauti- ful varieties, notably Asta Ohn, True Lavender, America, Aurora, Helen Pierce, Dainty, Flora Norton Spencer, Tennant Spencer, King Edward Spencer and Aurora Spencer. She gave us the bush and Cupid sections. ' In the dry and sunny climate of California Sweet Peas are grown for seed on an immense scale. The seed produced there is of the finest quality, and well adapted for British gardens. Probably izo A BOOK ABOUT SWEET PEAS. California is destined to become the principal source of the world's supply of Sweet Pea seed, which must necessarily attain to gigantic proportions in the near future. See Chapter XVIII., also a paper on Sweet Pea growing in America by Mr. S. B. Dicks, in the National Sweet Pea Society's Annual for 1909. ' Annual. — The National Sweet Pea Society's Annual is a publication of great interest and value to lovers of Sweet Peas, and, being published at a low price, comes within the means of every grower. Each issue contains articles by experts, the latest information as to novelties, a classification of the best varieties in their colours, and a list of Too-much- alike varieties. Annuals. — The Sweet Pea (Lathyrus odoratus) is classed with the flowers known as hardy annuals, which grow from seed, flower and ripen their next crop of seed in the course of a year. No one will quarrel with the assertion that the Sweet Pea is the most beautiful, valuable and important of all the hardy annuals. As a class, the hardy annuals are parti- cularly valuable to flower lovers of limited means, as the seed is cheap and the culture inexpensive. Arkwright, Rev. Edwyn.— Of T61emly, Algiers, developed a class of winter flowering Sweet Peas, known as the Telemly strain. The flowers are small, and the range of colours is not great, but the plants are useful to those who want winter bloom. For further particulars see Chapter X. Artificial Manures. — The chemical or artificial manures are capable of doing good service to the Sweet Pea grower. They may be used as supplementary to natural manure, or as a substitute for it. Probably the most vigorous growth is got from the use of yard manure, but artificials are particularly valuable for seed production. Basic slag.(yielding phosphoric acid) and kainit (yielding potash) may be used in autumn at the rate of ten pounds and four pounds per rod respectively, where there has been trouble from eelworm, white-worm and root-rot. Superphosphate of lime (yielding phosphoric acid) and sulphate of potash (yielding potash) may be used at the rate of four and three pounds per rod respectively in early spring. If the plants are being grown for seed those fertilisers may be supplemented with half-a-pound of sulphate of iron. Nitrate of soda (yielding nitrogen) may be scratched lightly into the soil along the rows in May at the rate of an ounce per yard if the plants are not growing vigorously, but it must not be placed in contact with the A VASE OF SWEET PEAS. A charming ornament for a table. 13 A BOWL OF SWEET PEAS. See Rooms. Chapter XX. THE SWEET PEA GROWER'S A. B.C. 121 plants. Superphosphate, phosphate of potash and nitrate of potash may all be used to form liquid manure. One ounce per gallon of water will be of sufficient strength. For fuller particulars of the use of artificial manures see Chapters V. and XI. Audit. — An audit of the varieties of Sweet Peas exhibited at the principal show is generally one of the most interesting features of the National Sweet Pea Society's Annual. It shows the relative positions of the Varieties, and is therefore a useful guide to exhibitors. Bakers. — A firm of florists and seedsmen at Wolver- hampton, large growers of Sweet Peas, and introducers of the varieties Mrs. C. Mander, Mrs. Charles Foster, Bakers' Scarlet, Earl of Plymouth, Mrs. R. M. Shelton, Mrs. T. G. Baker and others. Bath, R. H., Ltd. — Large florists and seedsmen at Wisbech, Cambridgeshire, who specialise Sweet Peas, and have been particularly identified with the introduction of many of the best American varieties. They have extensive trials of Sweet Peas every year. Raisers of Azure Fairy, Perdita, Distinction, and other varieties. Bathurst, R. — Of Chudleigh, Devonshire. An amateur grower of Sweet Peas, who raised Devonshire Cream, Finetta Bathurst and other varieties. Bell & Bieberstedt. — Seedsmen at Leith, Scotland. Introducers of Mrs. Bieberstedt. Bicentenary. — The Bicentenary of the introduction of the Sweet Pea into Great Britain was celebrated by a great show at the Crystal Palace in 1900. Sweet Pea lovers attended from all parts of the world, and a magnificent display of flowers rewarded them. A report of the proceedings was published by the Committee of the Celebration, which subse- quently developed into the National Sweet Pea Society. Biflen, R. H.— Of Cambridge University. An amateur grower and raiser of Sweet Peas on Mendelian lines. Raised Zephyr, and other varieties. Birds.— Often troublesome to Sweet Pea growers, either by eating the seed or pecking off the buds. For methods of prevention see Chapter XL Bolton, Robert.— A trade grower at Warton, Carnforth, and introducer of some of the most beautiful varieties, notably Mrs. Hardcastle Sykes, Mrs. Henry Bell, Kitty Clive, George 13 A BOOK ABOUT SWEET PEAS. Baxter, Mrs. Watson, Triumph Spencer, Charles Foster and Clara Curtis. Bowls.— See " Rooms." Breadmore, C. W. — A trade grower at Winchester, Hampshire, who was one of the first to distinguish himself as an exhibitor. Introducer of many famous varieties, notably Prince of Asturias, Dazzler, Princess Juliana, Mrs. C. W. Breadmore, Elsie Herbert, Kathleen Macgowan, Snow- flake, Audrey Crier, Marjory Linzee, King Alfonso, Helen Lewis, Countess of Northbrook, Etta Dyke and George Herbert. Bridgeford, J. M. — Of Cricklewood, London. Served on the Floral Committee of the National Sweet Pea Society. An expert trade grower. Buds. — The buds of Sweet Peas are an interesting study, particularly to the cross-fertiliser, because the sexual organs are mature in the bud. This being so it is important to make any crosses before the flower opens naturally. Bees some- times pierce the flowers, and they have a way of depressing the keel and exposing the pollen, which they carry off, but in spite of this cross-fertilisation is rare, as the flowers are self-fertilised before outside agencies can come into play. The subject is discussed fully in Chapter III. Growers sometimes complain about the buds dropping off, but as a rule this trouble only occurs with the early buds. Extremes of drought and wet, or a dose of very strong liquid manure, may cause it. The Cupids are very prone to casting their buds under any conditions of culture, and this has had much to do with their fall into disfavour. Bunting, G. A. & Co. — Seed growers and merchants at Bucknall Street, London, W.C. Introducers of Mrs. Walter Carter. Burpee, W. Atlee, & Co.--Seedsmen in a very large way of business at Philadelphia, U.S.A., doing an enormous, trade in Sweet Peas. They have been the chief means of many varieties being introduced to Great Britain ; indeed, most of those named under " America " come through this great firm, also Primrose Spencer, White Spencer, Brilliant Blue (Lord Nelson), Mrs. Routzahn and Queen Victoria Spencer. They have done much to popularise the best British novelties in the United States. Bush. — The Bush Sweet Peas are a section growing about two feet high, which originated in America. They will grow without sticks, but are the better for short supports. They THE SWEET PEA GROWER'S A. B.C. 123 are suitable for mixed borders, and also for pot culture, but are not in much demand for British gardens. Seed can be bought in separate colours or in mixture from a few of the largest seedsmen. California. — See " America " and " Morse." Carter. — The firm of James Carter & Co., of High Holborn, London, was closely identified with the early stages of Sweet Pea development. They introduced the famous Blue-edged, which was the first Picotee-edged variety, also Invincible Scarlet, Invincible Striped and Violet Queen. They have extensive trials of Sweet Peas at the present day. Catalogues. — Sweet Pea lovers find the catalogues of the principal firms full of interest, containing, as they do, parti- culars of the leading varieties and novelties ; also, in many cases, coloured plates and photographic illustrations. As a rule, the number of seeds is quoted with the price of the packets. A catalogue of varieties, giving the colours and raisers, is given in an Appendix to this work. Christy, E. H.— An amateur grower of Sweet Peas at Ingatestone, Essex. Served on the Floral Committee of the 'National Sweet Pea Society. Clarke, Major Trevor. — Raiser of the famous old Sweet Pea Blue-edged. See " Carter." Classification.— The National Sweet Pea Society classifies Sweet Peas according to colour. The system was first pro- posed by the present author. Every year the Society pub- lishes in its Annual what it considers to be the best varieties under the following colours : White, Crimson and Scarlet, Rose and Carmine, Yellow and Buff, Blue, Blush, Cerise, Pink, Orange shades, Lavender. Violet and Purple, Magenta, Picotee-edged, Fancy, Mauve, Maroon and Bronze, Striped and Flaked Purple and Blue, Striped and Flaked Red and Rose, Bicolor, Cream Pink, Marbled. The list is a useful guide to amateurs. Clumps.— The cultivation of Sweet Peas in clumps is very popular. Clumps look well in herbaceous borders, on lawns, and near Rose Pillars. If the stations are well-prepared and the clumps are fairly large, a splendid effect is produced. A clump is best formed by planting in a circle, which should not be less than a yard across, and is better two. The plants should not be nearer than six inches apart. See Chapter VII. 124 A BOOK ABOUT SWEET PEAS. Cole, Silas. — Head gardener to Earl Spencer, Althorp Park, Northampton. The first waved Sweet Pea, Countess Spencer, was exhibited by Mr. Cole in 1900, at Shrewsbury ; and it was shown by him in London the following year, where it received a first-class certificate. This famous variety marked a new epoch in Sweet Pea history. Its origin has excited much controversy. The general belief is that it came as a sport in the plain standard pink Prima Donna, and this is strengthened by the fact that a somewhat similar sport, Gladys Unwin, came in Prima Donna on the grounds of Mr. W. J. Unwin, at Histon, near Cambridge. A similar variety also came on Mr. Eckford's grounds at Wem, Shrop- shire. All three appeared about the same time. A writer who is understood to have received special information from Mr. Cole has given the following as the, origin of Countess Spencer : The varieties Triumph and Lovely were crossed. An unfixed seedling which resulted was crossed with Prima Donna. The waved pink resulting from this second cross was Countess Spencer. The stock of seed was acquired by Mr. Robert Sydenham and sent to California to be grown. The progeny proved to be unfixed, and many different colours appeared in it. These were attributed to the accidental intermixture with Countess Spencer of a few ripe seed pods from a cross made in 1900 between Countess Spencer and Salopian. Amongst the varieties thus produced was the rich carmine John Ingman. I have, however, been personally told by Mr. Cole that Lord Rosebery was one of the parents of John Ingman, and it is a well-known fact that the former appeared in John Ingman after the latter was placed on the market. An orange " rogue " also appeared in the Althorp Countess Spencer, and was named Hon. Mrs. C. R. Spencer ; but as the waved orange was first shown to the National Sweet Pea Society as Helen Lewis by Mr. J. Watson, Jun., that name was accepted for it. Mr. Eckford's and Mr. Unwin's waved pinks came true. Whatever opinions may be held as to the exact origin of Countess Spencer it is accepted by every expert that Prima Donna was one of its parents. The latter was noted for its good habit of producing four flowers on a stem, a character common to the waved or Spencer Sweet Peas. The waved salmon Earl Spencer and the waved maroon Silas Cole also originated at Althorp Park, in addition to other varieties. See also fertilisation. Colonies. — Sweet Peas have become very popular in all the British Colonies. An interesting article on Sweet Peas THE SWEET PEA GROWER'S A. B.C. 125 in New Zealand appeared in the National Sweet Pea Society's Annual for 1909. See also Chapter XVII. ^ Colours. — There is a considerable range of colours in Sweet Peas, as will be seen by reference to " Classification." A deep, bright yellow is the principal want (see Appendix for varieties which most nearly approach this colour). Some of the colours are difficult to describe, and the French Colour Chart issued at a reduced price by the Royal Horticultural Society, Vincent Square, Westminster, will be found very useful by those who wish to compare and describe colours. The task of blending and contrasting colours inthe flower garden is interesting. Salmon and violet blue, cream and mauve, crimson and white, pale blue and white, pale blue and cream, salmon, pink and yellow, salmon pink and lavender, red, white and blue, all look well together. See also Chapter VII. Commelin, Caspar. — A Dutch botanist to whom Franciscus Cupani (see " Cupani ") sent seeds of Sweet Peas. See His- torical Notes by Mr. S. B. Dicks in the National Sweet Pea Society's Annual for 1908. Cross-fertilisation. See Fertilisation. Cupani. — Franciscus Cupani was an Italian monk, who first sent the Sweet Pea to England, from Sicily, in 1699. The recipient was Dr. Uvedale, of Enfield. See Chapter II. Cupid. — The section of Sweet Peas known as Cupids origin- ated in Calif ornia. The^first, a white, appeared with Messrs. C. C. Morse & Co. in 1893, and it was exhibited in London in 1895, when the Royal Horticultural Society gave it an Award of Merit. Other colours appeared, and primrose, pink and white, apple-blossom, rose, red-striped, scarlet, blue and maroon can be had from the large seedsmen. The Cupids only grow a few inches high, and although they produce small tendrils, they do not climb. They are best suited for pot-culture and for edgings. They have the peculiarity of casting their buds, and this militates against them. I had considerable success with them once on a low bank' containing a good deal of limestone, and partly shaded by large trees. They cast a few of their buds, but sufficient flowers opened to insure the beauty of the plants. Curtis, Charles H.— Of Adelaide Road, & [Brentford, Middlesex, second secretary of the National Sweet Pea Society, part Editor of its Annual, and a notable writer on the flower In 1908, a handsome testimonial, with a purse of gold was presented to Mr. Curtis by the National Sweet 126 A BOOK ABOUT SWEET PEAS. Pea Society for the valuable services which he had rendered to it. Cuthbertson, William. — President of the National Sweet Pea Society, in 1968. Head of the firm of Dobbie & Co., florists and seedsmen. A valuable paper by Mr. Cuthbertson on Mendelism as applied to Sweet Peas was published in the National Sweet Pea Society's Annual for 1909. Cutting-back. — See " Stopping." Cuttings. — The Sweet Pea is one of the few Annuals which can be propagated by cuttings. See Chapter IV. Daniels Bros: — Seedsmen at Norwich. Large growers of Sweet Peas. Darlington, T. W. — Sweet Pea specialist at Warton, Carnforth. Introducer of Miss A. Brown. Deal, William, — A seed grower at Kelvedon, Essex, who has devoted special study to Sweet Peas. Raiser of the varieties Winsome, Queenie, Colleen, Bertrand Deal, Winifred Deal and Giant Cream Waved, amongst others. Decoration. — See " Rooms." Dicks, S. B. — Served on the Floral Committee of the National Sweet Pea Society. Has travelled widely and devoted close study to Sweet Pea history. See Historical Notes in the National Sweet Pea Society's Annual for 1908, where some interesting illustrations of the first Sweet Peas grown in England are given ; and American Notes in the Annual for 1909. Dickson, Alex., & Sons.— Of Royal Avenue, Belfast, and Newtownards. These famous rosarians are very large growers of Sweet Peas. Digges, H. J. R.— Of Donnybrook, Dublin. An Irish amateur grower and exhibitor. One of the first to encourage the culture of Sweet Peas in Ireland. Dipnall, T. H. — Of Bourne, Lincolnshire. A writer on and raiser of Sweet Peas. See the National Sweet Pea Society's Annual for 1909 for a clever paper on Sweet Pea names ; also Chapter III. of this work. Diseases. — The Sweet Pea is subject to several diseases, particulars of which, with methods of prevention, are given in Chapter XL Dobbie & Co. — Florists and seedsmen, of Edinburgh, and Mark's Tey, Essex. Large growers of Sweet Peas, and THE SWEET PEA GROWER'S A. B.C. 127 introducers of several beautiful varieties, notably Edrom Beauty (see also " Simpson " and " Malcolm "), Masterpiece (see also " Malcolm "), Mrs. Hugh Dickson, Menie Christie, Hannah Dale and Princess Victoria. Double. — Sweet Peas with two standards and extra wings are not uncommon, and these may be called double Sweet Peas. They are not specially desirable. Drayson, G. F. — A well-known writer on Sweet Peas living at South Woodford, Essex. See the National Sweet Pea Society's Annual for 1909. Duncan, Thomas. — A remarkably successful Scottish amateur grower of Sweet Peas. Head teacher of the village school at Fogo, near Duns. Mr. Duncan has won prizes in the principal competitions, showing flowers of grand quality. Eekford, Henry, V.M.H.— The "father" of the modern Sweet Pea, and the founder of the Sweet Pea industry. Henry Eekford was a Scotsman by birth, and while serving as head gardener to f amilies in England, he commenced crossing Sweet Peas. Extraordinary success attended his efforts. He raised the majority of the most popular varieties prior to the Countess Spencer era, such as Lord Rosebery, Dorothy Tennant, Dorothy Eekford, Mrs. Walter Wright, Mrs. Eekford, Henry Eekford, Captain of the Blues, Lady Grizel Hamilton, Miss Willmott, Lady Mary Currie, Prima Donna (parent of Countess Spencer), Prince of Wales, Scarlet Gem, Queen Alexandra, King Edward VII. and Romola Piazzani. Henry Eekford died at a ripe old age. See also Chapter III. Enemies.— The Sweet Pea has several dangerous insect and fungoid enemies. For particulars and methods of prevention see Chapter XI. Engelmann, G. — A grower of Sweet Peas at ' Saffron Walden, who has developed a strain of Winter-blooming varieties. Mr. Engelmann exhibited blooms before the National Sweet Pea Society in 1906. See Chapter X. Essex. — This county contains the largest area of Sweet Peas in the United Kingdom. Immense quantities, are grown for seed, principally at or near Coggeshall, Kelvedon, Feering, Witham and Mark's Tey. The fields of Sweet Peas form a picture of remarkable beauty in July. See an article on the Essex seed farms in the National Sweet Pea Society's Annual for 1909 by Mr. E. W. King. ia8 A BOOK ABOUT SWEET PEAS. Everlasting Pea. — The Everlasting Pea, Lathyrus latifo- lius of the older botanists, is a perennial. There are many beautiful varieties, but the flowers are not fragrant. Many attempts have been made to cross the Sweet Etea with the Everlasting Pea, but they have proved abortive. The most desirable result likely to attend successful cross-fertilisation is increasing the number of flowers of the Sweet Pea. Exhibitions. — Shows of Sweet Peas have become regular functions since the formation of the National Sweet Pea and minor societies. No kind of flower makes a more beautiful exhibition than the Sweet Pea. The shows of the National Sweet Pea Society are generally held in the hall of the Royal Horticultural Society, Vincent Square, Westminster, London, in July, when the principal growers compete. The following are the principal points for exhibitors : — Form of flower: The standard must be erect, waved or only slightly hooded. The standard, wings and keel should be well balanced. A small standard with large, irregular wings, or partially expanded keel, is defective. Colour : The colours should be clear, fresh and bright. Selfs are preferred to stripes and flakes. Number of flowers : There should be at least three flowers on a stem, preferably four, and they should be neatly disposed, not scattered over a long extent of stem. Number and length of stems : There should be about twenty stems, lightly arranged in each vase. Fifteen to eighteen inches is agood length of stem. A little heather or moss may be used in the mouth of the vase to fix the stems. Foliage : It is not desirable to use foliage ; if any is used it should be Sweet Pea leafage, or flower sprays of Gypsophila paniculata. Gathering : The flowers are best gathered while quite dry, with the full length of stalk (fig 12) and with only two flowers open at the most. They are best gathered the day before the show. The stems should be placed in water at once and put in a cool, shady building. Packing: The flowers should be removed from the water and packed per- fectly dry and firm in soft paper. Directly the show ground is reached the stems should be placed in water again. Judging: The Royal Horticultural Society suggests judging on a maxi- mum of six points for each variety, divided as follows : — Form and substance, 2 ; colour and freshness, 2 ; attractive setting up, 2. Duplicates : If the schedule specifies distinct varieties take care to avoid putting in duplicates. This mistake is easily made if the competitor is pressed for time, or has the same variety under different names. Exhibitors MRS. CHARLES FOSTER. Rosy lavender. See Appendix. ASTA OHN. The waved lavender with rose tint. See Chapter XII. THE SWEET PEA GROWER'S A. B.C. 120 should refer to the Too-much-alike list of the National Sweet Pea Society. (See Appendix.) For fuller remarks on exhi- bitions and exhibition culture see Chapters V. and VIII. Fertilisation. — The Sweet Pea is a hermaphrodite flower, the two sexes being united in the same bloom. It is the Pi* U-A SPRAY iAT THE RIGHT STAGE TO GATHER FOR PACKING. Note how the finger and thumb are placed to pluck it. 14 130 A BOOK ABOUT SWEET PEAS. rule for it to be self -fertilised, as the stigma is receptive and the pollen ripe while the flower is still in the bud stage, or insufficiently opened to permit of cross-fertilisation by the wind or insect agency. It is because of this that the varieties multiplied very slowly in past years. If a florist wishes to cross-fertilise he must prevent the flower on which he proposes to operate from being self -fertilised with its own pollen by opening it in its undeveloped stage and removing the anthers before the pollen has become loose ; he can then apply pollen from another flower which he has selected as a parent. The modern waved or Spencer type of Sweet Pea has a more open keel than the old type, and the stigma has been known to protrude before it has become receptive. In such cases natural cross-fertilisation is possible, as the pollen of the abnormal flower may fall back into the keel instead of being blown on to the stigma, and pollen from another flower may be carried to the exposed receptive stigma by the wind. It should be noted that there is often loose pollen about expanded flowers. Nevertheless, natural cross-fertilisation remains the exception. See also Chapter III. Fixing. — This term is applied to the establishment of the characters of a new variety. When a cross is effected and seed saved, the progeny resulting may be various. One may be selected as desirable, and seed saved from that alone. The next year the plants may not all come true, and those differing in colour are termed " rogues." The removal of rogues must be persisted in until no more appear, when the variety is fixed. Modern Sweet Peas have proved difficult to fix, doubtless because unfixed varieties were used as parents. If the parents themselves are not fixed there is sure to be trouble in fixing the offspring. The seed of each individual plant should be gathered and sown separately. A study of Mendel's laws is useful to raisers. See also Chapter III. Floral Committee.— The Floral Committee of the National Sweet Pea Society consists of thirteen members, seven of whom are amateurs and six tradesmen. The Chairman must be an amateur. The duty of the Committee is to report on the trials of the Society, and to draw up the Classification and Too-much-alike lists, annually. Foster, Charles.— While Assistant Director and Horti- cultural Instructor at Reading University, Mr. Charles Foster had charge of the trials of the National Sweet Pea Society. An excellent cultivator and earnest student of Sweet Peas, Mr. Foster did valuable service. THE SWEET PEA GROWER'S A. B.C. 131 Gathering. — See note under exhibitions, also Chapter VIII. Germination. — Complaints of the bad germination of Sweet Peas are common every Winter and Spring. The lavender and mauve varieties, most of which have small, wrinkled seeds, cause the most disappointments. A common cause of bad germination is excessive watering. The soil should be very sandy, and only sufficient water should be given to prevent the soil becoming dust dry. Close, wet soil is bad. Very hard seed that is slow to germinate may be stimulated by soaking it in water and then peeling off the hard skin. See also " seed." Gilbert & Son. — Seed growers and florists at Dyke, Bourne, Lincolnshire, specialists in Anemones and Sweet Peas. Amongst other varieties of the latter raised by Messrs. Gilbert & Son may be named Albert Gilbert, Countess of Ancaster, Cherry Ripe, Miss Frills, Mrs. Wilcox (a waved America), and Sunrise. Hemus, Miss Hilda.— Sweet Pea specialist at Holdfast , Hall, Upton-oii-Severn, Worcestershire. Miss Hemus first came into prominence with the beautiful Picotee-edged, cream-ground variety Evelyn Hemus. She has introduced a large number of beautiful varieties, including Zephyr (with Mr. W. J. Unwin), Zero, Zara, Zarina, Lucy Hemus, Paradise Ivory, Holdfast Belle, Paradise Red Flake, Charles Hemus, Paradise Apple Blossom, Helio Paradise, Zebra and Coccinea Paradise. Herbert, George.— Of Sutton Scotney, Hampshire. Served on the Floral Committee of the National Sweet Pea Society. Raiser of new varieties. History.— For the history of the Sweet Pea see Chapter II. Hitchins, Martin F.— Of Trevarrick, St. Austell, Cornwall. A well-known amateur grower of Sweet Peas. Served on the Floral Committee of the National Sweet Pea Society. Holmes, R.— A seed grower at Tuckswood, Norwich specialising Sweet Peas. Raiser of Herbert Smith, a sunproof crimson, and other varieties. Hooded— A Sweet Pea is spoken of as a hooded variety when the standard folds over towards the wings. Lady Grizel Hamilton is a typical hooded variety. House, Isaac & Son.— Florists and seedsmen at Westbury- on-Trym, near Bristol. Specialists in Sweet Peas and success- 132 A BOOK ABOUT SWEET PEAS. ful exhibitors. Raisers of Lord Nelson, Yankee, Harold, and other varieties. Hurst & Son. — Large wholesale seed growers and mer- chants at Feering, Essex, and Houndsditch, London. Intro- ducers of St. George and other varieties. Hutehins, Rev. W. T. — A famous American writer on Sweet Peas, author of the famous phrase : " The Sweet Pea has a keel that was meant to seek all shores ; it has wings that were meant to fly across all Continents ; it has a standard which is friendly to all nations, and it has a fragrance like the universal Gospel, yea, a sweet prophecy of welcome everywhere that has been abundantly fulfilled." Insects. — Several insects are inimical to the Sweet Pea. For description and methods of extirpation see Chapter XI. A very small black beetle (Meligethes) crawls about the flowers, but it is harmless. It has been suspected of causing cross- fertilisation by carrying pollen from flower to flower, but this must be rare, as I have never found it in the buds, and self- fertilisation usually takes place before the buds open. Introduction. — The Sweet Pea was first sent to England from Sicily in 1699, by Franciscus Cupani. See " Cupani " and Chapter II. Ireland, Andrew. — A raiser of Sweet Peas at Mark's Tey, Essex. Served on the Floral Committee of the National Sweet Pea Society. One of the most expert growers of Sweet Peas. Jones, H. J. — A florist and seedsman at Lewisham, London, and Keston, Kent. Specialist in Sweet Peas. Raiser of Mrs. Chic Holmes, Keston Red, and other varieties. Jones, J. — A raiser of Sweet Peas at Wem, Shropshire, Served on the Floral Committee of the National Sweet Pea Society. Jones, Thomas. — A famous amateur grower of Sweet Peas at Bryn Pen-y-lan, near Ruabon, North Wales. A successful exhibitor at nearly all the principal shows. Served on the Floral Committee of the National Sweet Pea Society. Judging. — For hints on judging Sweet Peas see " Exhi- bitions." King, E. W., & Co.— Seed growers at Coggeshall,* ,Essex. Specialists in Sweet Peas. Introducers of Phoenix, Anglian Blue and other varieties. See an article on the Essex seed THE SWEET PEA GROWER'S A. B.C. 133 farms by Mr. E. W. King in the National Sweet Pea Society's Annual for 1909. King, J. K., & Co. — Old established and extensive seed growers at Coggeshall, Essex. Large cultivators of Sweet Peas. Lathyrus. — The Sweet Pea is Lathyrus odoratus of Linnaeus. Lathyrus comes from la, to add to ; and thouros, an irritant ; as the seeds are suposed to have the quality of increasing excitement. The natural order is Leguminosae. Laxton, Thomas. — A famous specialist in cross-fertilisation. His principal work was with culinary Peas, but he also worked on Sweet Peas, raising Invincible Blue, Invincible Carmine, and other varieties. Leak, G.W. — A raiser and grower of Sweet Peas at Wisbech, Cambridgeshire. Author of an interesting article, with a proposed new Colour Classification, in the National Sweet Pea Society's Annual for 1909. Lumley, Wm. — Sweet Pea specialist at Havant, Hampshire. Introducer of Anna Lumley, Constance Oliver, Marjorie Willis, and other varieties. Mackereth, H. W.— Sweet Pea specialist at Ulverston, Lancashire, devoting particular attention to the cultivation and distribution of novelties. Manufacturer of a special Sweet Pea Manure. Malcolm, Alex.— Amateur specialist of Sweet Peas at Duns, Scotland. A successful exhibitor at all the principal shows. Has remarkable clumps, often growing to twelve feet high, and supported by wire frames. Raiser of Master- piece, Mrs. Malcolm, Malcolm's Waved Cream, and other varieties. Served on the Floral Committee of the National Sweet Pea Society. Manures.— The subject of manures is one of great import- ance to the Sweet Pea grower, and particularly to the exhibitor. It is generally agreed that rich, decayed yard manure is the best, but artificials are very useful. See " Artificial Manures," also Chapter V. Market.— Sweet Peas are extremely extensively grown for market, but the culture is not so remunerative as it used to be, the prices being lower. For full particulars see Chapter IX. Mendel.— Gregor Johann Mendel, Abbot of Brunn, born 1822 died 1884, propounded certain principles of heredity in relation to cross-fertilisation which have engaged the 134 A BOOK ABOUT SWEET PEAS. earnest attention of Sweet Pea raisers. See Chapter III., also the National Sweet Pea Society's Annual for 1909, where an article on Mendelism by Mr. Wm. Cuthbertson appears. For fuller information see " Mendel's Principles of Heredity," by W. Bateson, Cambridge University Press; and "Mendelism," by R. C. Punnett (Bowes & Bowes, Cambridge). Miller, S.— Sweet Pea grower of Newport, Isle of Wight. Raiser of Ivy Miller, Magnificent, and other sorts. Morse, C. C, & Co. — Sweet Pea growers and merchants at San Francisco, California. Raisers of Helen Pierce, Florence Morse Spencer, Flora Norton Spencer, Asta Ohn, and many other varieties. Introducers of the Cupid Sweet Peas. Associated with Messrs. W. Atlee Burpee & Co. (see " Burpee ") in the introduction of many famous varieties. National Sweet Pea Society. — A development of the Sweet Pea Bicentenary Committee of 1900, the National Sweet Pea Society has grown into a powerful organisation, with a large membership, a Floral Committee, a series of trials, and an Annual containing articles by experts. The Society holds a show in London every year, generally at the Royal Horticultural Society's Hall in Vincent Square, Westminster, and another show at a selected place in the provinces. It considers the home grower, however, as well as the exhi- bitor, and disseminates much valuable information for his guidance. The publication of a Classification List of the best varieties, and of a Too-much-alike List, adds greatly to the benefits conferred by the society on its members. The annual subscription is five shillings. The first secretary of the Society was Mr. Horace J. Wright, of Dault Road, Wandsworth, London ; and the second Mr. Charles H. Curtis, of Adelaide Road, Brentford, Middlesex. Nitro-Bacterine. — This is a commercial culture of Pseudomonas radicicola, the beneficent bacterium which causes the nodules on the roots of Sweet Peas by fixing free atmospheric nitrogen. Many experimentalists have failed to observe any good results from its use on Sweet Peas, but certain successes have been recorded. It may be expected to show better results in poor than in rich soil. For the results of experiments on Peas with Nitro-bacterine see the Journal of the Royal Horticultural Society for November, 1908. Packing. — The packing of flowers in cotton wool is an old fault. It is particularly bad for Sweet Peas, which are THE SWEET PEA GROWER'S A.B.C. 135 best without any material other than soft paper. They should be gathered while dry, with some of the flowers on each stem still in the bud stage ; and they should be packed firmly. See " Exhibitions," also Chapters VIII. and IX. Planting. — Sweet Peas raised under glass are best planted, as a rule, in April. The exact period should depend on the state of the soil and the weather. The ground is in the best condition when moist (but not sodden) and crumbly. Dis- turbance of the roots should be avoided as much as possible. See Chapter VI. Plukenet. — Leonard Plukenet, born in 1642, had a botanic garden at Westminster, and established an Herbarium, which now forms a part of the Hans Sloane Collection at the Natural History Museum, South Kensington. The Herbarium contains buds, flowers and leaves of what Mr. S. B. Dicks considers to be the oldest specimen of Sweet Peas in existence. See the National Sweet Pea's Society's Annual for 1908. Pot Culture.— The Sweet Pea is not ill-adapted for pot- culture. See Chapter X. Properties. — Like other florists' flowers, the Sweet Pea has been given certain defined Properties for the guidance of raisers, exhibitors and judges. See " Exhibitions." Reading. — The trials of the National Sweet Pea Society were conducted in the gardens of University College, Reading, for several years. Near London, and enjoying an excellent service of fast trains, Reading proved to be a convenient centre. The extensive trials of the great seed firm of Sutton & Sons formed a powerful additional attraction for visitors. Rogues. — In the early years of a new variety, flowers of a different colour or form appear in it ; these are termed " rogues," and have to be eliminated by careful selection. On the thoroughness with which " rogueing " is done the purity of a stock turns. Much of the want of purity of American stocks is attributed to the difficulty of thorough rogueing, which arises from the plants being grown in Cali- fornia without supports. When grown on sticks or wire it is easier to get the bad plant out, but even then care should be taken to follow the rogue right to the root. Sometimes a " rogue " is distinct, and good in itself ; in such cases the seed should be saved from it and sown separately. It should be given a number and an entry in the trial book. See Chapter III. 136 A BOOK ABOUT SWEET PEAS. Rooms. — Sweet Peas are charming flowers for room decora- tion. They are light, graceful, with beautiful colours and delicious perfume. Pink, rose, scarlet and white look best by artificial light. The blues and mauves, though charming by daylight, are ineffectual at night. As a rule, Sweet Peas should not be mixed with other flowers, but the gauzy flower- sprays of Gypsophila paniculata may be mingled with them, taking the place of foliage. No leafage other than Sweet Peas should be used as a rule, but where the flowers are associated with Roses, Rose foliage may be used. Pale pink Sweet Peas look charming in a wide bowl with the deep pink Rose, Dorothy Perkins, and long shoots of the latter with their glossy green leaves add to the effect. Pink Sweet Peas also mix well with the long, Gladiolus-like flower stems of the popular annuals, Godetia Dwarf Rose and Clarkia elegans flore pleno. Care should be taken in mixing Sweet Peas of various colours. See hints under " Colour." It is an advantage to have long stems, and those come with good culture. If fully expanded flowers are gathered they should be picked in the evening or early morning, but stems with only a portion of the flowers open may be gathered while dry, and will develop in water. It is not easy to arrange Sweet Peas lightly in vases, and the best way is to hold the bunch of flowers in the hand, let the ends of the stems drop on the table, and then, holding them over the vase, set the stems in the vases with a little moss. The fall causes the flowers to separate, and those on long stems stand above those on shorter ones. Rothera, T., & Co. — Nurserymen at Burton Joyce, Notts. Raisers of Mrs. Rothera, which was subsequently named Queen by Messrs. Sutton & Sons, who purchased the stock. Rows. — Sweet Peas are generally grown in rows, and if these run north and south the sun gets full play on both sides. The distance apart of the rows should vary with the vigour of the plants, but should rarely be less than six feet. One row may consist of several varieties in larger or shorter blocks. A pound of Sweet Pea seed will sow about 120 yards of row. Saving. — When Sweet Peas of any value are being saved the pods should be gathered separately ; it would not do to trust to pulling and thrashing. The pods are ready when they have lost their fresh colour and begin to shrivel. They should be stored in a cool, dry place until selling or sowing AUDREY CRIER. Salmon pink, a beautiful variety which has proved very unstable. See Chapter XIE MRS. WILCOX. Red Flake. A waved or Spencer form of America. Sec Appendix, THE SWEET PEA GROWER'S A. B.C. 137 time. In dealing with unfixed novelties it is wise to keep the pods of each plant separate, as this facilitates fixing. Scent. — It is satisfactory to know that improvements in the size, form and colour of Sweet Peas have not been obtained at the cost of scent. The perfume of the Sweet Pea is one of its greatest charms, and any development which entailed loss of odour should be discouraged. Seeds. — The seeds of Sweet Peas are borne in pods, the number in each pod varying from eight to twelve. The seeds of most varieties are smooth and round, but the blues and lavenders have small, wrinkled, insignificant seeds as a rule, and beginners often have grave misgivings as to their freshness. The Sweet Pea seed industry is of gigantic pro- portions. More than one retail firm in Great Britain dis- tributes several tons annually, and as the seed is made up in small packets containing from six to fifty seeds each, the number of buyers must extend to hundreds of thousands. A pound of Sweet Pea seeds contains from 5,000 to 10,000. John Ingman contains about 5,000 ; Helen Pierce 6,400 ; Countess Spencer and Miss Willmott 5,500 each; Lady Grizel Hamilton 7,oqo ; and Frank Dolby 9,500. The distribution of Sweet Peas in collections, the varieties com- posing which are specified by the dealer, is very popular. Most of the white-flowered varieties have light- coloured seeds, but there is an interesting exception in Sadie Burpee, one stock of which has black seeds. Two ounces per yard run of row is a fair quantity of seed of the Spencers, and six to eight ounces of the old type. An ingenious instrument for counting Sweet Pea seeds, put on the market by Messrs. Blake & Mackenzie, is used by many seedsmen. See also " saving " and Chapter IV. Self-fertilisation.— Owing to the fact that the organs of the Sweet Pea are mature while the flower is nearly or quite closed, the flowers are normally self-fertilised, or "selfed," to use the florists' phrase. See " Fertilisation." Shade.— The early scarlet and crimson Sweet Peas had not substance enough to stand the sun, and lost their colour, but modern varieties are sunproof ; and it is practically only the salmons that " burn." These may be placed in positions where they receive shade from trees or buildings m the hottest parts of the day. If exposed, artificial shade should be provided. Tiffany, a light, inexpensive canvas which seedsmen sell, answers well if fixed on a frame above 15 i 3 8 A BOOK ABOUT SWEET PEAS. the flowers. In the soft light which filters through it the colours shine with a beautiful glow. Showing.— See " Exhibitions." Simpson, Rev. Macduff. — An amateur grower at Edrom Manse, Duns, N.B. Raiser (with Mr. Alex. Malcolm) of Edrom Beauty. Smith, Fletcher, & Co. — Iron and wirework manufac- turers at High Street, Edinburgh, who have devised improved forms of Sweet Pea supports and trainers, notably a collaps- ible wire trainer. Smith, Herbert. — Of R. Sydenham, Limited, Tenby Street, Birmingham. Trade dealer. Served on the Floral Committee of the National Sweet Pea Society. Societies. — The number of societies devoted to the Sweet Pea is growing rapidly, and they do much good in bringing lovers of the flower together and holding exhibitions. The National Sweet Pea Society is the leading organisation, and its rules afford a useful guide to minor societies. See " National Sweet Pea Society." Soil. — The Sweet Pea thrives on almost all soils when the ground is well prepared. Deep cultivation, thorough dis- integration and liberal manuring are the three principal essentials. See Chapter V. Sowing. — Success in Sweet Pea culture turns considerably on the sowing. Those who sow in pots or boxes should guard against keeping the soil wet. It should be moist, but not saturated. See Chapter IV. Spencer. — The Sweet Peas with waved standards are commonly spoken of as " Spencers," owing to the fact that Countess Spencer was the first variety of this character. See " Cole." Sports. — A seminal variation sometimes occurs in the Sweet Pea, and is termed a " sport." Owing to its provision for self-fertilisation (see " Fertilisation ") sporting is not so common in the Sweet Pea as in many other florists' flowers, but it has been more common since the advent of the Countess Spencer class. If the variation has no special distinctiveness and beauty it is treated as a rogue and thrown away ; if it is distinct and good the seed is saved from it and sown separately the following year. With persistent rogueing it is eventually fixed. Amateurs who have not the opportunity of visiting extensive trials of Sweet Peas and shows, are often in doubt THE SWEET PEA GROWER'S A. B.C. 139 as to the value of any variation which they may have. Their best course is to submit it to an expert, and this can always be done through the horticultural papers. When they have got it fixed, and have secured a stock of seed, the variety should be sent to the National Sweet Pea Society for trial. If distinct and good it will receive an award, and it has then a real pecuniary value ; offers for the stock of seed will come freely from the seedsmen. Stark, G., & Son.— Seed growers at Great Ryburgh, Norfolk. Specialists in Sweet Peas, and raisers of many good varieties, including Florence Wright, Mercia, Mrs. Duncan, Elegance, Silver Wings, Olive Ruff ell, Winnie Jones, Mrs. R. W. Pitt and Lady Farren. Stevenson, Thomas.— Head Gardener at Woburn Place, Addlestone, Surrey. A famous grower of Sweet Peas and a highly successful competitor at the principal shows. Served on the Floral Committee of the National Sweet Pea Society. Raiser of Rosie Adams and other varieties. Sticks.— Although wire is now used a good deal for support- ing Sweet Peas the majority of growers retain sticks. They may consist of Larch, Hazel, Ash or Chestnut, and will cost f ourpence to sixpence per bundle of twenty five. One bundle will do four yards of row well, allowing for both sides. The sticks should be fresh and tall. The base should be sharpened to f acilitate forcing in. The sticks should be placed in position while the plants are quite young. Stopping.— It is not an uncommon practice to stop Sweet Peas. Some growers stop their plants at a foot high to encourage side shoots from the base, others let half go to four feet and the remainder to six feet before stopping. The effect of stopping is to encourage late flowers on side growths, so insuring a succession of good flowers. Early plants that have flowered may be cut back close to the ground in July, and will often throw up fresh growth and produce fine late flowers. Suburban Gardens— Sweet Peas are well suited for suburban gardens, iwhere they will cover walls and trellis work, and form clumps. Sutton & Sons.— Seedsmen at Reading, Berkshire, where thev have extensive trial grounds and warehouses. Large growers of Sweet Peas. Make a feature of fine selections of the principal colours, and also of colour blends. Introducers of Queen, Marbled Blue, and other varieties, i 4 o A BOOK ABOUT SWEET PEAS. Sydenham, Robert. — Seedsman at Tenby Street, Birming- ham, doing a very large trade in Sweet Peas. Makes a special feature of popular collections. Introducer of Herbert Smith and other varieties. Telemly. — For information about Telemly Winter- flowering Sweet Peas see " Arkwright," and Chapter X. Teschemacher, E. — An amateur grower at Chesham, Bucks. See the Sweet Pea Annual for 1909, where an article on Sweet Peas in pots by Mr. Teschemacher appears. Thomas, Harry H. — An amateur grower , at Hanwell, Middlesex, and a well-known writer on Sweet Peas. Too-much-alike Varieties. — The National Sweet Pea Society publishes a list of varieties in its Annual every year, in which those sorts which are too much alike to be admissible in the same show stand are bracketted together. All growers, and exhibitors in particular, should study this list. See Appendix to this work. , Trials. — The trials of Sweet Peas conducted by the National Sweet Pea Society and the large seedsmen are both interesting and instructive. Amateur and trade growers alike should lose no opportunity of inspecting them, in order to keep up-to- date with sorts and to become acquainted with the best stocks. Tubs. — Sweet Peas may be successfully grown in large tubs, and this method of culture is convenient for suburban gardeners whose borders and beds are very small. Good clumps in tubs look very nice, and the tubs can be shifted from place to place. Unwin, W. J. — A famous raiser of Sweet Peas at Histon, Cambridge, enjoying a high reputation for the excellence of his stocks. Raiser of Gladys Unwin, Jack Unwin, Chrissie Unwin, Douglas Unwin, Mrs. W. J. Unwin, Mrs. E. F. Drayson, Rosabelle Hoare, Gladys French, Bobby K., Frank Dolby, E. J. Castle, and many other famous varieties. The waved pink Gladys Unwin came in Prima Donna withMr. W. J. Unwin at the same time that Countess Spencer" came with Mr. S. Cole at Althorp Park, Northampton. Varieties.— There is a very large number of varieties of Sweet Peas. See Chapter XII., also Appendix. Vases. — Sweet Peas are charming flowers for vase decora- tion. (See " Rooms.") Vases of various kinds are used for setting up flowers at shows. (See " Exhibitions ".) One THE SWEET PEA GROWER'S A. B.C. 141 of the best is Mr. Thomas Jones's patent vase, which is supplied by Sweet Pea dealers. Ward, H. E. — An amateur grower at Vicar's Cross, Chester. Has raised Spencer or Waved Varieties from Old-type sorts by crossing Scarlet Gem with an unfixed seedling from a Miss Willmott-Gorgeous cross. A writer on Sweet Peas. Ward, Sidney. — A trade grower at Stratford, New Zealand. Hon. Secretary to the Stratford (N.Z.) Horticultural Society. See the National Sweet Pea Society's Annual for 1909, where an article by Mr. Ward on "Sweet Peas in New Zealand" appears. Watkins & Simpson. — Wholesale seed dealers at Tavis- tock Street, Covent Garden, London. Specialists in Sweet Peas. Introducers of Frank Dolby, Mrs. Alfred Watkins, Picotee, King Edward VII., Improved, Miss Willmott Im- proved, Gipsy Queen, and other varieties and selections. Conduct large trials on their grounds at Twickenham and Hounslow every year. Watson, J., Jun.— A gardener at Kingston-on-Thames. Raiser of Helen Lewis. Served on the Floral Committee of the National Sweet Pea Society. Waved.— For notes on the origin of the Waved or Spencer Sweet Pea see " Cole." Webb and Sons.— Seedsmen at Wordsley, Stourbridge. Large growers and Exhibitors of Sweet Peas. Winter-flowering Varieties.— For notes on Winter- flowering sections of Sweet Peas see " Arkwright," " Engel- mann " and " Zvolanek," and Chapter X. Wright, Horace J.— A trade dealer at Dault Road, Wandsworth, London. First Secretary of the National Sweet Pea Society and part Editor of its Annual. Introducer of Rosie Adams. A well-known writer on and judge of Sweet Peas. Wright, Walter P.— Served as Chairman of the Floral Committee of the National Sweet Pea Society. Author of the present and many other works on Gardening. Zvolanek, A.— A market grower at Bound Brook, New Jersey, U.S.A., who has developed a Winter-flowering strain of Sweet Peas that is very popular in America. , ,. ; _j 142 A BOOK ABOUT SWEET PEAS. X t— i Q 53 W a, o V) a °^ „ 15 rf m.Sxl O H g-.g> U III nJ W £ >d MH s (/) ^""S 0, ■a + "S • iTl ?.a d+j m| ss HI •a § g rt o K o O •si* a CO " 3 +3 III f- £ 8 "53 .2 m cS 43 cfi i-4 s> -S .a § 2 pa ^ It, -H ft +, O £ w «J hH , U *H*\. O o Jill J 2 ■s-K-gits 9 1 ° .S '-JL |5 O co 53 ft 0) II ° "g "S .I 1 si S b, d, o, o. ft ft"3 a.£ ap.c^ ftap.^ £ S £ * : !"S u _■*■ 9 » .1-8 . 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P. ?%.P h'gfehSoSSSlsg'i :::::: :g : : : :* : | :::::::::::: : cr a .a ■S • j .-q . . . ."*■ a"p iB ■ft- C/3 •{>.«•• • o>% d ft 3 c5 « . w . w to § £5 «> «" «> <5 -a 3 1 1 1 1 f . i * .2 a> 3 5 S 5 5T S>".3 3 6 o 3 S o oddof'5'S "3'5 a °K « A iiSS APPENDIX. 159 *0 ^ *0 *0 'O 'O ^ *C 'O *0 *0 *d *0 ^ *ti 'C) *^ "^ is £ isUis ftftft'ftis -ass's, is £ 5= is •& is "ft is -p on H ^^ J * ■ K> 9 Sfd ■•£>■■ - " o o u« if ill in i Hi tpipiliif iiii : : : a : id ■a .8 ■& Burpee & Co. , Syde lore :::::::■•■§ C 3 £h d ^ -p Sst! d © .o Lis.** II *-* aB * *i$*****»h I ■I ■S^g'l ■si iJ*"S 1,11111 ••--S' a S , JlSliil^ J mlltiill a-ii mn nUlUumsH m m to ot m w (» * SStntntfltntntntntntnujtntntntflHHHHHHHfHH i6o A BOOK ABOUT SWEET PEAS. t3 t3 tj *d 'd *t) *d 'd 'd *ti 'd 'd Td *d T3 H? *0 >> >.£>>>..£. s a3rtn3riri(3d «> £ •> en A en ■ a a a a TJ CD £U •— I 4) J" £,Q ftcn PnU2 £,Q a _ o d ben 'S 3 . O O . <■■■• ■ '(> . r; : ; o u u s ci u c a « c i. ".; o . SJ Is 0) ID 01 C - l— > •8 •-s l-> • 3 "I M o to g 3 S s 8ig SS MfflKMmKpq 9 d •^ " d jA • "S ' CD -M .d en rt CO tt & FJ CU ss-sas^ d • CD c to si ■goo d.'g.g g t>> — — — — — -— ■ lovely and most dainty when seen in a bunch. Fixed. Per pkt. is. PERDITH. White ground, marbled bright pink, =j^— — -—^— a charming variety. Not quite fixed. Per pkt. is. SWEET LAVENDER. white s round marbled la " ^ — — - - ~ ' — ^— — — • ender, a very pretty and distinct variety. Fixed. Per pkt. is. The three above marbled varieties are of the Helen Pierce type, and are splendid additions to the marbled section. Complete Calalogue of Sweet Peas containing all the leading varieties post free on application. R. H. BATH, Ltd., Th c Floral Farm s » WISBECH. BOLTON'S . THE FINE3T Sweet H>eas ™— °- 909 AWARDS: 9 GOLD MEDALS and 2 SILVER CUPS. ROBERT BOLTON has long Specialised in Sweet Peas and has raised such sterling novelties as Mrs. Hardcastle Sykes, voted by the leading Sweet Pea experts to be the best Sweet Pea in existence, Bolton's Pink, Wins. Henry Bell, Clara Curtis, Tom Bolton, and many more of the leading varieties. SEND DIRECT FOR TRUE STOCKS. 20 ACRES GROWN FOR SEED. CATALOGUE conta ining sensational novelties and all ^^^^^^^^^^^^^ = the leading varieties post free. Full cultural notes sent with every order. ADDRESS IN FULL: ROBERT BOLTON, The Smeet Pea sp-m* WARTON, CARNFORTH. 1876. "The X 1910. Catal ogue. Unlike any other, — it is now "Better than ever" for 1910! An Elegant Book of 178 Pages, — it is "The Silent Salesman" of the World's Largest Mail-Order Seed Trade. It tells the plain truth about the Best Seeds that can be grown, — as proved at our famous Fordhook Farms, — the largest, most .,„,,.„-_ „«-~. complete Trial Grounds in America. Handsomely bound with covers litho- graphed in nine colours it shows, with the six coloured plates Nine Novelties and Specialties in unequalled Vegetables, and five finest Beautiful New Flowers, in- cluding two superb " Gold Medal" Spencer Sweet Peas, of which one is named "Marie Corelli" by per- mission of this popular English Novelist. These plates have been accurately painted from nature in Europe, California and at Fordhook.. With hundreds of illus- trations from photographs Burpee's "King Edward Spencer, and carefully written des- Exactly Natural Size. criptions it is a Safe Guide .em**"** to success in the garden and should be consulted by every one who plants seeds, iwhether for pleasure or profit. While too costly a book to send unsolicited (except to our regular customers) , we are pleased to mail it Free to every one who has a garden and personally writes for it. Shall we mail You a copy ? If so, kindly write your address plainly and mail, — To-day ! Seeo ©rowers. W. ATLEE BURPEE & CO., PHIL ADELPHIA. Seed Gardens and Trial Grounds at our famous FORDHOOK FARMS, Bucks County, Pa., SUNNYBROOK FARM in New Jersey, and The New BURPEE RANCH in California. Your Garden not Complete without ^Deal's Sweet Jfteaa TRY COLLEEN, WINSOME, WINIFRED DEAL, QUEENIE, for 1909-10. Some Grand S^ovelties to follow as time goes on. List Post Free. WM. DEAL, F.R.H.S., BROOKLANDS, KELVEDON, ESSEX. THE "IDEAL" VASE (Tom Jones' Patent — Registered No. 5981). For gracefully and effectively staging Sweet Peas and other Annuals, Carnations, Daffodils, Gaillardias, etc. DESIGNED AND PATENTED BY TOM JONES, RUABON. The Top is made of the Best British Glass, and The Base of Aluminium Coloured Metal. 15/- Per Dozen. 8/- Per Hall-Dozen. Particulars from DOBBIE & Co., Seedsmen, Rothesay, N.B. R. BOLTON, Sweet Pea Specialist, Warton, Carnforth. W. J. UNWIN, „ „ Histon, Cambs. JONES St SON, Florists, Shrewsbury. And Other Sweet Pea Specialists. COLLAPSIBLE SWEET PEA TRAINERS. (PATENT APPLIED FOR). Growers of Sweet Peas have of late been using Circular Trainers in large numbers. These have been found difficult to store when not in use, and we have therefore brought out and patented a Collapsible Trainer, which goes into very small space when not in use. It is formed of a series of Rings connected with Chains, and when in use these are suspended from an Iron Standard. These Collapsible Trainers can be made any height or diameter, and Triangular, or any shape required. SHOWING TRAINER COLLAPSED. Fuilher information, prices, etc. can be obtained from the Patentees and Manufacturers : — SMITH, FLETCHER & CO., TKafreworfc /Manufacturers, 172, High Street, EDINBURGH. Telegrams— "NETTlNa," Eoinburoh. Telephone— No. 791. Garden Wirework of Every Description. SUTTON'S SWEET PEAS. Illustrated Catalogue of all the Best Varieties Post Free. SUTTON'S COLOUR SCHEMES. Although a general mixture ol Sweat Peas is very ornamental for the garden, there are cases where a more definite colour scheme is desired, and the follow- ing very pretty combinations will serve as a basis for those who may be plan- ning such harmonies or contrasts. Pink, Yellow and Salmon shades, White and Pale Blue shades, Pale Blue and Cream shades, Salmon Pink and Pale Blue shades, Rose Pink and Pale Blue shades, Cream and Maroon shades, Salmon Pink and Crimson shades, Imperial Red, White and Blue, Each, per packet, 2/6 and 1/-. SUTTON'S COLLECTIONS oi the NEWEST AND FINEST VARIETIES. £ s. d 100 Sorts, our selection 2 10 SO 17 6 25 „ „ „ IS 18 „ „ „ 10 6 SUTTON'S GIANT FLOWERED. In separate colours and in mixture. Per packet, 1/-, SUTTON & SONS, the King's Seedsmen, READING. SWEET PEAS IF TOV WANT REALLY GOOD SWEET PEAS AT MODERATE PRICES, SEND TO ROBERT SYDENHAM LIMITED, TENBY STREET, BIRMINGHAM, No one will serve yon better. SPECIAL COLLECTIONS FOR 191Q. EACH PACKET In Nos. I, 2 and 3 CONTAINS SO SELECTED SEEDS. Buyers not wanting any collection complete, may select their own varieties from EITHER COLLECTION at prices mentioned, and have 2/6 worth fop each 2/-. COLLECTION No. 1.— 12 useful varieties, 1/3. Dainty, Dorothy Eckford, Gladys Unwln, Henry Eckford, Hon. Mrs. Kenyon, Jeannie Gordon, Miss Wlllmott, Navy Blue, Queen of Spain, Romolo Plazzanl, Salopian, Triumph. COLLECTION No. 2. — 12 good varieties, 1/9. A. J. Cook, Duke of Westminster, Evelyn Byatt, King Edward VII., Lady Grizel Hamilton, Lord Nelson, Lucy Hemus, Mrs. Collier, Nora Unwln, Paradise, Prince of Wales, Sybil Eckford. Single Packets of any variety In Collections Nos. 1 and 2, 2d. eacb. COLLECTIONS Nos. 1 and 2, when bought together, will be 2/6. and a packet each of Janet Scott and Jet will be added free of charge. COLLECTION No. 3. — ia best varieties, 2/6. Black Knight, Chrissie Unwin, Clara Curtis, Countess Spencer, Etta Dyke, Frank Dolby, George Herbert, Helen Lewis, Helen Pierce, Mrs. Hardcastle Sykes (30 Seeds only as this variety partly failed), Mrs. Walter Wright, Queen Alexandra. Single Packets of any variety In Collection No. 9, 3d. each. COLLECTIONS Nos. 2 and 3 may be had together for 3/6, and a packet each of Phenomenal and Millie Maslin will be added free of charge. SPECIAL PRICE for the Three Collections, 4/6. and when bought together the four added packets and a packet each of the four best striped varieties, viz. : Jessie Cuthbertson, Mrs. J. Chamberlain, Prince Olaf and Unique will be added free of charge, making 44 of the very best varieties in cultivation, at an average cost of about id. a packet. COLLECTION No. 4. — The 12 newest varieties, 4/.- Or what we consider the best of the newest. SPECIAL NOTICE. — The price of, and number of Seeds of each variety in collection No. 4 varies. The number of seeds in each packet Is stated In figures after each name. Any variety not priced cannot be sold apart from the collection. Apple Blossom Spencer (40), rosy pink and blush, waved, 6d. ; America Spencer (15), bright rosy-scarlet flake, waved; Black Knight Spencer (25), rich dark maroon, waved, 6d. ; Constance Oliver (20), creamy buff ground, flushed deep pink, waved ; Evelyn Hemus (20), waved, primrose with picotee edge of pink, 6d. ; Mar|orie Willis (I 5), a Prince of Wales Spencer; Miriam Beaver (6), a pinkish salmon on buff ground, 6d. ; Mrs. Charles Foster or Asta Ohn (20), beautiful waved lavenders, 9d. ; Paradise Ivory (20), a pale primrose with slight tinge of pink, waved, 8d. ; St. George (40), a grand orange scarlet, 6d. ; Sunproof Crimson Spencer (6), a large, well waved, rich crimson, a much improved The King, and absolutely sunproof, 1 /- ; The Marquis ( 1 5), a large waved rosy mauve. COLLECTIONS Nos. 3 and 4 may be had together for 5/6, and a packet of the New White Everlasting Pea, W h Ite Pearl , 25 Seeds, added free of charge. SPECIAL PRICE fop the Four Collections, 7/6. OLD FAVOURITES OF MY RAISING. W. J. UNW1N, Histon, CAMBRIDGE. <£ ><* Gladys Unwin. Frank Dolby. A. J. Cook. Nora Unwin. E. J. Castle. J Q en j y Sweet Peas fully the grower must have Pure Stocks of High Reputation V^\ The Best for \% \ . . . . Well-selected StocksV£ X varieties. and V^. . ^ Reliable Novelties. \& ■v Unwin's \^x Sweet Peas have won a Descriptive Price List post free. W. J. UNWIN, Histon, CAMBRIDGE. SOME OF MY LATEST CHAMPIONS. Mrs. W. J. Unwin. Douglas Unwin. Gladys Burt. Edna Unwin.