222 Agricultural Experiment Station, Ithaca, N. Y. 



Before going further the reader should stop long enough to notice 

 the architecture of the sweet pea flower (Fig. 76), The broad 

 orbicular upper petal, s, is the standard, banner, vexillum, or shield ; 

 the two raid-sized pieces, w, are the wings, and these close over the 

 smallest central portion, comprised of two connivent parts, called 

 the keel, k. When the sweet pea attempts to become double the 

 duplication usually appears in the standard, which, instead of com- 

 prising but a single piece, may be formed of two or three or four 

 petals. This is well shown in Fig. 77, in which the expanded 

 flower is seen to have three standards. There is no double variety 



77.— Double pea. The Splendor. 



of sweet pea, but most of the improved types tend to duplicate the 

 standard, and some varieties will give from 20 to 50 per cent, of 

 these monstrosities, when grown upon strong soil. In other words, 

 there is a general and cumulative tendency towards doubling, as tlie 

 species is improved, but the seeds of double flowers of any particular 

 variety do not necessarily produce double flowers. There is every 

 reason to expect, however, that the time will soon come when 

 double peas will reproduce themselves as reliably as many other 

 annual flowers do ; but unless the product is more shapely than any 

 thing which I have .yet seen, I shall be ready to quit sweet peas 

 when I am obliged to grow double ones. 



