100 THE GARDENER. [March 



don westward, gradually enclosing the Chiswick Gardens by a belt of 

 houses ; inability to maintain it, from insufficiency of funds ; and the 

 fact that the lease is approaching termination, having only another 

 eleven years to run. The Council had not the power to renew the 

 lease, nor the wish to do so if they had the power. 



It would appear that the paragraph of the Report referring to Chis- 

 wick is not to be taken as declaratory of the fact that the Council have 

 determined Chiswick shall be given up absolutely, but rather that they 

 intimate thereby their intention to refer the matter to the considera- 

 tion of the Fellows. The Council adopted a somewhat clumsy method 

 in making this intimation known, and were censured in consequence. 

 One or two of the Fellows present made a gallant and apparently des- 

 perate attempt to stay the hand of the destroyer, and complained that 

 some intimation had not been given by the Council of their intention 

 so to allude to the abandonment of Chiswick in the Report. The 

 Council were asked pointedly if the question of giving up Chiswick 

 was to be placed before the Fellows, so as to give them an opportunity 

 of fully considering the matter, but the questioner was met by a 

 marked reticence by no means assuring : perhaps reticence is a virtue 

 common to councils. 



Another item of intelligence gleaned from the Report was to the 

 effect that the great provincial show held at Manchester in July last 

 has caused a disappointment in that it had been ascertained the returns 

 would do no more than meet the expenses. But the Council will go to 

 Oxford in July next notwithstanding, though the chances of favourable 

 pecuniary results are, one can imagine, likely to be less favourable at 

 Oxford than at Manchester. 



Some few years ago, Mr Thomas Laxton, of Stamford, was success- 

 ful in crossing Peas with a view to obtain new varieties of high-class 

 character, and from the seedlings so obtained, selected a few kinds 

 which are now being distributed. The first, Supreme, described as an 

 early variety of unusual prolificacy and high quality, was sent out in 

 the spring of 1869 ; and this year it is followed by Alpha, another 

 early variety highly commended. For the last named the modest sum 

 of seven and sixpence per half-pint is asked. It has recently transpired 

 that the stock of these new Peas was purchased conjointly by Messrs 

 Hurst & Son, and James Carter Dunnett & Beale, of London, for the 

 sum of one thousand pounds, though the quantities were very small . 

 When to this enormous price is added the cost of growing them for 

 stock, advertising, and other necessary expenses, it must be admitted 

 that the retail price is quite moderate, high as it appears. Mr Laxton 

 has followed up his first success by obtaining a second batch, compris- 

 ing six varieties, representing an aggregate quantity of not less than 



