130 



HORTICULTURE 



August 3, 1907. 



National Sweet Pea Society 



This is one ul tlie nssoeiations due to the late E. 

 Dean, who could not see why the rose alone should have 

 a special society, but must inangnrate one for the car- 

 nation, the dahlia, the sweet pea, the chrysanthemum 

 and, lastly, the potato, to say nothing of a few with a 

 very limited membership, as the auricula and polyan- 

 thus, the pansy and viola and, I think, the narcissus; 

 the wisdom of all this being very questionable. It 

 cannot be denied that the sweet pea has greatly im- 

 proved since the time that Brown of Sudbury sent out 

 liis first novelty, Invincible Scarlet, followed soon by 

 Invincible Carmine and Purple, but a sweet pea special- 

 ist of today would not look at these and now we have 

 names galore, in fact quite an embarras des riches, and 

 doubtless, the list will be largely augmented when the 

 report of Tuesday's show is drawn up. To the late 

 Henry Eckford, belongs the honor of raising this annual 

 to the rank of a florist's flower, but since his demise 

 many enthusiasts, both professional and amateur, have 

 taken it up and, as it is as sportive as a zoudepelar-gon- 

 ium, we shall soon be flooded with novelties (see head 

 line Daily Mail, "150 novelties"). Absurd, but the 

 committee soon weeded these down to seven, Elsie Her- 

 bert and Nancy Perkins being about the best of these, 

 but even then the task of the judges was no sinecure, as 

 there is still a great sameness in many kinds, John 

 Ingmar being synonymous with Mrs. Wm. King and 

 being suspiciously like George Herbert. A creamy 

 buff, Mrs. Eothero and Clara Curtis may perhaps be 

 dubbed yellow, though it needs much exercise of the 

 imagination — and a true butter cup yellow is yet to 

 seek. France, America and Germany all had experts 

 there, W. Atlee Burpee representing the States, and all 

 agreed that the show was the finest they had attended. 



The flower was exhibited in every way — close and 

 loose bunches, sprays and in tiers of bamboo tubes, as 

 well as glass vessels, of all forms, these being used freely 

 in the decorated tables, while all kinds of foliage was 

 used to display the flowers to the best advantage — that 

 of the common asparagus especially. C. W. Breadmore, 

 a coming pea man, took the first honors in the nursery- 

 men's class, with a superb lot, and Mr. Stevenson won 

 the Eckford challenge cup, H. Eckford and Mrs. CoUyer 

 being two of the best flowers in the collection. Wales 

 seems most favorable to the proper development of this 

 flower, and the Sutton silver challenge cup was taken 

 by a Welshman — a good second being Mr. Jones, also 

 AVelsh (Ruabon). This pre-eminence is most likely due 

 to the amount of sohil)le calcium in the soil. 



Summing up, though open to correction — we think 

 Evelyn Byatt, Gladys Fnwin, Helen Pierce, Henry Eck- 

 ford, Norah Unwin and King Edward VII, about the 

 best and most useful lialf-dozen to be found in the 

 show. 



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Notes on Floral Arrangement 



A fairly wide survey in diilerent localities confirms 

 the impression that improvement I.** needed in the aver- 

 age floral work turned out for profit. Good material is 

 used up with painful uniformity. A sordid material- 

 ism is unfavorable to artistic expression; the Greek 

 idealists were more loftily inspired; they worked not 

 merely for glory or monetary gain but for love of art 

 and gave not only the elements of strength and beauty 

 to massive pillar or rounded arch but in all sorts of out 

 of the way corners put in the most perfect and finished 

 tracery. 



Many today are crude copyists rather than cunning 

 creators. It is true the general public are easily satis- 

 fled where flowers are concerned, but the true artist will 

 lift the public taste to a higher plane, adding to pleas- 

 ure a thrill of delight by giving the work done that 

 indefinable grace which all intuitively feel and appre- 

 ciate if they cannot state, that delicacy of touch which 

 gives distinction to the commonest flowers when suitably 

 handled. Ladies are all supposed to have native ability 

 for this work, but experience does not confirm this idea ; 

 it is largeli' temperamental in either sex, coupled with 

 that genius which is an infinite capacity for taking 

 pains. 



Floral art inay be described as the setting of Nature 

 in her own dress, the focusing of beauty in a way im- 

 possible to wild nature. Always due regard must be 

 paid to the real which in the last analysis will be found 

 to be the ideal; this note of naturalness should always 

 predominate; originality should be encouraged but al- 

 ways kept subordinate to the natural idea lest graceful- 

 ness itself become grotesque. Simplicity with fidelity 

 to nature should be ruling ideas of our art. The best 

 effects can be made with few flowers and plenty of foli- 

 age ; roses especially should always be adorned with their 

 own foliage. 



The wreath still remains pre-eminent as a memorial 

 emblem and while great variety of styles are made, and 

 indeed desirable, a few notes on general lines may be 

 of practical service. A little point which gives effect, 

 is to alternate the foundation foliage in long and then 

 short lengths all round, thus breaking up the conven- 

 tional circle; foundation flowers on the outside may be 

 treated in the same way and the larger outstanding 

 flowers should not be vertical but laid a little on one 

 side in alternate and opposite ways. This obviates 

 straight lines which Nature avoids quite as much as 

 the proverbial vacuum. Arrange lightly but see to it 

 that there are no gaps and that best flowers are well 

 seen, veiling the worst with foliage or fern. Wltite 

 should predominate, colors being kept low and lightly 

 veiled ; cream, mauve and pink blend with white, but 

 one shade of color both in flower and foliage is more 

 effective than a kaleidoscopic arrangement. The whole 

 wreath, if large, should give the ideas of richness, sol- 

 idity and grace; if small, of lightness throughout. 



