August 21, 1909 



HORTICULTURE 



267 



British Horticulture 



SWEET PEA ENTHUSIASTS 



July has been a memorable month for the National 

 Sweet Pea Society. The members have paid a visit of 

 inspection to the official trials which have again been 

 held in the gardens of the University College at Read- 

 ing. On the following day a Journey was made into 

 rural Essex to view the seed farms of several leading 

 growers who specialize in swoet peas. Essex is the 

 largest seed producing county in Britain. Owing to the 

 remarkable boom in sweet pea culture, an increased acre- 

 age has been set apart for this popular annual. One 

 grower alone has 50 acres allotted to it. The seeds are 

 drilled in in October, in lines about 20 inches apart. 

 For spring sowing the growers either drill the seeds, or 

 dibble the seed out in March. The choicest varieties 

 are grown on sticks, and are sown or dibbled out in rows 

 from five to six feet apart. The ground is carefully 

 hoed during May and June. At the time of harvest the 

 unstaked lots are cut down and set aside for the thresh- 

 ing operation. The mixtures are generally threshed by 

 machinery, and the named varieties by hand, to obviate 

 any risk of mixing the sorts. The Society's annual 

 show, notwithstanding the adverse season, was a great 

 success, the entries and quality alike being excellent. In 

 the non-competitive section, W. A. Burpee, of Philadel- 

 phia, received a gold medal for an admirable collection, 

 which included Orange Spencer, Helen Pierce, W. T. 

 Hutchins, Lady George Hamilton, Primrose Spencer, 

 and Mrs. C. W. Breadmore. This firm was included in 

 the list of prize donors, as were also C. C. Morse and 

 Co., Santa Clara, California. 



SOME INTERESTING TRIALS 



The Floral Committee of the National Sweet Pea So- 

 ciety have adjudicated on the varieties included in the 

 Eeading trials. About 350 stocks were submitted from 

 the leading growers. The premier novelty is a waved 

 cream, raised by W. J. Unwin, who has put several 

 meritorious varieties on the market. A first-class cer- 

 tificate has been given to this novelty, which bears the 

 name of Clara Curtis. Mr. Unwin likewise obtained an 

 award of merit for a new scarlet flake, on a white 

 ground. Charles Foster is the name of an introduction 

 emanating from Mr. E. Bolton, and it has attracted con- 

 siderable attention for its remarkable coloring — light 

 mauve with bronze tinge; an award of merit has been 

 allotted. The same raiser has another new-comer (Lan- 

 cashire Pink), which was highly commended. Sun- 

 proof Crimson, which if it Justifies its title should be a 

 great acquisition, was shown by Dobbie and Co. ; tliis re- 

 ceived an award of merit. The same firm's stock of 

 Mrs. Henry Bell, was recommended by the committee as 

 a good thing in that tint. Awards of merit were also 

 granted to the following: Edrom Beauty, rosy orange, 

 from A. Malcolm ; Dazzler, similar to St. George, sent 

 by C. W. Breadmore; The Colleen, with a bright rose 

 standard, and lighter wings, shown by W. Deal, was 

 recommended as a garden variety; and Queen of Spain 



.Spencer, from A. G. Stark, as a market variety. It is 

 of a delightful shade of shell pink. 



NITEO BACTEKINE OULTDEE 



Professor Bottomley, in a paper recently read before 

 the Royal Society, explained a discovery he had made 

 that two varieties of bacteria working together actually 

 give nitrogen to plants which do not belong to the legu- 

 niinosea. Many experiments were needed before it be- 

 came possible first to isolate the two varieties, and then 

 combine tliem in a form which allowed of their being 

 applied to plants so that the product of the partnership 

 shoiild notably stimulate and improve them. Prof. Bot- 

 tomley has succeeded in doing this, and the non-legumi- 

 nous culture of nitro bactorine is the result. In one case 

 500 hyacinth bulbs of equal size were planted out, 250 

 in each of two beds ; one bed was watered twice with the 

 culture ; the other was not treated. The bulbs were 

 weighed after being dried at the end of the season. The 

 result showed 18.6 per cent, in favor of inoculation. In 

 another case half a bed of parsnips was watered once 

 with the culture ; all the parsnips when ready were taken 

 up and weighed. The treated half yielded 65 roots, the 

 average weight being 6.55 ounces per root. The un- 

 treated half yielded 68 roots, the average weight being 

 5.38 ounces per root. This shows an increase of 21.7 

 per cent., each root averaging 1.17 ounces more than 

 the untreated. The experiments carried out on grain 

 crops also showed good results. Two crops were sown, 

 and v.'hen weighed an increase of 83 pounds was found 

 in favor of the treated crop. Pot experiments were also 

 carried out, and, as is usually the case when exact con- 

 ditions can be maintained throughout showed an even 

 greater benefit from this bacterial partnership. 



ITEMS OF INTEREST 



The National Carnation Society recently held its an- 

 nual show in London. The premier blooms were as 

 follows : In bizarres or flakes, Admiral Curzon, a pret- 

 tily marked white, red, and crimson variety; Picotees, 

 Alcestes, clear white with pink edge; yellow self, Daffo- 

 dil. — The members of the Horticultural Club have had 

 a very enjoyable outing to Ascott, Leighton Buzzard, 

 the residence of Mr. Leopold de Rothschild, and at 

 Mentmore, Lord Roseberry's picturesque estate. — ^The 

 recently formed National Vegetable Society has decided 

 to hold trials of spring cabbages and winter onions. Mr. 

 Alexander Dean has been chosen chairman of the com- 

 mittee, and Mr. Owen Thomas, vice-chairman. — At the 

 Royal Horticultural Society's fortnightly show on Aug. 

 3rd, Messrs. Veitch and Sons, of Chelsea, made an in- 

 teresting display of their double or treble cordon-grown 

 gooseberry trees in pots. Some 120 varieties of this 

 fruit were shown. — Sweet pea mould or mildew is very 

 prevalent in some districts this year. — A novelty shown 

 in London lately was a delphinium, with large white 

 flowers and a black centre. — A prominent feature at the 

 annual show of the Royal Horticultural Society of Ire- 

 land was the very representative character of the trade 

 section. — In an English garden a strawberry has been 

 grown, with a large calyx, with a number of smaller 

 fruit and foliage at the apex. 



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