February 19, 1910 



HORTICULTURE. 



259 



had a champion at the polls in the person of Mr. Geo. 

 Jackson, a vice-president of the National Federation of 

 Fruit and Vegetable Trade Associations. There are 

 certain railway grievances which the trade desire to see 

 adjusted. Mr. Jackson, althougli making a good fight 

 was at the bottom of the poll. Although these electoral 

 fights create scenes of animation and put money in the 

 printer's pocket the horticultural trade generally is de- 

 pressed by the upsetting of the normal routine of 

 business. 



A NEW SWEET PEA SOCIETY 



In recent years the cult of sweet peas has made great 

 strides in Scotland, owing to the enthusiastic work of 

 such gorwers'as Messrs. Malcolm and others. The re- 

 sults obtained at the various shows indicate that a very 

 high cultural standard has been reached north of the 

 Tweed. A movement is now on foot to start a Scottish 

 Sweet Pea Society, and the project is receiving the sup- 

 port of several of the principal growers. This is not in- 

 tended to be in any way hostile to the existing society, 

 but it is felt that an organization in Scotland would be 

 more effectual in fostering an interest in this particular 

 flower than an association in London — some 400 miles 

 away. Should the proposal meet with sufiBcient support 

 it is intended to hold an annual show in Edinburgh — a 

 very favorable centre for an enterprise of this character. 

 Tliere are several important seed houses in Edinburgh 

 which will be likely to give their hearty co-operation to 



the new Society. After all, it is in the interests of the 

 trade to give the fullest support to a Society of this 

 character, for the greater popularity given to the growth 

 of sweet peas the better it will be for the trade generally. 

 This has been one of the results of the very successful 

 National Society, whose shows and publications have 

 given an immense impetus to the culture of the flower 

 with a resultant benefit to the trade. Judging from 

 the number of catalogues which are being sent out by 

 firms who make a specialty of sweet peas there is no 

 diminution in the popularity of this fragrant annual. 



ITEMS OF INTEREST 



Steps are being taken for the amalgamation of the 

 Scottish Horticultural and the Eoyal Caledonian Horti- 

 cultural Associations. — The Eoyal Horticultural Society 

 will hold a special bulb show on March 8 and 9. — The 

 death has taken place of Mr. John Watkins, a well known 

 Herefordsliire fruit grower. — A new company has been 

 formed to carry on the wholesale seed business of 

 Messrs. Watkins and Simpson, of Tavistock St., Covent 

 Garden, London. — Although we are supplied very thor- 

 oughly with gardening papers there is a rumor of a Lon- 

 don publishing house contemplating an addition to the 

 existing number. 



London. 



>t%c CkM*:^. 



Nemesia strumosa Suttoni 



This handsome summer annual 

 was introduced to the trade at 

 large by Sutton & Sons, Eeading, 

 England, in 1888. In the United 

 States it is only in recent years 

 that it has become known here and 

 there. The original form, of freely 

 branching habit of growth, reaches 

 a height of from 14 to IS inches. 

 The small opposite leaves, lanceo- 

 late, remotely serrated, thinly cov- 

 ering the branches, pass the fleet- 

 ing glance almost unnoticed. Not 

 so, however, the great profusion of 

 terminal racemes of flowers appear- 

 ing in colors from deep crimson 

 to pure white, and in yellow, from 

 the palest sulphur to the richest 

 orange. The diameter of the fully 

 developed singular blossom meas- 

 ures from one-half to three-quarters 

 of an inch. As cut flowers nemesias show very good 

 lasting qualities and are used to good effects as ma- 

 terial for filling low vases. 



Nemesia strumosa Suttoni is generally raised from 

 seed started under glass in March. Seedlings, trans- 

 planted in due time, are usually ready for the open 

 ground by the middle of May. Placed in an open, 

 sunny position, flowering time begins early in July and 

 continues until the frost stops vegetation. 



Shorter in stem, but more effective in an ornamenta 

 sense as a garden flower is the dwarfy form — nana com- 

 pacta. Our illustration shows the densely grown little 

 bush fairlv covered with its wealth of blossoms. It i= 



a striking floral debutante, in my opinion well deserv- 

 ing a fair trial as a bordering plant. I have not seen 

 seed of this low-growing compact form catalogued in 

 separate colors anywhere. The prevailing tendency 

 toward maintaining color harmony in floral garden ef- 

 fects, in many cases bars mixed colors. Nemesia stru- 

 mosa nana compacta is without doubt very pretty as we 

 liave it now — tliat is, mixed. Equally certain is it, how- 

 ever, that it would be far more in demand if obtainable 

 1 in separate colors. 



Nortlienst Harbor, Maine. 



