36 



HORTICULTURE 



July 8, 1911 



NATIONAL SWEET PEA SOCIETY OF AMERICA 



THE EXHIBITION. 



As briefly announced in our issue 

 of last week, the third annual meeting 

 and exhibition of the National Sweet 

 Pea Society was held in Philadelphia 

 on June 2*9th and 30th, and proved 

 quite successful — although not so large 

 as expected. The season being unusu- 

 ally backward, many of the regular 

 exhibitors from northern and eastern 

 points were consequently unable to 

 show. 



The star feature was undoubtedly 

 the magnificent Burpee display, which 

 occupied the entire northern side of 

 the main hall and took five men six 

 hours to stage. The flowers were in 

 splendid shape, the finest that we 

 have ever seen shown, and the finest 

 Burpee has done yet. The staging 

 was exceedingly effective — the large 

 handsome vases were arranged in 

 tiers one above the other, the back- 

 ground being Eulalia zebrina. At in- 

 tervals pyramids three and four feet 

 high were arranged to break the mo- 

 notony. There were over twenty thou- 

 sand blooms in this Burpee collection 

 — and over two hundred varieties. 

 The most conspicuous and sensational 

 variety was a new one named "Stir- 

 ling Stent" — a glowing orange — which 

 was imported from the Isle of Wight 

 last fall and flowered for the first 

 time here this year. Mr. Kerr assures 

 us that this one stands our hot sun 

 splendidly without burning and is "the 

 greatest thing yet" in its color and 

 type (Spencer). It was sent out in 

 England last year at two dollars for 

 six seeds and even at that extraordi- 

 nary price the supply was altogether 

 inadequate. Another extra fine one 

 was Vermilion Brilliant, for which 

 they were awarded the cup offered by 

 the North American. The exhibit as 

 a whole was given the premier award 

 of the show: — the Morse Challenge 

 Cup; for the best commercial collec- 

 tion. They also were awarded the 

 N. S. P. S. certificate of merit for the 

 following new seedlings, also a silver 

 medal for those new varieties in addi- 

 tion to the certificate: 



Irish Belle: A rieh rosy mauve, with 

 a silverv suffusion. One of the most dis- 

 tinct sweet peas in existence. It is. liable 

 to supersede a whole lot of varieties here- 

 tofore leaders in its class and color. 



Empress Eugenie: White, flaked pale 

 lavender. , , . , 



Fordhook Fairy: White, with a bluish 

 blush suffusion. 



Margaret Atlee: A rich cream and bright 

 pinkish rose. One of the most beautiful 

 and distinct <>f all the new varieties. 



The certificate and silver medal 

 also covered two seedlings as yet only 

 under number and both coming from 

 the amber and creamy pink varieties 

 — the class in line for perfect yellow 

 — for which many strenuous flights 

 have been made, but with only moder- 

 ate progress so far. W. Atlee Burpee 

 has a standing offer for his ambitious 

 scion, David Burpee, of three thousand 

 dollars for ten seeds of the first real 

 yellow sweet pea. 



Henry A. Dreer put up a fine ex- 

 hibit of the newer and choicer varie- 

 ties of nymphaeas and other aquatics, 

 also a nice collection of Japanese 

 irises. Bertrand H. Farr, our distin- 

 guished peony specialist, was on deck 

 wit it a nice lot of Iris Kaempferi, 

 which formed the chief decoration in 

 front of the stage and were a center 



of attraction. Joseph A. Manda and 

 Julius Roehrs Co. contributed interest- 

 ing collections of choice and season- 

 able orchids. John Lewis Childs had 

 a nice lot of Calla Elliotiana. Aphine 

 and Fungine were very much in evi- 

 dence and the genial M. C. Ebel had 

 his hands full explaining their merits. 

 Mrs. Geo. H. McFadden and Clement 

 B. Newbold were the stars in hardy 

 perennials. 



The official prize list follows: 



Plass 1. Collection of sweet peas—First 

 prize, Miss M. T. Cockroft, Adam Paterson, 

 yard.; second, Herbert L. Pratt, Henry 

 Gaut, gard. 



Class L'. Vase of one variety of Spencer 

 type introduced in lflll — John W. Fepper, 

 William Robertson, gard. 



Class 3. Grandiflora type— First, S. M. 

 Goldsmith, William R. Seymour, gard.: 

 second, Herbert L. Pratt. 



Class 5. Spencer varity, mixed — Miss M. 

 T. Cockroft. 



Class 6. Magnificent, mixed — Mrs. George 

 II. McFadden. 



Class 9. Collection of twenty-five va- 

 rieties, not fewer than twenty-five stems — 

 .1. lui W. Pepper. 



Class 11. Vase Ruby Spencer — Herbert L. 

 Pratt. 



Class 12. Mrs. Routzahn Spencer — Miss 

 M T. Cockroft. 



Class 13. White Spencer— Mrs. R. B. 

 Ellison.. Axel Liudroth, gard. 



Class 14. Vari-colored — First. Herbert L. 

 Pratt; second. G. W. Young. James Ken- 

 nedy, gard. 



Class 16. Fifty piuk or rose — First, 

 Thomas McKeau Robert Abernethy, gard.; 

 second, Miss M. T. Cockroft. 



Class 18. Vase of a new variety — Silver 

 cup, won by W. Atlee Burpee & Co. 



('lass 19. White— First. Miss M. T. Cock- 

 roft; second, Mrs. J. B. Trevor, Howard 

 Nichols, gard.; third, S. M. Goldsmith, 

 William R. Seymour, gard. 



Class 20. Pink— First. Herbert L. Pratt: 

 second, Mrs. R. B. Ellison : third. Henry 

 I loldman. 



Class 21. Deep rose — First, Herbert L. 

 Pratt; second. Miss M. T. Cockroft: third. 

 S. M. Goldsmith. 



Class 22. Lavender — First, Mrs. R. B. 

 Ellison; second. Miss M. T. Cockroft; third. 

 Herbert L. Pratt. 



Class 23. Salmon or orange — First, Her- 

 bert L. Pratt; second. C. B. Newbold: third, 

 G. W. Young. 



Class 24. Crimson or scarlet — First, 

 Henry Goldman; second, Mrs. J. B. Trevor; 

 third] S. M. Goldsmith. 



Class 25. Primrose— First. S. M. Gold- 

 smith ; second. Thomas McKeau : third, G. 

 W. Young. 



Class 26. Picotee edged— First. Miss M. 

 T. Cockroft; second, Herbert L. Pratt. 

 Class 27. Bicolor — <:. W. Young. 

 Class 28. Striped or mottled— First, 

 Henry Goldman: second. C. B. Newbold; 

 third! Miss M. T. Cockroft. 



Class 29. Any othei lor— First. Mrs. 



R. B. Ellison; second. Henry Goldman; 

 third, M. T. Cockroft. 



Class 30. White— First. Thomas Mc- 

 Keau ; second, Mrs. George H. McFadden. 

 Class 32. Lavender or blue — Herbert L. 

 Tratt. 



Class 34. Striped or bicolor— First. Mrs. 

 R. B. Ellison: second. Herbert L. Pratt 



Class 35. Anv other color — C. B. New- 

 bold. 



Class 38. Bride"s bouquet of sweet peas 

 —Robert Kift. 



Class 39. Three vases of Aurora Silen- 

 cer, Countess Spencer and King Edward 

 Spencer — Herbert L. Pratt. 



Class 40. Vase of mixed — First. Miss 

 Mona Robinson: second, Mrs. R. It. Ellisun 

 Class 42. Best table of sweet peas — .Tohn 

 W. Pepper. 



Class 43. Six vases Spencer or TTnwin — 

 S. M. Goldsmith. 



Class 45. Finest collection of sweet peas, 

 Spencer. T'liwin and grandiflora types — 

 S. M. Goldsmith. 



In addition the following prizes were 

 awarded by the Pennsylvania Horticultural 

 Society. 



Class 60. Sweet peas, best vase. mixed- 

 First, Mrs. R. B. Ellison, Axel Lindroth. 

 gard.: second. Henry Goldman. Anthony 

 Bauer, gard. 

 Class HI. Spencer varieties, best ten 



•W. W. Crazier. Sr. 

 Class 64 i ipi iris, collection — First. 



C. B. Newbold; second, Thomas P. Hunter. 

 Joseph Hurley, gard. 



Class 65. Hardy herbaceous perennials, 

 display of twelve species — First, C. B. 

 Xewbbld ; second, Mrs.' George H. McFad- 

 den, David Aiken, gard. 



Class 69. Sweet peas, twelve vases of 

 fifty sprays each — First, James MeCrea. 

 James Coleman, gard.; second, W. W. 

 Frazier, Sr., Walter Scott, yard. 



Class 70. Zinnia elegans. Waterer's 

 mammoth flowering — First, Mrs. George 

 II. McFadden; second, C. B. Newbold. 



''lass 72. Outdoor cut flowers, c illection 

 of twelve species — First, C. B. Newbold: 

 second, Mrs. George H. McFadden. 



Class 73. Gloxinias — First, Mrs. J. J. 

 Henry. Carl Lindroth. gard.; second. Mrs 

 1 ■ •■ rye II. McFadden. 



SECRETARY BUNYARD'S REPORT. 



When I helped to organize the Na- 

 tional Sweet Pea Society three years 

 ago, I stated at the first meeting that 

 it would and must be a success. Up 

 to this time it has not fulfilled my 

 highest expectations, but we have 

 made substantial progress, have learn- 

 ed something, and have placed the so- 

 ciety on a sound foundation. With the 

 experience that is passed, we hope to 

 still further the aims and objects of 

 the society. 



Up to and including this exhibition, 

 we have held four shows, two in New 

 York, one in Boston in connection 

 with the S. A. F. National Flower 

 Show, 'and the Philadelphia exhibition. 

 All of these have been an expense to 

 the society, no charge for admission 

 being made. The only source of in- 

 come is from the active membership, 

 life members and the guarantors who 

 have generously come to the front 

 when needed. We have today 102 

 active members and 12 life members. 

 Personally, I know that good results 

 have accrued from our exhibitions. 

 Perhaps the most material results are 

 from the Boston Exhibition, the win- 

 ter-flowering sweet peas shown by 

 Wm. Sim of Cliftondale, Mass., excit- 

 ing more general interest and admira- 

 tion, so much that several florists in 

 New York are building houses especi- 

 ally to grow sweet peas this winter. 



The great difficulty in holding ex- 

 hibitions in this country is its vast- 

 ness. What would be a good date In 

 Philadelphia is too early for New 

 York, and a good date for New York 

 is too early for New England, and 

 that applies also to the West, so that 

 the< exhibition really resolves itself 

 into a local show, which is a good rea- 

 son for changing the place of meeting 

 from year to year. Of course, this 

 year has been exceptional owing to 

 weather conditions. It has been sug- 

 gested by one of our exhibitors that 

 the date should be set at this meeting, 

 and should be either the last week in 

 June or the first week in July. This 

 would give growers the opportunity 

 to sow their seed to conform with 

 these dates. It is much easier for a 

 grower to hold off for a week than to 

 force his plants into bloom. I trust 

 that the Convention will seriously con- 

 sider this matter. 



Our society has helped to popularize 

 the Spencer varieties among growers, 

 private and commercial, and while 

 some of the grandifloras are still popu- 

 lar, they are fast being displaced by 

 the Spencer and Unwin lypes. 



At Boston there were exhibited by 

 Anton Zvolanek an entirely new race 

 of sweet peas, some equaling and 



