Ji'8 



HORTICULTURE 



August 12, 1911 



SWEET PEAS AT FORDHOOK, 1911. 



When one wishes to get a line on 

 the very latest developments in sweet 

 peas it is best to go to headquarters. 

 That is Fordhook, of course. The Bur- 

 pee sweet pea expert has very kindly 

 furnished us with some information 

 about the most striking of the newer 

 sorts which we have pleasure in pass- 

 ing along to our readers. George W. 

 Kerr has lived among the sweet peas 

 in the field tor many years and knows 

 them as a mother her children — so 

 what he had to say in response to 

 your interviewer's questions may b,e 

 taken as authentic. On being asked 

 what varieties were most promising for 

 next season he said: 



Among new sweet peas for next sea- 

 son the most outstanding are undoubt- 

 edly Vermilion Brilliant. Irish Belle. 

 Margaret Madson, Rainbow, Pearl 

 Gray and Margaret Atlee. 



Vermillion Brilliant is, as the name 

 implies, a glowing crimson-scarlet va- 

 riety and I would unhesitatingly say 

 it is easily the best and most distinct 

 of its color, the flower being a decided 

 self, that is the standard and wings 

 being of the same shade of reddish 

 crimson. 



Irish Belle is a unique shade and 

 might be termed a lavender self suf- 

 fused throughout with rose. It is, 

 however,, a color most difficult to de- 

 .scribe. 



Margaret Madson is a beautiful pale 

 blue or lavender of much the same 

 color as Mrs. Geo. Higginson, Jr., a 

 favorite grandiflora variety. This is 

 undoubtedly a gem. 



Margaret Atlee I consider one of the 

 .most beautiful varieties of sweet peas. 

 The color is apricot on cream ground, 

 the flowers being of immense size, 

 quite a large proportion being pro- 

 •duced with double or triple standards. 



All the above were awarded certifi- 

 cates of merit by the National Sweet 

 Pea Society at their recent show in 



Philadelphia, the first named variety, 

 Vermilion Brilliant, receiving the sil- 

 ver cup offered by the Philadelphia 

 North American for the best new va- 

 riety not yet in commerce. 



Of the varieties sent out last year 

 those of outstanding merit are Stirling 

 Stent undoubtedly the brightest and 

 most glowing color in sweet peas. It 

 might be described as a rich orange 

 with suspicion of scarlet. It is early 

 and a free flowerer and, strange to re- 

 late, it burns but very slightly even 

 in the hottest suns. 



Florence Nightingale is a clear lav- 

 ender which might be described as 

 Asta Ohn without the rosy suffusion 

 on the standard. This is a variety 

 that we are certain would hold its 

 place as the standard lavender for 

 many years to come. 



Chas. Foster is quite new as to eol- 

 <or scheme, the combination in this va- 

 riety being most difficult to describe. 

 'The ground color is mauve through- 



out on which we find pinkish suffu- 

 sions and veiniugs. In some stages of 

 growth it is rather washy in appear- 

 ance and although it seems to have 

 created quite a furore in England we 

 do not think it will ever become very 

 popular in America. 



Earl Spencer is another very fine 

 variety and approaches somewhat 

 Stirling Stent but is not quite so glow- 

 ing in color. Although said by many 

 to be synonymous with the latter va- 

 riety it is really quite distinct and is 

 a most desirable sort. 



Ethel Roosevelt although a striped 

 variety has made quite a name for it- 

 self this season and has been much ad- 

 mired wherever grown. The striping, 

 however, is so delicate that it has not 

 the bizzare appearance of some of the 

 heavier flaked varieties such as Gaiety, 

 etc. Another name for this variety, by 

 the way, is Mrs. Tegwell, the latter 

 va ety having been sent out this sea- 

 son by an English firm. 



Arthur Green might be described as 

 an immense Spencerized Duke of Clar- 

 ence and there is certainly a place for 

 this fine variety. 



Edrom Beauty which was raised on 

 the other side of the "pond" and sent 

 out with most glowing recommenda- 

 tions we consider nothing better than 

 a good stock of Helen Lewis. 



Martha Washington has been re- 

 named quite a number of times this 

 season it having been sent out in Eng- 

 land under the names of Marchioness 

 of Tweedale, Eric Harvey and Paradise 

 Apple Blossom. This variety pleased 

 me exceedingly last season and I can- 

 not say that I am disappointed with it 

 this year as it is undoubtedly a chaste 

 and dainty pea, the delicate rose mark- 

 ings on pure white ground making it 

 a very attractive sort. 



In blues we have this season made 

 some wonderful additions in the Spen- 

 cer class, the most outstanding varie- 

 ties being May Farquhar, which might 

 be termed a Lord Nelson — colored 

 Spencer and Paradise Navy which ap- 

 proaches May Farquhar in color and 

 may be more of a true blue shade. 



I was greatly disappointed with 

 Maud Holmes and Sunproof Crimson 

 and after careful comparisons through- 

 out the growing season I put them 

 down as being similar to good Ameri- 

 can stocks of King Edward Spencer. 



On being asked to give a list of the 

 most distinct and best varieties of 

 Spencers suitable either for exhibition 

 or market work Mr. Kerr said he 

 would unhesitatingly plump for 

 Countess Spencer, Florence Morse 

 Spencer, King Edward Spencer, Mrs. 

 Routzahn; Helen Lewis, Geo. Herbert, 

 Florence Nightingale, Primrose Spen- 

 cer, White Spencer, Othello Spencer, 

 Mrs. Hugh Dickson, \Y. T. Hutchins, 

 Constance Oliver, Marie Corelli, Mrs. 

 C. W. Breadmore, Dainty Spencer, 

 Miriam Beaver and Stirling Stent. Of 

 course, this is only a matter of indi- 

 vidual taste and perhaps the next 

 grower if asked to make his selection 

 might suggest quite a number of alter- 

 ations in this list. 



The latter list should be made a 

 careful note of by those who wish to 

 avoid a too large list (and at the 

 same time desire only the very best) 

 as Mr. Kerr is in a position to know 

 thoroughly the immense number of 

 named varieties now catalogued. 



G. C. W. 



EVERGREEN SEED GARDENS, 

 TORRESDALE, PA. 



Not quite two years old this place — 

 the nursery department and trial 

 grounds of the Michell Seed House of 

 Philadelphia ranks among the most 

 progressive and up-to-date establish- 

 ments of its kind in the country. 



Though well supplied now with 

 modern dwellings, greenhouses, sta- 

 bles, storage houses, etc., and an un- 

 limited number of frames the firm Is 

 planning to add several large houses 

 to take care of their supply of hardy 

 roses, which in the near future will 

 be the leading feature of these gar- 

 dens. An immense collection has 

 been already planted with the inten- 

 tion of retaining them as a permanent 

 attraction to which will be added each 

 year's new introductions so that visi- 

 tors will here find a most complete 

 collection. The land and location 

 seems to be very favorable for the 

 cultivation of the rose. Eighteen men 

 are at present employed here. 



Fully 20 acres are devoted to the 

 growing of perennials and in addition 

 there are more than 500 frames which 

 contain perennials in pots, and are 

 equipped with the overhead watering 

 system. Henry F. Michell Co. found 

 the demand for perennials during the 

 summer months so great, that the 

 quantity provided for another year is 

 tenfold. 



On a spacious lawn facing the rail- 

 road are three colossal circular beds 

 filled with cannas and salvias, the 

 centre bed containing Mrs. Wallace, 

 yellow, with King Humbert, red. Canna 

 Mrs. Wallace is regarded as the best 

 pure yellow for bedding. Directly be- 

 hind the lawn are blocks of hardy 

 phloxes, at least 50,000. The latest 

 novelties are included, yet one cannot 

 fail to be impressed with the pure 

 white, Mrs. Jenkins, which is by far 

 the best in its class. 



Cannas are seen here by the acres, 

 very effective for advertising pur- 

 poses. Gladioli and dahlias are a new 

 feature for these gardens this year. 

 Particularly showy is Gladiolus "Kun- 

 derdi Glory." Dahlias are looking 

 very promising, but are not yet in 

 bloom. 



A most interesting spot is the trial 

 of novelties to which an immense 

 stretch is given over. A good novelty 

 is Oenothera Americana, a product of 

 Luther Burbank. The immense flow- 

 ers do not open until dusk. They are 

 pure white in the evening, and beau- 

 tiful pink in the morning. The new- 

 colored salvias, white, yellow and sal- 

 mon pink, are seen here to advantage. 



A young nursery of shrubs has been 

 started this spring, which includes a 

 block of 100,000 California privets. 



Philadelphia, Pa. — Mrs. Flora Shel- 

 ley has purchased four acres of land 

 at Highland Park and will erect a 

 range of houses. Her property at 

 Sixtieth and Pine streets has been 

 sold. 



