DECEMBER 



IRISH GARDENL\G. 



183 



world at any nurser)' when once they are on the market. 

 Still we must always be most thankful to our raisers 

 for all they have done, and I think we should be very 

 proud of Messrs. Alex. Dickson, of Newtownards, as 

 raisers, seeing that they have raised more gold medal 

 varieties than any two other firms in the world. How 

 proud they must have been when they swept the 

 championship cup in London last July with 72 roses, 

 36 varieties of which emanated from seedlings raised 

 in Newtownards. 

 It was a triumph 

 which may take 

 many years to 

 repeat. 



Now, sundry 

 grumblings reach 

 m\' ears from Hel- 

 fast. where Hugh 

 Dickson has 

 lately started 



raising seedlings, 

 and we alread\' 

 know that the 

 finest crimson 

 rose, taken all 

 round, bears the 

 name of their re- 

 spected father. 

 Hugh Dickson, 

 who unfortunately 

 is no longer 

 with us. Messr.s. 

 Hugh Dickson 

 have risen by 

 leaps and bounds, 

 and in a few years 

 have proved to all 

 the world that 

 their seedlings 

 are very "extra 

 special " indeed. 

 But growls still 

 reach me from 

 Portadown side — 

 they are a noisy 

 lot those Porta- 

 down folk — where 

 Samuel M'Gred\" 

 & Sons have a 

 large nursery. 

 Messrs. M'Gredy 

 began about the 

 same time as Messrs. Hugh Dickson, and it is most 

 interesting to watch the race between these three Irish 

 firms to collar those gold medals in England. So 

 greedy (?) are they that they .seized every gold medal 

 in England this year. Long may they continue to 

 serve us so well. But, when all is said and done. 

 we must never forget one whose photograph is 

 placed in the centre of the lot. I refer to the late 

 Henry Bennett. What a pity he was not spared to 

 continue giving us varieties, which are a credit to 

 him and us 1 



Sweet Pea for 



(Or 



Rosa Sericea var. Pteracantha 



; of Wilson's new Chinese Plants photographed at Gla' 



I9IO 



IT is now time to select our sweet peas for the coming 

 season. If we delay the demand is so great for seeds 

 and the harvest small, probably we shall miss some 

 of the best varieties. " Sold out " is poor consolation to 

 hear from the seedsman instead of receiving our parcels 

 of seeds. It is best to order at once, and then we shall 

 not be disappointed. It is weary work wading through 

 the shoal of names 

 we get in all sweet 

 pea catalogues. 

 Last year I 

 grew over eighty 

 varieties, and it 

 might help 

 readers of Irish 

 Garden'i.ng if I 

 give what I 

 proved to be the 

 best fifteen : — 

 King Edward 

 Spencer (crim- 

 son). Nora Unwin 

 I white), .\udre}- 

 Crier (pink), 

 Helen Lewis 

 (orange), John 

 I r gm a n (car- 

 mine), Mrs. Henry 

 Bell (cream pink), 

 Elsie Herbert 

 (picotee), Othello 

 Spencer (ma- 

 roon ), T e n n a n t 

 Spencer (mauve), 

 Mrs. Hardcastle 

 Sykes (blush). 

 Miss A. Brown 

 (lavender), Apple 

 Blossom Spencer 

 (bicolor), Marjori 

 Willis (rose). Yan- 

 kee (red stripe), 

 and Clar.i Curtis 

 (cream). 



These all came 

 true with me. but 

 soil has a lot to 

 do with variation. 

 We are promised 

 some magnificent 

 things for 19IO, but it is from the older varieties we 

 draw the greater part of our supplies In the company 

 of such varieties as I have mentioned the new-comers 

 will prove their worth, although I have heard from a 

 good source that Dusky Monarch. Snowflake, George 

 Stark and Earl Spencer are some of the finest ever seen. 

 By the way, has any reader of Irish Gardenmng ever 

 found a cure or preventative for "streak " ? If any one 

 has he would greatly help his brethren by stating it, for 

 if something is not soon discovered many growers will 

 have to give up in despair. C. E. COSTKR. 



