04 



JOtJBNAL OP HOBTIOUIiTURB AND COTTAGE GARDENEB. 



( Febraaiy 4, 1875. 



the Early Alfred Peach was raised from a stone of Hant's 

 Tawny Nectarine. — G. S. 



LAXTON'S CONNOISSEUR AND OTHER PEAS. 



As "E. H. D." has called attention to my Pea Connoisseur 

 (see Journal January 2lBt), and wishes for its history, I need 

 have no hesitation in giving its origin, as I make no secrets of 

 the pedigrees of my seedlings. Connoisseur was obtained by 

 crossing Ne Plus Ultra with Evergreen, also a seedling of 

 mine ; that variety being the result of crossing a deep green- 

 seeded selection from Prizetaker with Advancer, the offspring, 

 inter alia, being a rich-flavoured, late, green-seeded Pea. 



As a rale these green-seeded Peas, although advantageous 

 for keeping their colour even when cooked quite old, are not 

 prolific; this, however, is not a fault of Connoisseur, as it is 

 very proUfic, and lasts long without being subject to mildew. 

 But the truth must be told, it will never be a seedsman's Pea, 

 as the seeds being bo sugary do not usually harden or ripen 

 well, and consequently fail to give the usual proportion of 

 growing seed. The dry seeds when cooked have almost the 

 flavour of young green Peas, and may, perhaps, suit the ven- 

 dors of " green Peas all the year round." 1 am not without 

 hope that from Connoisseur a race of Peas may be obtained 

 having in its ripe seed the rich green-pea flavour fully and 

 permanently preserved — a point not yet attained, as evidenced 

 by the good-looking but insipid-tasting canned green Peas, 

 often palmed off on the unsuspicious guests at hotels as fresh 

 green Peas. 



The seed of Connoisseur is almost devoid of farina, and 

 would, I think, grind with difficulty. All these sugary and 

 high-flavoured wrinkled Peas, including Dr. Hogg, require some 

 care in harvesting, and the seed should be carefully picked, as 

 otherwise those seeds which contain the most farina and the 

 least of the rich marrow flavour will predominate in the 

 struggle. 



All heavy-seeded Peas, such as Supreme, Superlative, and 

 the green Marrow, and round Peas generally, should be cooked 

 young, and before their sugar is converted into starch, as only 

 then is their flavour first-rate. People often keep Peas, and 

 especially new sorts, for eating until they are fat-podded and 

 fit for show, whereas they are then only fit to convert into pork. 

 This treatment affected the character of my Prolific Lougpod, 

 Supreme, and Superlative, and accounts for the extremely 

 varying reports respecting them which one reads and ia some- 

 times obliged to smile at. Those who had them cooked young 

 describe the flavour as esoelleut; those who cooked them 

 when fit for show execrating them. Connoisseur is a remark- 

 able Pea, but I do not value it so much as Dr. Hogg, Unique, 

 or Supplanter — the three certificated Peas sent out for me by 

 Messrs. Hurst this season ; and in this, as in most instances, 

 my own experiments correspond with the results of the trials 

 by the Eoyal Horticultural Society. — TnoMis Laxtos, Stamford. 



FLOWERS CHANGING COLOUR. 

 In your Journal of January 14th you speak of flowers which 

 change colour. I have been long wishing to learn how to 

 avoid it in one particular instance — namely, in the common 

 blue Cornflower. About five years ago I purchased a pot in 

 full bloom. I carefully saved the seed therefrom, and the 

 following year I had double the quantity, and still a lovely 

 blue; again I reserved the seed, and sowed in the spring, 

 but my pretty blue flower had changed into pink, dark violet, 

 mauve, white — indeed, any colour but the blue which I wished 

 for so much, as in making-up a bouquet it is so useful. The 

 most provoking part of the whole is, too, that I cannot purchase 

 the seed anywhere. When I inquire everyone says, " Oh, yes ! 

 I know what you mean — it is a very common wild flower — we 

 don't keep it." And every year now crops up the aforenamed 

 pink-violet imitation Cornfiower, mocking me as it seems. I 

 have given orders to my gardener to exterminate it this year 

 if possible. Can yon tell me where I can buy this common (?) 

 blue Cornflower, such a Uttle gem as it is? — A Little Savage. 



Leeds Pkofessional Gardesebs' Friendly Benefit Society. 

 — To meet a want that had been long felt by gardeners in the 

 neighbourhood of Leeds, about nine years ago it was deter- 

 mined to establish a Society where, under its auspices, all 

 could meet together to impart and receive aid and instruction, 

 and also to cultivate good fellowship. Great success has 



hitherto attended the Society, which no doubt is in some mea- 

 sure owing to the praiseworthy efforts of some of the principal 

 officers, and more especially to the indefatigable Secretary, 

 Mr. W. Tunley. Their dinner on the 13th of January was 

 very successful. 



NOVELTIES IN THE ROYAL GARDENS, KEW. 



In the Palm house a new and undescribed species of Dracaena 

 is in flower for the first time. It is African almost without 

 doubt, and will shortly be figured, when a name will be given. 

 A single stem supports a large crown of green leaves ; they are 

 narrow and about 3 feet long, with a pale yellow midrib pro- 

 minent on the under surface. The flowers are small, of a pale 

 yellow colour, borne in several axillary panicles. Their smell 

 is not agreeable, but at a short distance it is not perceptible. 

 D. fragraus will soon be in flower. It is a native of Guinea 

 and Sierra Leone, and is the most nearly allied species to the 

 above, though the panicles are all terminal. Under this name 

 D. latifolia is often cultivated. In this house also Jonesia 

 Asoca is producing a brilhant mass of orange-red flowers on 

 some of the branches. It is not often cultivated, but would 

 doubtless repay attention. The leaves and habit remind one 

 of Brownea, but the flowers are different, and besides are of a 

 structure unusual in the order Leguminosffi. They are with- 

 out petals, though on that account of no less beauty, as the 

 calyces assume their appearance ; are tubular with a four- 

 divided limb, like the coroUa of Ixora. From the ornamental 

 character of this tree it is largely planted throughout India, 

 where it is a native, and in the Mauritius. Ushoka is the 

 name given by the Bengalese. It may either be struck from 

 cuttings or grown from imported seeds. The latter should be 

 sown in pots with a bottom heat of about 85 . Seeds of large 

 size when sown under glass should not be placed at a depth in 

 proportion to their size ; perhaps the nearer the surface the 

 better, provided that the covering is sufficient to keep them 

 moist. 



In the stove a large male plant of the rare Cycad Stangeria 

 paradoxa has a fine cone, which is very richly scented. It 

 was first named as a Fern by an eminent botanist, who called 

 it Lomaria eriopus, thus showing how difficult it is to name 

 peculiar and little-knovm plants from imperfect material. 

 When the cones were first seen its true character was at once 

 evident. This was for a long time the only known species ; 

 but Dr. Eegel has recently published as distinct his S. Katzeri. 

 A kind supposed to differ by having the pinnaj more irregularly 

 toothed was imported some time ago, and called S. schizodou. 

 The character mentioned would seem to be of slight value, 

 leaves being found to differ widely on the same plant. 



TEMPERATURES FOR WINTER CUCUMBERS. 



Seeing so many interesting articles in the Journal lately on 

 winter Cucumbers, and such difference of opinion with regard 

 to temperature and mode of treatment, I will briefly state the 

 mode of treatment adopted here where Cucumber-growing is 

 carried on extensively. 



The two houses for winter work are span-roof, C4 by 24 feet, 

 with eight rows of 4-inch pipes, in one of which Pines are 

 grown, planted out in beds without any bottom heat, from 

 which good fruit are cut averaging from 2 to 2 J lbs. The 

 Cucumber seed is sown in a glass hoop about 4 inches wide, on 

 a slate or tile, and covered with a square of glass and placed 

 on the pipes. The seedlings are up in a day or two, and are 

 then potted-off, one or two in a 3-inch pot, and placed in 

 bottom heat till fresh roots are formed ; they are then placed 

 as near the glass as possible. The temperature is from 65' to 

 75" by day, and stands about G0° to 05° in the morning. We 

 have had the glass as low as 48° in the morning, and the 

 plants have not in the least suffered. Provided the bottom 

 heat is all right, a low night temperature suits them best. 



We are much troubled with a small white grub, which eats 

 away the extremity of the stalk of the plant, in consequence 

 of which the plants so affected die quite suddenly. Several of 

 our plants have gone off in this manner. Can anyone tell me 

 what the grub is likely to be and how to get rid of it ? — 

 A Market Gabdekek, Liverpool. 



Early Flowers. — We have Aconite fully out since the IGth 

 of January, and now (2'Jth), have also Snowdrops, Primroses, 

 Crocuses, and Hepaticas. The latter open enough to see the 



