Jannar; 13, 1876. ] 



JOURNAli OP HORTICULTURE AND OOTTAGE GABDENEB. 



25 



costs. It should be sown atoncefortestioo; with William I., the 

 earliest of the round-seeded section. The Shdh is a fine Pea and 

 likely to become popular, unless Mr. L-txton should supersede 

 it, for there nppoars to he no likelihood that that fertile hybri- 

 dist will "rest and be thankful." Still finer is its congener 

 which is Appropriately named Standard, a designation war- 

 ranted by ita appearance, habit, and productiveness. The 

 above-named varieties constitute a trio which for value and 

 distinctness probibly surpass any like number of " novelties" 

 which have been offered in any previous year. They will add 

 to the attractiveness of any garden, and will produce a stock 

 of seed of undoubted value. 



I will now notice a few other varieties of great merit which 

 have been introduced during recent years, sorts which I know 

 are productive, and which have been prominent at all im- 

 portant horticultural exhibitions during the past season. 



First I name a Pea which has not yet reached its " fullest 

 fame " — Dr. Hogg. This should be sown with the earliest 

 section, and it will form a succession to them, it being almost 

 " a first early," handsome, prolific, and excellent. As a gar- 

 den and exhibition Pea it possesses high qualities. It should 

 he noted that all exhibition Peas are not high-class table Peas. 

 Thus Superlative and Supreme are imposing in appearance by 

 their size, shape, and colour, yet they are not " high quality " 

 Peas as compared with the best of the wrinkled Marrows. 

 Peas of the Prizetaker strain invariably are better in appear- 

 ance than quality. The following, however, combine with an 

 imposing appearance superior table qualities: — Fillbaakct, 

 Connoisseur, Supplanter, and Omega of Mr. Lixton ; G. P. 

 Wilson, James's Prolific, and Commander-in-Chief of Messrs. 

 Carter & Co. ; Dnke and Duchess of Edinburgh of Messrs. 

 Sutton & Sons. From those named may be selected six of 

 the best exhibition Peas ; and as the difficulty is to decide 

 which to exclude, intending competitors must grow them all. 

 James's Prolific is considered by some to be too light in colour 

 for the exhibition table, but on that account it must not be 

 lightly set aside, as it invariably "shows" well, and it is of 

 admitted high quality. Its productiveness is also remarkable, 

 and when had true and well grown its rows are truly kitchen- 

 garden " ornaments," which cannot fail to be admired. It is, 

 I believe, a selection from Wonderful, and indeed it is a 

 wonderful improvement on that useful kind. If the stock is 

 not selected with care it, like other Pea sports, is apt to re- 

 vert to the normal type. 



Most valuable as useful garden Peas and frequently afford- 

 ing pods worthy of exhibition, are Premier and Best of All, 

 which appear to bo closely allied, and Veitch's Perfection. 

 Culverwell's Prolific Marrow sent out by Messrs. Veitch must 

 have a place amongst the " most useful " sorts, its high quality, 

 productiveness, and distinct appearance presenting great 

 claims to attention, and which are not likely to be long over- 

 looked. The sorts named may not — indeed they are not, 

 enperior in table qualities to some older sorts, bat for quality 

 with appearance, for use and ornament, they are those from 

 which a selection must be made. 



But there are those who do not require Peas for exhibition. 

 They do not judge of the Peas in the pods, but when shelled 

 and cooked. In a word, they do not want " fancy " Peas, and 

 they will not purchase "new" Peas. Beyond question such 

 can have produce of the very highest quality, for the Pea 

 kingdom has many subjects, and some of the " old inhabi- 

 tants " possess sterling worth. Take, for instance. Champion 

 of England. If it does belong to the " lower orders " none 

 of the "aristocrats" can better adorn the table. I am not 

 in the " secrets of the seedsmen," but dare almost venture 

 a guess that the public demand for this Pea is greater than 

 for any other " general crop " variety. Whether that be so or 

 not it is a prince among Peas, and it I was compelled to have 

 only one variety that one would be the Champion of England. 

 Huntingdonian and Culverwell's Champion appear to be selec- 

 tions from the Champion, and are undoubtedly good, as they 

 must be, and they may, indeed, be superior in constitution, 

 but for table excellencies they can be no more than equal, and 

 that is high praise. Where ground is scarce and sticks plenti- 

 ful, and where the one object is a certain supply of superior 

 Peas, that supply cmnot be more surely provided than by 

 sowing row after row — from February till May, half of each 

 month inclusive — of Champion of England. 



But what before and what after? Well, for before sow 

 anybody's "First Early," that is, anybody having a reputation 

 to lose. If you deal with Carters order " First Crop ; " if with 

 Suttons, "Ringleader;" if with Veitch's, " Dillistone's Early." 



There will be no difference except oa the outside of the parcels. 

 A trifle later, but equally good, is Saugator's No. 1, and better 

 than any but dearer are William I. and Alpha. Any one 

 of these, with a breadth of Champion sown with them in 

 February, will produce " all prizes and no blanks." 



But what after that is for latest cropj ? Here we have many 

 bids for popular favour, and scarcely one that is unworthy of 

 the great Pea family and its petrous who select some special 

 representative. If restricted to one kind I should elect No 

 Plus Ultra. I speak after much experience and many trials, 

 and I admit having proved the value of other sorts ; but i 

 cannot be separated from my old friend. But it is too tall for 

 many, and then what? Well, then, as the most reliable late 

 Pea of first quality and lowly growth the true Hairs' Dwarf 

 Mammoth has yet no superior. It is not later oa first com- 

 ing into use than Veitch's Perfection, neither is it better, but 

 it is more continuous ia bearing, more mildew-resisting, and 

 more hardy, and hence I recommend this good old kind. It 

 may, however, be superseded by Omfga, for I know no other 

 dwarf late Pea to which it is for U'?efal qualities likely to yield 

 the palm of supremacy. British Queen, Hay's Mammoth, Tall 

 Green Mammoth, and their many abases, all possess great 

 merit as late Peas, as does General Wyndham, the distinct 

 Emerald Marrow, and other proved sorts ; in fact almost all 

 late Peas are good Peas, and few, if any, are likely to dis- 

 appoint when well cultivated. 



I had almost forgotten to mention a " cheap,"servic6able, 

 general purpose Pea," the good qualities of which I fear are 

 sometimes overlooked, the best of all Peas, perhaps, for a poor, 

 dry, shallow soil — I mean the old French sort Auvergne. I 

 was glad to see it mentioned in your correspondence columns 

 last week, for if it is very old it is very useful ; it I had to feed 

 a school of charity boys I should rely on Auvergne. 



Of dwarf Peas the best I am acquainted with are Blue Peter 

 and Bijou; th'^y require deep rich soil to bring out their best 

 qualities. — A Grower and Exhipitok. 



NOTES FROM MY GARDEN, 1875. 

 I snprosE there are very few persons who can look back on 

 the state of their gardens in the past season with universal 

 satisfaction. We have read complaints from some of ourmoit 

 experienced growers of the losses they met with and the diffi- 

 culties they had to encounter owing to the wretched character 

 of our summer months, especially that terrible July, when we 

 could indeed say, " The rain it raineth every day." Bat not 

 less disastrous I think, at least in this part of England, was 

 the drying bitter wind of May and June. Vegetation seemed 

 completely checked ; anything that was planted out seemed to 

 diminish instead of increasing ; and although groat fruitfalness 

 in some things gave us good hopes, yet in many ways we were 

 doomed even in this to be disappointed. I never had, for 

 example, a finer prospect of a Rose bloom, but juat at the 

 season of flowering heavy continuous rain gummed many 

 of the flowers together, and destroyed completely the delicate 

 blooms of such kinds as Mons. Noman and Madacie Lacharme. 

 For the same cause the Cherry crop in our county was a com- 

 plete failure : abundant beyond description, but the incessant 

 rain completely spoiled the fruit, splitting and crushing them 

 in threes and fours. And then was there ever such a season 

 for weeds ? Not merely was it that they grew luxuriantly, but 

 the ground was so wet that it was impossible to get on it 

 properly, and hence they had it all to themselves. I was 

 almost ashamed to go out into my garden, and quite ashamed 

 to take anybody into it. I am sorry to say I can never lay 

 claim to neatness, and last season it was simply disorder. 

 The finest crop I had in the garden was the Sowthistle, which 

 I consider the most objectionable of all weeds. You may give 

 a pull at a Nettle, or Dock, or Groundsel, and up it comes, 

 but the Sowthistle almost always breaks off, so that you cannot 

 possibly pull it up ; and unless you are armed with a trowel 

 or some such implement you must leave it. I know all this 

 is a confession of great weakness, but then it is better to state 

 things as they really are ; moreover, I believe many were in 

 the same plight. "I have weeded," said one of our largest 

 growers to me, " my standard Roses three times, and they are 

 as bad as ever." " Weeds ! don't talk to me of weeds," said 

 the superintendent of a large garden, " I am sick of them." 

 And as I rambled about I could see, that even where labour 

 was not so great a consideration, that the weeds were masters 

 of thffl field. Labour is no doubt at the bottom of this. Where 

 it is scarce, as with u?, and dear moreover, persons of narrow 



