HISTORY AND EVOLUTION 17 



1880, gave us something quite new in colour, but the 

 quality of the flower in other respects was poor. In 

 1882 a variety named Adonis was offered by the same 

 firm, but the newer New Carmine Rose, afterwards 

 named Princess Beatrice, raised by Messrs Muskett & 

 Sons in 1883, quite displaced its poorer prototype. De- 

 scriptive names, which up to this period it had been the 

 rule to apply to new Sweet Peas, fell into disuse, and 

 instead the craze for naming the flowers after distin- 

 guished individuals or friends of the raiser came to be 

 recognised as quite the proper thing to do. A glance 

 at any Sweet Pea catalogue of to-day will prove most 

 conclusively how much this practice has come into 

 vogue. 



The late Mr Henry Eckford, whom all Sweet Pea 

 lovers will bear in grateful remembrance for what he 

 achieved in his day and generation, came on the scene 

 in 1882. His Bronze Prince, introduced at that period, 

 was an earnest of the good things that were to emanate 

 from the same source continuously for many years to 

 come. Mr William Bull, of Chelsea, was responsible 

 for the distribution of this excellent variety. Mr Eckford 

 introduced among other popular varieties Cardinal and 

 Indigo King in the first Jubilee year (1887). In 1 888 

 Splendour, Apple Blossom, which was very popular 

 for several years, and Princess of Wales were distributed, 

 and each variety was highly regarded by growers and 

 others. A fine white variety with black seeds named 

 Mrs Sankey was sent out in 1889, and in the same year 

 the popular Captain of the Blues and Mrs Gladstone also 

 saw the light of day. Countess of Radnor the fore- 

 runner of the beautiful Lady Grisel Hamilton, still re- 

 garded with favour in some quarters, and Lottie Eckford, 

 were in evidence in 1890, and in the following year 

 there were distributed quite a number of promising 

 varieties, viz., Princess Victoria, Empress of India, 

 B 



