HISTORY AND EVOLUTION 19 



flower, and during the period covered by the operations 

 of the National Sweet Pea Society, these same varieties 

 have been represented in winning stands over and over 

 again. Mr Eckford not only widened out the range of 

 colours represented by the Sweet Pea but also improved 

 the form of the flower in several particulars, as well as 

 adding to the robustness of the constitution of these 

 plants. 



We must not forget the labours of the late Mr Thomas 

 Laxton of Bedford, who among many other good results 

 achieved on behalf of horticulture, succeeded in improv- 

 ing and adding to the attractiveness of the Sweet Pea. 

 He in 1877 set himself this self-imposed task, and in 

 1883 Invincible Carmine was certificated. From the 

 same raiser we received the once popular Madame Carnot, 

 Etna, Carmen Sylva, Invincible Blue and Rising Sun 

 the latter probably taking its name from the orange 

 colouring noticeable in the flowers. From the same 

 source in later years the sons of Mr Laxton distributed 

 Princess May and Sultan. 



It hardly seems credible that fourteen years have 

 elapsed since Messrs Haage & Schmidt introduced 

 Bronze King, a free-flowering robust kind especially 

 suitable for garden embellishment. 



In more recent years we have to look in other 

 directions for the great advance that it is our pleasure to 

 chronicle. New and especially noteworthy names must 

 be added to the list of raisers of Sweet Peas. Each one 

 has already done much in the work of improvement, 

 and the displays made at the leading shows throughout 

 the United Kingdom during the summer months, have 

 quite revolutionised the methods of exhibiting the Sweet 

 Peas and taught the flower-loving public the immense 

 possibility of these flowers when the plants are properly 

 cultivated. Among those whom we are pleased to 

 mention in this category, are the following : Mr C. 



