CHAPTER VIII 

 RAISING NEW VARIETIES 



PRIOR to the introduction of the waved Sweet 

 Pea Countess Spencer, the raising of new varieties 

 was almost entirely in the hands of Mr. Henry 

 Eckford, and had been for a long series of years. 

 As already mentioned, Countess Spencer was raised 

 by Mr. Cole head gardener to Earl Spencer, at 

 Althorp Park and sold by him to Mr. Sydenham, 

 who sent it to America to be grown for seed, 

 When the produce came back to Britain and was 

 sold, it was found to contain many other varieties 

 (some waved and some old type), besides Countess 

 Spencer. This must have arisen through part 

 of the stock seed being unfixed. No theory of 

 insect cross-fertilization can ever account for 

 what that stock contained. It gave Helen 

 Lewis, John Ingman and many others which 

 were isolated and fixed by different firms. There 

 are two ways of obtaining new varieties. First 

 by cross-breeding. Second, by watching for, 

 and fixing, distinct variations or breaks which 



