348 POPULAR GARDEN FLOWERS 



now enormous, but it has developed almost entirely 

 within the past fifty years. The reason why Sweet Peas 

 did not multiply naturally is that the habit of self-fertili- 

 sation made for constancy. When florists had satisfied 

 themselves that it was possible to improve Sweet Peas, 

 and that there was a public waiting for new varieties, they 

 pursued an active course of artificial cross-fertilisation, 

 opening flowers while still in the bud, so as to antici- 

 pate self-fertilisation, removing the anthers, and applying 

 pollen from another flower to the stigma. These crosses 

 resulted in the production of a large number of different 

 varieties. The best were retained, and selected again 

 and again until they kept true to character. The raiser 

 has found that although the Sweet Pea was one of the 

 most constant of flowers naturally, yet it is extremely 

 variable when crossed, and is some time in settling down. 

 The seed of every plant raised from a cross should be 

 kept separate and sown by itself under its own label ; 

 this renders the task of getting any particular novelty 

 fixed much easier than when the seeds of different 

 plants are mixed ; even when the latter appear to be 

 absolutely identical they may throw dissimilar plants 

 another year. The old varieties had a smooth-edged or 

 plain standard with a notch in the centre, the modern 

 ones have frilled standards ; as there are admirers for 

 both, I will include them in the table of selected varieties 

 on page 349. 



All those named are suitable for exhibition. They 

 include representative sorts of the principal colours 

 which we now possess, but the reader should recollect 

 that new, and in some cases improved, varieties are 

 being brought out annually, and he who specialises 

 should inquire about novelties from his seedsman in 

 order to be in a position to keep up to date. 



