THE PEA FAMILY. 435 



Fillbasket. Second early blue ; a cross between Laxton's 

 Standard and Supreme. 



Omega. Late green wrinkled marrow; a cross between 

 Ne Plus Ultra and Veitch's Perfection. 



Unique. Early dwarf green marrow ; a cross between Pro- 

 lific and Little Gem. 



Dr Hogg. Early green wrinkled marrow; the result of a cross 

 between Prolific Long-pod and Little Gem. 



Harbinger. Early round blue ; a cross between Alpha and 

 Ringleader. 



Robinia (False Acacias], A group of very ornamental North 

 American trees, represented in our gardens by R. pseud-acacia 

 and its forms R. viscosa and R. hispida or " Rose-acacia," the 

 last-named being one of the prettiest of all our summer flower- 

 ing-shrubs or small trees, and one of which improved varieties 

 might possibly be raised from seeds, if the flowers were care- 

 fully cross-fertilised just before they open. Robinias are propa- 

 gated by layers and by seeds sown in the spring on open-air 

 beds. Grafting may be performed in April cleft-grafting being 

 the common method in the best nurseries, the common R. 

 pseud- acacia from seed being used as a stock. M. Baltet 

 observes : " Slender -wooded kinds, such as R. tortuosa, R. 

 rosea, R. Imifolia, and R. Van Houttei, should be grafted at 

 the projected height of the branches. The vigorous kinds, R. 

 Decaisneana itself a good stock R. unifolia, and R. pyra- 

 midalis, may be grafted on the collar of the stock, even when 

 intended for tall standards. The Robinia may be taken up 

 and transplanted without injury at the time of grafting. In 

 certain localities it succeeds when budded." 



The seminal forms of Robinia pseud-acacia are very numer- 

 ous ; and while many form distinct and beautiful trees, others 

 are barely worth notice. They have mainly originated in Con- 

 tinental nurseries. R. dubia is said to be a hybrid between the 

 common R. pseud-acacia and R. viscosa. It forms a middle- 

 sized tree, has short spines on its branches, and bears pale rosy 

 flowers. Its synonyms are R. hybrida, R. ambigua, and R. 

 echinatd. 



Wistaria. A very ornamental genus of Chinese, Japanese, 

 or North American Pea -flowered shrubs, of scandent habit. 

 W. (Glycine) sinensis is a well-known and very beautiful spring 

 bloomer, often grown on walls in the south of England as an 

 ornamental climber. There is a fine but rather rare white- 

 flowered variety of the last, and it is even more beautiful than 

 its lilac-flowered parent. Imported seeds grow freely sown in 

 a genial bottom -heat of 60 to 70; and the young plants 



