52 MASSACHUSETTS HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



returned to Edinburgh and then went to New Liston, the seat of 

 Mr. James Hogg. He subsequently was employed as foreman in 

 the following gardens : Fingask Castle, Perthshire ; Penicuick 

 House, Midlothian ; and Oxenford Castle. In the beginning of 

 1847 he arrived in London with a letter of introduction from Mr. 

 McNab, of the Edinburgh Botanic Gardens, to Mr. Hugh Low, 

 by whom he was sent as foreman in the gardens of Colonel 

 Baker, of Salisbury, then under the management of Mr. Dodds, 

 Avho will be remembered in connection with the improvement of 

 the Dahlia and other florists' flowers. He remained here for two 

 years, afterwards serving under Mr. Fleming in the gardens at 

 Trentham, and going thence to Cane Wood, Highgate. In 1854 

 he was appointed head gardener to the Earl of Radnor at Coles- 

 hill, Berks, where during his stay of twenty years he raised 

 many Dahlias, Pelargoniums, and Verbenas, which were for the 

 most part sent out by the late Mr. Keynes, of Salisbury. In the 

 year 1878, Dr. Sankey, who was an enthusiastic florist, invited 

 Mr. Eckford to take charge of his gardens at Sandy well, Glouces- 

 ter, with the view to raising seedlings of florists' flowers. At 

 this time the improvement in Sweet Peas had not been thought 

 of, and in 1879 he obtained the best varieties of edible Peas and 

 various Sweet Peas. He soon set to work aud raised many fine 

 varieties of edible Peas which are a gain in our kitchen gardens 

 at the present day. 



" To him is due the great improvement that has been made in 

 the Sweet Peas, these more particularly having had his special 

 attention of late years, and visitors to the Eoyal Horticultural 

 Society's meetings will remember the fine collections he has 

 on many occasions exhibited there. The Sweet Pea is the most 

 valuable of all annual flowers of the present day ; its delicious 

 perfume, its diversity of lovely colors, its lengthened succession 

 of bloom, and its value for cutting entitle it to a place in every 

 garden. It may be had in bloom for seven months in the year 

 from one sowing if care be taken to pick off every flower as soon 

 as it shows sign of fading, not. letting any seed-pods form. In 

 order to obtain the best results from Sweet Peas, Mr. Eckford 

 sows very thinly, with the result that each plant branches out 

 and forms quite a bush. If gardeners would only sow their 

 Sweet Peas, and edible Peas as well, thinly in good soil, they 



