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AuGKST 7, 1913. 



The Florists' Review 



13 



C>inpetition for the Burpee Cup at the National Sweet Pea Society's Show, London. 



in the rows. Some people prefer to sow 

 the seed in the rows, others to start in 

 flats of sand or line loam and trans- 

 plant singly. The rows should run 

 longitudinally and ought not to be 

 nearer than four to five feet apart, and 

 a distance of six feet will produce still 

 better results. Some low-growing crop, 

 like violets, etc., cap be used between 

 the rows until the peas have occupied 

 considerable head room. 



The Necessary Head Boom. 



As to the head room needed for the 

 plants, do not gauge them by what you 

 have seen outdoors. If they are sup- 

 plied with plenty of plant food and 

 othpr conditions are favorable, sweet 

 peas will grow eight to twelve feet high. 

 Even the rows nearest the sides of the 

 house should have six feet clear. Some 

 of the -i dwarfer sorts, like Earliest 

 White, are suitable for the side posi- 

 tions. Sweet peas want plenty of fresh 

 air, but draughts should be avoided or 

 mildew will attack them. If the seed is 

 sown about the middle of August, the 

 plants will give a good crop in ten to 

 twelve weeks. One or two sorts will 

 flower quite a little earlier than this. 

 The temperature for a cold winter 

 should be 45 degrees at night before 

 flowering and 50 to 52 degrees after- 

 ward, and should be raised to 65 de- 

 grees with sunlight or 60 degrees on 

 dull days. Of course it will be some 

 time before we can get down to these 

 minimunis. 



Some Oood Varieties. 



A few really good varieties are: 

 Christmas Pink; Mont Blanc and Flor- 

 ence Denzer, both fine whites and prac- 

 tically identical; Pink Beauty, a fine 

 rose-pink; Earliest White, Snowbird 

 and Watchung, early whites, will flower 

 within six to eight weeks. For a laven- 

 der, Mrs. Alex Wallace and Wallacea 

 are equally good. Mrs. William Sim is 

 a good salmon pink, and if a scarlet is 

 wanted Flamingo is good. As a rule, it 

 does not pay to grow many varieties. 

 A good pink, white and lavender 

 usually suflSce, these being the colors 

 most in demand for all purposes. 



ENGLISH SWEET PEA SHOW. 



Eclipsed All Its Predecessors. 



The thirteenth annual show of the 

 National Sweet Pea Society of England 

 was held in the Royal Horticultural 

 hall, London, July 17. Among the vis- 

 itors were Mr. and Mrs. W. Atlee Bur- 

 pee and their two sons, David and W. 

 A. Burpee. For all-round high quality 

 the show eclipsed all its predecessors. 

 Over 150 exhibitors took part in the 

 competitive classes, staging 2,000 vases, 

 averaging twenty sprays each, or a 

 total of 40,000 sprays, and, it almost 

 goes without saying, four blooms on 

 each. In addition, there were twenty 

 non-competitive exhibits from trade 

 growers, and their combined exhibits 

 would total another 40,000 sprays or 

 more. Truly a great and a grand show! 



Novelties. 



The seeker after novelties did not 

 find so many as in former years. That 

 does not mean that there will be a 

 dearth of novelties; no doubt at the 

 end of the season there will be as 

 many as usual. The floral committee 

 has the new varieties on trial and un- 

 der observation at the society's trial 

 grounds and a report will probably 

 be ready about August 1. At the show 

 the prize for the three most distinct 

 varieties not in commerce went to Rob- 

 ert Bolton, Carnforth, who exhibited 

 Eosina, Steeton and Peggy Mackereth; 

 second, W. Wright, Formby, with Nora 

 Herron, Josephine and Royal Purple — 

 the last named the most decided nov- 

 elty at the show. 



Medals for Trade Exhibits. 



Gold medals for trade exhibits were 

 awarded to Dobbie & Co., Edinburgh, 

 and Robert Bolton, Carnforth. Silver 

 gilt medals were received by Jarman 

 & Co., Chard; J. Carter & Co., London; 

 W. J. Unwin, Histon; E. W. King & 

 Co., Coggeshall; S. Bide & Sons, Farn- 

 ham, and R. H. Bath, Ltd., Wisbech. 

 Silver medals went to G. Stark & Sons, 

 Ryburgh; J. Box, Hay wards Heath; 

 Jones & Sons, Shrewsbury; J. Steven- 



son, Wimborne, and Robert Sydenham, 

 Ltd., Birmingham. 



Burpee Challenge Cup. 



For the Burpee silver challenge cup, 

 presented by W. Atlee Burpee, there 

 were five competitors. The schedule 

 called for a display of named sweet 

 peas on S table 3x8 feet, not more than 

 one bunch, vase, basket, etc., of one 

 variety. F. A. Wellesley, Woking, was 

 the fortunate winner, with grand exam- 

 ples of Mrs. Hugh Dickson, Decorator, 

 Lilian, Loyalty, Hercules, W. P. Wright, 

 Mrs. Cuthbertson, Edrom Beauty, Clara 

 Curtis, etc.; second, W. E. Alsen, Den- 

 mead, with Charles Foster, Loyalty, 

 Edrom Beauty, Brunette, Flora Norton 

 Spencer, W. P. Wright, etc., in grand 

 form; third, F. E. Smith, Belfast, whose 

 leading vases were Mrs. Henry Bell, 

 Wenvoe Castle, Senator Spencer, Elsie 

 Herbert and R, F. Felton. 



The show was well patronized by a 

 large, interested crowd. In the eve- 

 ning the committee and friends dined 

 together under the presidency of Her- 

 bert Smith. Among those who con- 

 tributed to the enjoyment of the pro- 

 ceedings were C. H. Curtis, secretary; 

 H. J. Wright, W. Cuthbertson, J. S. 

 Brunton, Robert Sydenham, Alex. Mal- 

 colm, E. Cowdy and H. Shane. 



Bee. 



MOLES IN CUCUMBEB SOIL. 



Moles are damaging my cucumber 

 crop. There is not a bed in the houses 

 which they have not undermined in 

 every direction. In winter they brought 

 destruction to the lettuce crop, and 

 nothing that I could do would stop 

 them. Traps did not do the work. 

 Flooding the beds was without eflfect. 

 Does anybody know how to make them 

 leave the greenhouses f Your advice 

 will be highly appreciated. H. J. P. 



I have always found traps to be the 

 best remedy, and it would seem as if 

 traps or flooding should have driven 

 away or killed the moles. Can any 

 readers who have been similarly trou- 

 bled help our correspondent? C. W. 



