10 



ThcWcckly Florists' Review. 



JuLr 28, ll>iO 



SWEET PEAS IN ENGLAND. 



Sweet pea enthusiasts, and they are 

 legion, are now at the zenith of their 

 1910 enthusiasm. A spell of cold, sun- 

 less weather preceded the date of the 

 tenth annual exhibition of the National 

 Sweet Pea Society, but a decided 

 change took place about July 10, and 

 the warm, sunny weather continued 

 during the week of the society's func- 

 tions. The show was held July 12 and 



13, the society's trials were visited July 



14, and the sweet pea fields of Hunt & 

 Son and Dobbie & Co. were visited 

 July 15. 



The novelties which won the favor 

 01 the floral committee at the trials were 

 the following: Stirling Stent, first- 

 class certificate and silver medal, a re- 

 markably bright and attractive orange 

 salmon shade, from J. Agate, Havant. 

 This is the novelty of the season. Four 

 awards of merit were granted — Master- 

 piece, lavender, Dobbie & Co., Edin- 

 burgh; Arthur Green, maroon, Dobbie 

 & Co.; Mrs. Hugh Dickson, cream pink, 

 Dobbie & Co., and Cherry Ripe, Gilbert 

 & Son, Bourne. The above awards were 

 given after the committee had inspected 

 the varieties growing in the trials. 



At the show considerable interest was 

 manifested in the competition for the 

 Burpee challenge cup. In 1908 and 1909 

 it was won by Robert Bolton, of Carn- 

 forth, and on this occasion he again 

 proved the winner and the cup now be- 

 comes his property. By the way, there 

 was great disappointment at the ab- 

 sence of W. Atlee Burpee, as it had 

 been announced that he intended being 

 ])resent. The best varieties in Mr. 

 Bolton's exhibit were Earl Spencer, 

 Mrs. Ireland, Tom Bolton, George Stark 

 and two new varieties of his raising, R. 

 F. Felton and Charles Foster. 



The best trade exhibits were from 

 Sutton & Sons, Reading; Dobbie & Co., 

 Edinburgh; Robert Bolton, Carnforth; 

 E. W. King & Co., Coggeshall, and C. 

 W. Breadmore, Winchester, to whom 

 gold medals were awarded. Five silver 

 gilt medals and a dozen silver medals 

 were awarded to other trade exhibitors. 

 The quality all around was ahead of all 

 previous shows. At the dinner held the 

 same evening N. N. Sherwood, of Hurst 

 & Son, president of the society, occu- 

 pied the chair. 



The inspection of the society's 312 

 trials of sweet peas, carried out by 

 Charles Foster at Times Experimental 

 Station, Guildford, took place July 14, 

 nearly 100 members taking part. It 

 was generally conceded that the trials 

 had been most satisfactorily conducted, 

 and the stocks generally were consider- 

 ably better than in previous years. 



July 15 Hurst & Sons' acres of sweet 

 peas were visited at Kelvedon, Essex. 

 Then Dobbie & Co. 'a seed farm at 



Marks Tey, Essex, came in for inspec- 

 tion. The prospects at the present mo- 

 ment for good crops of seed are de- 

 cidedly favorable. Bee. 



ERICAS. 



We would like some information 

 about ericas as winter-blooming pot 

 plants. Are they profitable plants to 

 growl What are the best varieties for 

 commercial use, and where can stock be 

 purchased? We would also like a few 

 hints on their culture. We live in 

 Toronto, Out. J. S. & S. 



Several varieties of ericas should do 

 quite well with you. The reason thes:3 

 are less grown in America than in 

 Europe is that our hot summers are 

 hard on many sorts. There are, how- 

 ever, one or two sorts which do ex- 

 tremely well and are quite profitable as 

 market plants in the larger cities. E. 

 melanthera is more grown than all 

 others combined. This variety seems 

 to flower here even better than in 

 Europe and can safely be taken in hand 

 by any intelligent florist. Several grow- 

 ers in and around New York and Bos- 

 ton specialize in these plants, and offers 

 of plants are made in The Review from 

 time to time. 



Cuttings root comparatively easily 

 any time during the winter if young 

 shoots two inches long are used. An 



ordinary cutting bench as prepared for 

 carnations will suit them. Bottom heat 

 is not needed and would, in fact be 

 more harmful than helpful. Pot off into 

 small pots when rooted and grow out- 

 doors, plunged in a bed of coal a-hes 

 the first season. Some growers grow 

 altogether in pots, but I find that if 

 after flowering they are well pruned 

 back and allowed to break and are 

 planted outdoors in any good soil, where 

 they can be hosed over once or twice 

 a day in hot weather, they will ;,uc. 

 ceed far better than if kept in pots. 

 They should be lifted and potted SDme 

 time before frost arrives. The old idea 

 that peat was necessary for heaths does 

 not hold good with melanthera, Caffra 

 densa, Mediterranea, hyemalis, gracilis, 

 persoluta alba and Vilmoreana, all of 

 which succeed well planted out. 



The waxy ericas, with their beauti 

 ful terminal inflorescences, are grown by 

 such experts as A. Schultheis, Thomas 

 Roland and Louis Dupuy, but are much 

 more difficult to cultivate than tho 

 varieties previously named. They like 

 peat better than loam, but are not 

 plants to recommend to anyone who is 

 not a first-class plantsman. 



Erica melanthera can be had in 

 flower for Christmas or can be retarded 

 as late as Easter. It keeps in bloom a 

 long time, and if you want to try 

 ericas you can safely try a good batch 

 01 it. Its culture is simple. Like all 

 ericas, it wants a cold, airy house and 

 will not stand any forcing. C. W. 



New Orleans, La. — The stork recently 

 visited the home of Henry Cook with 

 twin daughters. 



Dallas, Tex. — E. H. R. Green, presi- 

 dent of the Green Floral and Nursery 

 Co., and also of the Texas Midland 

 railroad, is in New York and reports 

 sent out from there are to the effect 

 that he will make his home there for 

 the purpose of managing the affairs of 

 his mother, Hettie Green, who is 75 

 years of age. Mr. Green is 42 and in 

 the prime of life. 



G-owds at Sweet Pea Show at London, England. 



