10 



The Weekly Florists' Review* 



JUI.V L'N. lit] 



SWEET PEAS IN ENGLAND. 



Swcot pea omluisiasts, and they are 

 legion, are now at the zenith uj' their 

 T.tlO enthusiasm. A s[)cll of eold, sun- 

 less ueatlier jtreeoded the date of the 

 tenth annual exliibition of the National 

 Sweet Tea Society, but a decided 

 ilian^e took place about July 1(>, and 

 the warm, sunny ^Yeather continued 

 durinj,^ the ■week of the society's func- 

 tions. The show was held July 12 and 

 l.'i, the society's trials were visited duly 

 1 1. aiul the sweet j)ea fields of Hunt A: 

 Son and Dobbie & Co. were visited 

 July ]5. 



Tlu! novelties which won tiu^ favor 

 111 i1h" (biral committee at t lie trials wei'O 

 thr followin<f: 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- 

 jdece, lavender, Dobbie & Co., Edin- 

 burgh; Arthur Green, maroon, Dobbie 

 tfc 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 190S 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 

 ]iresent. The best varieties in Mr. 

 Bolton 's exhibit were 7%arl Spencer. 

 Mrs. Ireland, Tom Bolton, George Stark 

 and two new varieties of his raising, R. 

 F. Felton and Charles Foster. 



The 1)est trade exhibits were from 

 Sutton (Sc Sons, Reading; Dobbie & Co., 

 Edinlnirgh; Robert Bolton Carnforth; 

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

 W. Breadmore, Winchester, to whom 

 gold medals were awarded. Five silver 

 gilt meilals and a dozen silver medals 

 were awarded to otlu r traile exhibitors. 

 The <piality all around was ahead of all 

 previous shows. At tin; dinner held the 

 saiiu' evening N. X. Sherwoo<l, of Burst 

 \- S(jn. president of the soci(^ty. occu- 

 jpied the chair. 



The inspection of tlie society's 312 

 trials of sweet peas, carried out by 

 Charles Foster at Times KxperinuMital 

 Station, Guildford, took jtlace 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. 's seed farm at 



^larks Tey, Essex, came in for inspec- 

 tion. The prospects at tiie present mo- 

 ment for good crops of seed are de- 

 cidedly favorable. Bee. 



We 



.ibont 

 plants 



ERICAS 



lik 



' sonir iiitormatiiiii 

 winterMdomin^ pot 



would 



ericas as 

 .\re they profitalih; ]ilants t 

 grow.' What arc tiie best varieties for 

 commercial iis(>. anil when* can stock Ije 

 purchased? We wuuhl also like a few 

 iiints on their rultiire. ^\■e live in 

 Toronto, Oct. ,1. S. & S. 



Se^■eral varieties of erieas should do 

 ipiite W(dl with you. The reason thes ^ 

 ai'o less grown in America than in 

 Kurope is that our hot summers arc 

 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 



iirdinary cutting bench as prepare 

 carnations will suit them. Bottom 

 is not needed and would, in fac 

 more harmful than helpful. Pot oft 

 small pots when rooted and grow 

 iloors, jilunged in a bed of coal 

 the first season. Some growers 

 altogether iu pots, but I find th 

 after flowering they are well pi 

 back and allowed to break and 

 jdanted outdoors in any good soil, ^• 

 I hey can be hosed over once or i 

 a day in hot weather, they will 

 i-eed far better than if kept in 

 'I'liey should be lifted and ]iotto(l 

 time lief ore frost arrives. The old 

 that peat was necessary for heaths 

 not hold good with melanthera, C 

 ilensti, Mediterranea, hyeinalis, gra^ 

 jiersoluta alba and Vilmoreana, a' 

 which succeed well planted out. 



The waxy ericas, with their be, 

 fill terminal inlloresceiu-es, are grow i 

 -^tich experts as A. Scbultheis. Tho' 

 Kiiland and Louis Dupuy, but are ni 

 more dilficult to cultivate than 

 \arieties jireviously named. They i 

 peat better than loam, but are 

 idants to recommend to anyone wli- 

 not a first-class plantsman. 



Erica melanthera can be had 

 (lower for Christmas or can be retar. 

 as late as Easter. It keeps in bloon 

 long time, and if you want to ■ 

 ericas you can safely try a good bat 

 III it. Its culture is simple. Like 

 ericas, it wants a cold, airy house 'i 

 will not stand any forcing. C. W 



nt>i 



il 



;ir' 

 i-r.' 



ici 



New Orleans, La.^The stork receiii;v 

 visited the home of Henry Cook \\:<\\ 

 twin daughters. 



Dallas, Tex.— E. H. R. Green. prcM- 

 dent of the Green Floral and Nursery 

 Co., and also of the Texas Midlai.i! 

 railroad, is in New York and repor*? 

 sent out from there are to the effi . t 

 that he will make his home there t' r 

 the purpose of managing the affairs • f 

 his mother, Ilettie Green, who is 7.'i 

 years of age. Mr. Green is 12 and n 

 the prime of life. 



Crowds at Sweet Pea Show at London, England. 



