JULY 18. 1912. 



The Florists^ Review 



11 



View in the Main Hall at the National Sweet Pea Show, Boston, July 13. 



Lovely Spencer is just as its name 

 describes it. Duplex Spencer possesses 

 oven more vigor than the original 

 Countess Spencer and carrion four 

 flowers on nearly all its stems. It is 

 paler in color than Countess Spencer. 

 Duplex Mary Garden is a novelty also 

 well worth watching. It is of a deli- 

 cate shade, such as ladies always ad- 

 mire. The original Countess Spencer 

 is not yet out of the race and was 

 more shown than any other pink sweet 

 pea, but Hercules is a bigger, bolder 

 and better thing, both in stem and 

 flower. Of the same color, it will as- 

 suredly displace the good old Countess 

 Spencer, ])robably the most popular 

 commercial sweet i)ea today. 



In ])rimroso sliades a great advance 

 is being made. Burpee's Etiiel Koose- 

 velt is a fine waved form. Queen Vic- 

 toria Spencer, primrose witli a rose 

 flush, also is good. Of the newer ones. 

 Debbie's Cream and Faulkner's Prim- 

 rose are the leaders. They are simi- 

 lar in color if not in name. Primrose 

 Spencer was much seen. 



In scarlets, also, great advances are 

 being made. Scarlet Emperor is a 

 superb new sort, larger and bolder 

 than Vermilion Brilliant. The Squire 

 and G. C. Wand, of a darker shade, 

 make large, bold trusses. King Ed- 

 ward Spencer was seen in the largest 

 number of stands, but it must take a 

 back seat to Scarlet Emperor. Some 

 good Queen Alexandra Spencers were 

 shown. Of course all the scarlets need 

 shading to hold their color, but even 

 with cheesecloth over them they will 

 burn during such intense heat as we 

 experienced the first ten days in July. 



There are now one or two charm- 

 ing rose pinks. Rose du Barri, one 

 of Burpee 's 1910 varieties, is a beauty, 

 not a big flower, but the color is 

 exquisite. In no color has a more re- 

 markable advance been made than in 

 the salmon or orange pinks. As a com- 

 mercial sort Helen Lewis is still in 

 the lead. Helen Grosvenor, of great 

 vigor, is similar in color, but burns 

 more easily. To get the real orange 

 shade, however, we must go to Earl 

 Spencer, a true salmon orange self; 

 Stirling Stent, a rich salmon orange, 

 or Melba. These peas attract notice 

 at once in a collection, as their color 



is so unique. These varieties must 

 have shade while flowering or they 

 will burn badly. A sunproof orange 

 may come in time, but it is not yet in 

 sight. 



In the rose crimson class John Ing- 

 man still is a leader. Marie Corelli, 

 of a rich rosy carmine, with round, 

 wavy standards, is distinct. Among 

 the true crimsons Maud Holmes is a 

 fine sunproof Crimson Spencer variety, 

 of a brilliant crimson color. 



Coming to the ever popular laven- 

 der shades, Florence Nightingale was 

 the best of its color in the show. It 

 is of a soft, rich lavender color and 

 makes a beautiful bunch. It would 

 be my choice of this shade, although 

 there are strong claimants in Frank 

 Dolby, Asta Ohn Spencer and Master- 

 piece, all of which were well shown. 



In the mauve and blue classes Ko- 

 molo Piozzani, violet-blue, was well 

 shown. Tennant Spencer has the true 

 vigor of the Countess Spencer, with 

 three and four flowers to a stem. The 

 color, purplish-mauve, has rsome ad- 

 mirers. In maroons, Othello Spencer 

 was in quite a few collections. King 

 Manoel is, however, a larger and bolder 

 variety and will displace it. Arthur 

 Green, a light purple maroon, is infe- 

 rior to King Manoel. 



Emily Eckford Spencer, purple with 

 a bluish shading, is fine of its color. 

 Flora Norton Spencer was shown in 

 fine condition by some exhibitors. It 

 is of a bright blue with purple tints. 

 In striped or mottled sorts, Helen 

 Pierce is going to be passed by others 

 of better size. American Spencer, 

 bright red on white ground, is first 

 class, as is Gaiety Spencer. Senator 

 Spencer looks better bunched than on 

 the plant. One prominent florist ad- 

 mired it and said he could use it to 

 good advantage in design work. It 

 is a true Spencer. The color reminds 

 one of some of the salpiglossis, claret 

 and chocolate on a pale heliotrope 

 ground. It possesses great vigor and 

 is quite unique. 



Many grand sorts are naturally omit- 

 ted from this list. I should have in- 

 cluded Mrs. C. W. Breadmore, which 

 will carry larger, stronger stems than 

 almost any other sweet pea. Prince 

 George is unique, both in color and 



form. Aurora Spencer, flaked and mot- 

 tled salmon on a white ground, is a 

 lovely sort. Lavender Queen and 

 Mauve Queen are two grand new addi- 

 tions. Juliet, of an exquisite light 

 apricot, will become popular, as will 

 Mrs. Heslington in lavender, and Doris 

 Burt in light cerise scarlet. 



Mrs. Cuthbertson, one of Dobbie 's 

 grandest novelties, is a gigantic bi- 

 color of similar color to Blanche Ferry, 

 towering over all of its class. It 

 throws wonderful stems, nearly all 

 carrying four flowers each. Captiva- 

 tion Spencer, rosy red, stands high in 

 its class. Edrom Beauty, like Helen 

 T^ewis, was fine in some collections. 

 Irish Belle or Dream, a Dickson-Bur- 

 ]>ee introduction of the jiresent year, 

 lilac flushed pink, is a beauty. Mar- 

 garet Madison is the most beautiful 

 clear blue self wo have. The flower 

 is not so large as the lavenders, but 

 the color is distinct. Thomas Steven- 

 son, orange scarlet, lighted up beauti- 

 fully in several stands. Rainbow 

 Spencer, a Moi;se-Burpee 1912 sort, 

 white flaked rose, is another good 

 thing. 



Progress is the order of the day even 

 more with sweet peas than with other 

 flowers. Some 250 sorts were seen 

 in Boston. Cornell is growing over 

 300 varieties, and some boiling down 

 is a necessity. Burpee, Morse and 

 Zvolanek in America are giving us 

 some grand sorts. So are Dobbie, 

 Breadmore, Silas Cole, Faulkner & Ait- 

 kins, Eckford, Malcolm, Stark, Syden- 

 ham and others in England. We can- 

 not reach the 18-inch to 24-inch stem 

 standard in our dry, torrid climate, 

 but we can grow good peas and will 

 grow far better ones, as they are more 

 intelligently planted and cared for, 

 and what annual has the florist which 

 is so invaluable to him in his busi- 

 ness? W. N. Craig. 



DISEASES OF SWEET PEAS. 



[A paiKT by I'rof. J. J. Taiihenhaiis, of tlip 

 Delaware ("oIleRe Agricultural Experiment Sta- 

 tion, Nevyark, Del., read at the annual conven- 

 tion of the National Sweet Pea Society of 

 America, at Boston, July 13 and 14, 1912.] 



It is indeed a great privilege and pleas- 

 ure for me today to come before you and 

 address you on a topic which, I am sure, 



