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JOUBNAL OF HOBTICULTUEE AND COTTAGE GAEDENEB, 



[ November 14, 1872. 



Alyssum alpestke, one of the finest spring-flowering plants 

 known to us. The plant is of dwarf spreading habit ; the 

 large dense heads of bright yellow flowers stand up well above 

 the foliage, rendering it very effective. It comes from the 

 Italian Alps. 



Dkaba violacea. — This is a truly beautiful plant, offering a 

 great contrast to the majority of the species belonging to this 

 genus of Crucifers. It forms a tolerably dense somewhat 

 hoary tuft, which seldom exceeds 12 or 15 inches in height. 

 The flowers are large, of a soft violet colour, and freely pro- 

 duced in March and April. In addition to its individual 

 beauty it is exceedingly interesting, on account of the great 

 altitude at which it flourishes on the Andes — viz., from 

 13-15,000 feet, where, however, it is by no means plentiful. 



Dkaea tribentata. — A very dwarf plant, and especially 

 valuable in the rock garden, as its brilliant yellow flowers are 

 produced from June to Au- 

 gust, and thus it maintains 

 a rich display after the early- 

 blooming members of this 

 family have lost their beau- 

 ties. Native of Eussia. 



Dkaea azoides. — This ele- 

 gant native species presents 

 quite a dense mass of bright 

 yellow in April and May. It 

 has a splendid effect in the 

 rockery, and is also valuable 

 as an edging plant for the 

 parterre, where spring bed- 

 ding is patronised. 



Dkaea glacialis is another 

 very beautiful dwarf species, 

 growing 4 or 5 inches high. 

 It is dense and compact, pro- 

 ducing its gay yellow blooms 

 in April and May. It should 

 be grown in deep sandy loam. 

 .Native of the Pyrenees. 



Neeteka depkessa. — This 

 charming little plant belongs 

 io the order Cinchonacea?, 

 and is not introduced here 

 on account of the beauty of 

 its flowers, for they are small 

 and inconspicuous, but these 

 .small blooms are succeeded 

 hy a profusion of deep orange- 

 coloured berries about the 

 size of a large pea, which, 

 contrasted with the deep green of the leaves, render it a lovely 

 object on a rockery. The plant is dwarf and compact, forming 

 handsome little rosettes. It is from the antarctic regions, and 

 is reputed to be the southernmost member of the order. 



Spik^a palmata. — Beyond doubt this is one of the very best 

 herbaceous plants which have been introduced from Japan. 

 It attains a height of about 2 feet; the leaves are large, deep 

 green, and palmately lobed, the stems and branches being 

 reddish purple. The flowers are produced in terminal corymbs, 

 and are rich crimson, shading off to rosy purple. It blooms 

 profusely throughout June and July, forming a delightful 

 ornament either in the garden or when used in vases for the 

 decoration of apartments, a purpose for which it is admirably 

 adapted. — Expekto Ckede. 



Draba azoides. 



BEPOET ON GAEDEN PEAS. -No. 1. 

 During these twenty years the numerous names that have 

 ■been given to the different varieties of Peas have been most 

 puzzling, and have led to great confusion. A variety of great 

 excellence is allowed to degenerate, and in due course it gradu- 

 ally becomes like anything but what it originally was. Some 

 grower has been careful to keep his stock very select, and find- 

 ing in time that it is much superior to the degenerated one 

 which is in general cultivation, he concludes that he has secured 

 something new, and presently announces it to the world under 

 ,a new name, and at a high price. But it is the old variety 

 notwithstanding. It is generally the best varieties that are 

 liable to this, and we have seen crops of what were called 

 Champion of England and Ne Plus Ultra, which resembled 

 ihese only in name, while the true varieties were growing 

 alongside under their new designations. 



It is, therefore, for the purpose of attempting to bring order 

 out of confusion, and of placing on record the true characters 

 of all the varieties, that I have undertaken for the third time 

 during the last twenty years to report on the subject. In this 

 I have combined all the former reports, so as to make the 

 subject as complete as possible. 



I.— FBAME PEAS. 



Dillistone's Early (Garter's First Crop; Sutton's Ring- 

 leader; Clarke's Bapid Prolific). — The plant is of a slender 

 habit of growth, producing a simple stem 2 feet high, bearing 

 on an average from seven to nine pods. These are generally 

 single, but occasionally in pairs, almost straight, and containing 

 seven peas in each. The ripe seed is Email, smooth, and white. 



This is the earliest of all the white-seeded Peas, and, with 

 the exception of Mr. Laxton's Harbinger, is the earliest known. 

 When this variety first appeared, twelve or fourteen years ago, 

 and before it had been allow r ed to degenerate, it was far in ad- 

 vance of every other variety. Sown on the 19th of February, 

 the plants were a mass of bloom on the 19th of May. On the 

 5th of June the blooms dropped and the slats appeared, and on 

 the 22nd of June the whole crop was ready to be gathered. At 

 that period it was quite seven to eight days earlier than a per- 

 fectly pure stock of Sangster's No. 1, which up to that time had 

 been regarded as the earliest of all. A striking feature of Dil- 

 listone's Early is, when pure, that the plants are all of a uni- 

 form height, they bloom in a mass, the pods all appear together, 

 and the whole crop is ready to be gathered at the same time. 



Sangsteb's No. 1 (Daniel O'Bourke ; Carter's Earliest; 

 Dickson's First and Best; Sutton's Champion; Sutton's Im- 

 proved Early Champion ; Dickson's Climax ; Washington ; 

 Isherwood's Bailway ; Early Caractacus ; Taber's Perfection; 

 Hooper's Early Bivat). — This variety is of a slender habit of 

 growth, more so than Early Emperor, and consists of a single 

 stem 2 feet high, producing, on an average, from eight to ten 

 pods on each plant. Pods generally single, but frequently in 

 pairs, 10J inches long, and upwards of half an inch wide, quite 

 straight, thick, and plump, and terminating abruptly at the 

 point. When fully grown they become much swollen, broad in 

 the back, and somewhat round or quadrangular. They contain, 

 on an average, seven, but frequently eight, peas. The ripe seed 

 is white. This and Waite's Daniel O'Bourke were sown in ad- 

 joining rows 5th of April, 1853, and came into bloom on the 

 5th of June ; on the 9th the first blooms began to drop, and the 

 slats (young pods) to appear; by the 22nd the whole plants were 

 nearly out of bloom ; and on the 1st of July the pods were quite 

 filled and ready to gather. I was most particular in my obser- 

 vation of these two varieties, as it had been said by some that 

 they are distinct. That there should be no mistake I procured 

 Sangster's No. 1 from Mr. Sangster, and Daniel O'Bourke from 

 Mr. Waite. They were sown on the same day, came up on the 

 same day, slatted on the same day, podded on the same day, 

 and died-off on the same day, after having attained the same 

 height, and presented the same habit of growth. This is a very 

 valuable Pea. It is not so tall by some inches as Emperor, 

 stops growing and blooming much sooner, and is ripening-off 

 when Emperor is still fresh and growing. In this respect it is 

 very valuable to the gardener, as it enables him, after obtaining 

 a prolific crop of early Peas, to clear the ground for something 

 else. It comes into use seven days later than Dillistone's Early, 

 and matures its crop more slowly. 



Eakly Kent (Early May ; Prince Albert). — The true Early 

 Kent is now almost, if not quite, out of cultivation, and de- 

 servedly so, its place having been occupied by Dillistone's Early, 

 a more prolific and an equally early Pea. It is of a very slender 

 habit of growth, and rarely more than 2 feet high, producing a 

 scanty crop of small ill-filled pods. Its only recommendation, 

 even in its best days, was its earliness. It was this variety 

 which was formerly grown extensively at Higham, in Kent, a 

 very early locality, from which the first Peas of the season 

 came into the London markets. 



Taylob's Pkolific — The pods are all strictly single, and are of 

 the size and shape of Sangster's No. 1, containing on an average 

 from six to seven peas in each. The plant is 2 feet high, and pro- 

 duces perfect pods even to the top of the haulm, when the whole 

 ripen-off simultaneously. Taylor's Prolific seems to be a very 

 superior variety of the old Early Kent, frorn which it has, no 

 doubt, originated. 



Eably Empeeoe (Early Sebastopol; Morning Star ; Bising 

 Sun; Warner's Conqueror ; Warner's Emperor). — Plant of a 

 slender habit of growth, always with a single stem, which is 

 2t to 3 feet high, and produces from eight to ten pods on each 

 plant. Pods generally single, but frequently in pairs, from 2 J to 

 3 inches long, perfectly straight, and terminating abruptly at 

 the end. They are well filled, and contain from five to seven 

 peas, which are roundish and flattened, seven-twentieths of an 

 inch long, six-twentieths broad, and the same in thickness. 

 The ripe seed is white. 



The seed was sown on the 5th of April, 1851, and the plants 

 came into bloom on the 5th of June ; the blooms began to drop 



