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JOURNAL OP HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 



[ November 14, 1872. 



Pea, as a variety, exists only in name. For very many years it 

 was the most extensively cultivated and the most highly 

 esteemed of all the varieties then known. It was the earliest 

 and the best, and the care bestowed on the growth and selection 

 of the stock was as great as is now exercised on that of Emperors 

 or Number Ones. The same propensity for the multiplication 

 of the names of a good thing seems to have been as great in 

 former ages as in this ; and hence we find Charltons and Hot- 

 spurs with designations almost as numerous as the names of the 

 persons who grew them. 



The original name of the Charlton Pea was Hotspur, still 

 used by -some, and by contraction Hots ; or, rather, it may be 

 that Hots is the original, for I have somewhere read, in an 

 old author, the word " hot " made use of in the same sense 

 as we do "early." I do not know at what period this variety 

 first became known; but I can trace it as far back as the 

 year 1670, and from that period till about 1770, or as nearly as 

 possible for one century, it continued to stand first in the lists as 

 the earliest Pea, until it was supplanted by the Early Frame, 

 about 1770. The various names by which it was known during 

 the last century were Reading Hotspur, Master's or Flander's 

 Hotspur, Golden Hotspur, Brompton Hotspur, Essex Hotspur, 

 Omerod^s Hotspur, Early Nichols's Hotspur, Charlton Hotspur, 

 and, finally, Early Charlton. The last name became general 

 about 1750. There can be no doubt that these names were 

 applied much in the same way as we have described under Early 

 Frame, and that the varieties were distinguishable according to 

 the care with which the growers selected them. Master's Hot- 

 spur, which is still retained in some catalogues of the present 

 day, was so called from a person of that name, who, it is said, 

 selected it, and who was a nurseryman at Strand-ou-the-Green, 

 near Brentford, 140 years ago. It has also been called Hastings, 

 Marquis of Hastings, and Essex Readings. 



It is not in our power to furnish a description and a figure 

 of this variety, for, as we have said, there is in reality no such 

 thing as the Charlton Pea in existence. That which is sold for 

 Charltons is any degenerated stock of Early Frames, or any 

 stock of Frames which cannot be warranted or depended upon, 

 but which are, nevertheless, of such a character as to admit of 

 their being grown as garden varieties. Let writers on garden- 

 ing, therefore, be careful in future, when called on for a list 

 of Peas, not to give, as is often done, the Charlton as " the 

 best second early." There is no distinct variety grown for 

 Charltons by the seed-growers. 



Dwarf Waterloo Branching. — This closely resembles Bishop's 

 Long-podded, but is two days earlier. In other respects there is 

 really no difference. 



Nabob (Laxton). — This was raised by Mr. Laxton from a cross 

 made between Little Gem and Laxton's Prolific Long-pod. The 

 plant is 18 inches to 2 feet high, strong and robust in habit, with 

 large dark green foliage. It produces from ten to twelve pods, 

 which are long and curved, of a deep green colour, and contain- 

 ing from seven to nine medium-sized pale green peas. This is 

 the largest and most handsome of the dwarf early white Peas, 

 and it is exceedingly productive. 



Royal Dwarf (White Prussian; Poor Man's Profit; Dwarf 

 Prolific). — Plant of medium growth, with an erect stem, which 

 is 3 feet high, generally simple, but occasionally branching. 

 The pods are sometimes single and sometimes in pairs, but 

 generally single, and from 2A to 3 inches long, half an inch 

 broad, almost straight, and somewhat tapering to the point; the 

 surface is quite smooth, and the colour bright green. They are 

 generally well filled, and contain from five to six peas, which are 

 somewhat ovate, not compressed, eight-twentieths long, seven- 

 twentieths broad, and the same in thickness. 



The ripe seed is white. The seed was sown on the 5th of 

 April, and the plants bloomed on the 26th of June. The blooms 

 dropped and the slats appeared, and on the 16th of July the pods 

 were fit to be gathered. 



This is an old and very prolific variety, well adapted for 

 field culture; and long a favourite in gardens, but now super- 

 seded. 



Clamart. — The plant is very vigorous, and in its habit much 

 resembles Early Emperor. It grows late, and maintains its 

 fine green foliage to the last. Pods generally in pairs, pro- 

 duced in succession, from sixteen to eighteen on each stem, and 

 containing from six to eight peas each. It is a week later than 

 Early Emperor. 



Peabody. — This is of a dwarf, bushy, and compact habit, and 

 the leaves are rather small, numerous, and of a bright green 

 colour. The stem is 2i feet high and branching. Pods rather 

 narrow, small, and extremely well filled, deep green, and con- 

 taining from six to seven rather small peas. This is a very pro- 

 ductive variety, aud stands the dry weather well, but is of 

 inferior quality. It is eight days later than Auvergne, and five 

 days later than Royal Dwarf. 



Victoria Branching (Paul's Early Dwarf; Paul's Prolific). — 

 Plant with a strong robust habit of growth, 3 feet high. The 

 stem is generally simple, but sometimes branching, and bears 

 from twelve to sixteen pods, which are 3 to 3J inches long and 



half an inch broad, and contain from seven to eight large peas. 

 The foliage is dark green. Ripe seed white. 



This is a very abundant bearer; it is three days later than Royal 

 Dwarf. 



Crown (Bunch; Cluster ; Mummy). — This is a very charac- 

 teristic variety, known at once by producing its pods at the 

 extremity of the stem in a bunch or tassel. The plant is 4-i to 

 5 feet high ; the stem gradually increasing in thickness from 

 the root upwards, in some instances to the thickness of a man's 

 thumb, when it becomes quite dilated, producing twenty-four 

 to thirty pods in a bunch. These are small, round, and well 

 filled, in appearance like those of Early Emperor, and containing 

 from four to seven small peas. Ripe seed small, round, and white. 



This curious but useless Pea, sown on the 23rd of February, 

 first bloomed on the 16th of June, and was in full bloom on the 

 17th. The slats appeared on the 21st of June, and the crop was 

 ready for use on the 1st of July. 



H.— MABEOW PEAS. 



Ripe seed white, large, smooth, uneven, compressed, irregular 

 or egg-shaped. Skin thick. Foliage blotched. 



Paradise Marrow (Champion of Paris ; Excelsior Marrow ; 

 Knight's Excelsior ; Stuart's Paradise). — This was introduced 

 in 1851, and in my published description at the time I remarked 

 — This is a novelty which fully maintains the high character 

 with which it was brought out. It is as yet very little known, 

 having appeared at a time when the public were somewhat 

 awakened to the necessity of caution with which new varieties 

 ought to be received. As regards this, however, there need not 

 be the slightest misgiving, as I have found it to be one of those 

 which must ultimately become one of the standard sorts if pre- 

 served in its present true character. The pod is of very large 

 size, remarkably well filled with a deliciously flavoured Marrow 

 Pea, and is fit to be gathered as soon, or at most within a day of 

 the Ringwood Marrow. With such properties, therefore, every- 

 one will allow it is a variety well worthy of general cultivation. 



The plant is of a strong and vigorous habit of growth, with a 

 stem from 5 to 6 feet high, which is branching towards the top. 

 The pods are generally single, but frequently in pairs, about 

 4 inches long, nearly three-quarters of an inch wide, remarkably 

 well and closely filled with from seven to nine large peas, and 

 when they begin to ripen they are thick-backed, succulent, and 

 fleshy. The ripe seed is white, round, and smooth. 



This does its work very quickly, at least much more so than 

 some others ; for although it came into bloom five days later 

 than the Ringwood, it was not, even at the utmost, more than 

 two days behind it in podding. 



Dixon's Early Dwarf Paragon. — In its habit of growth this 

 resembles Bishop's Early Dwarf. The plant is from 2 to 2! feet 

 high, with a robust branching stem which bears from sixteen 

 to eighteen pods, generally in pairs. They are of a fine deep 

 green colour, but do not fill well, containing from five to six 

 medium-sized peas. Ripe seed large, white, flattened, and in- 

 dented. It comes into use at the same time as Paradise Marrow 

 and Bishop's Long-podded. 



Harrison's Perfection. — Plant with a robust habit of growth, 

 having a thick succulent stem, 3 to 3£ feet high, and large dark 

 green foliage. The pods are produced in pairs from every joint, 

 averaging sixteen or eighteen on a plant, but they are very 

 irregularly and badly filled, and contain only from four to six 

 peas. The peas are large and thick-skinned. Ripe seed white, 

 medium-sized, and somewhat Lentil-shaped. 



"When this was first introduced it was considered a great 

 acquisition, as being an early dwarf Marrow Pea, and as such it 

 would have deserved all that was said in its favour, provided it 

 had not the very objectionable property of filling irregularly. 

 The pods early assume the appearance of being ready for use, 

 but when opened are found to contain half-grown peas, four to- 

 six of which only come to maturity. It ripens at the same time 

 as Prizetaker and Paradise Marrow, and is some days later than 

 Advancer, which has the same habit, is far more productive, 

 and has the additional advantage of being a sweet wrinkled Pea. 

 Laxton's Prolific Long Pod (Laxton's Prolific Selected). — 

 It is to be noted that there are two varieties of Peas in culti- 

 vation under this name ; one has the ripe seed white, and the 

 other is mixed white and olive. The former, with white seed, 

 is the true, and the latter is merely an inferior stock of Prize- 

 taker Green Marrow. 



The true plant is of a robust and vigorous habit of growth, 

 and with large pale-blotched foliage. The stem is from 5 to 

 7 feet high, producing from twelve to fourteen pods, which are 

 in pairs. The pods are very large, of a pale green colour, broad, 

 much curved, and pointed, and containing from seven to nine 

 medium-sized peas. Ripe seed white, indented. 



The seed was sown on the 23rd of February. The first flowers 

 appeared on the 1st of June, and the plants were in full flower 

 on the 5th. The slats appeared on the 11th of June, and the 

 crop was fit to gather on the 25th — that is, within a day of 

 Paradise Marrow. 



Thurston's Rellince (Beliance Marrow). — The plant is a 

 strong and very robust grower, always with a simple stem, 



