400 



JOUENAL OF HOBTICULTUEE AND COTTAGE GAKDENEB. 



[ November 21, 1872. 



in this, and loam adheres to the roots when repotting them for 

 housing in September. 



Plants from cuttings are better in every respect than seed- 

 lings. The Peach-leaved, dark-leaved and barked, is better 

 than the light-coloured oval-leaved variety. — J. Boss. 



EEPOET ON GARDEN PEAS.— No. 2. 



IV.— PRUSSIAN PEAS. 



Skin blue. Foliage 



Bipe seed small, almost round, smooth. 

 tlark green, blotched. 



Harbinger. — This is the earliest of all the Peas, coming into 

 use three days before Dillistone's Early, and six days before 

 Sangster's No. 1. It was raised by Mr. Laxton from crossing 

 Dillistone's Early and Alpha. The plant has the same habit 

 of growth as Dillistone's, and grows from 2i to 3 feet high. The 

 stem is simple, producing from seven to eight pods, which are 

 generally single, small, plump, and rounded, slightly curved, 

 very tightly filled, and of a light green colour. They each con- 

 tain about six peas, which are of an excellent flavour. Bipe 

 seed small, round, light blue. 



In the experiments of this year it was sown on the 23rd of 

 February, the first flower opened on the 9th of May, the plants 

 were in full bloom May 15th, slats appeared May 21st, and the 

 crop was fit for use on the Gth of June. This received a first- 

 class certificate from the Royal Horticultural Society. 



Kentish Invecta. — This very closely resembles Harbinger, 

 but is seven days later. 



Carter's First Crop Blue. — This bears ^* 



a very close resemblance to Burbidge's 

 Eclipse. It is from 18 inches to 2 feet 

 high, and of robust growth, producing 

 from eight to nine pods on each plant, 

 which are either single or in pairs. The 

 pods are rather short, but broad, of a light 

 green colour, very slightly curved, and 

 blunt-ended. They contain from five to 

 six peas of medium size, and do not 

 always fill equally well. Bipe seed blue, 

 large, round, and smooth. 



This is six days later than Kentish In- 

 victa, and thirteen days later than Har- 



Groom's Superb (Blue Spanish Dwarf ; 

 Blue Fan). — The plant grows from 

 18 inches to 2 feet high, and has a simple 

 stem, bearing from eight to ten pods. The 

 pods are single or in pairs, in about equal 

 proportion, and contain six to seven peas 

 in each. The ripe seed is small, round, 

 and pale blue. 



This is now almost entirely out of cul- 

 tivation, being surpassed by several other 

 varieties of superior merit. It conies 

 into use at the same time as Woodford 

 Marrow and Flack's Imperial. 



Woodeord Marrow. — Plant of a strong 

 and robust habit of growth, like a vigor- 

 ous-growing Marrow, with a stem 3 1 feet 

 high, which is sometimes simple, but 

 generally branching at about half its 

 height from the ground, and the foliage 

 is dark bluish green and blotched. The 

 pods begin to be produced at little more 

 than half the height of the plant, and 

 from that point to the top every joint pro- 

 duces single or double pods, amounting 

 in all to eleven on each ; they are single 

 or in pairs, in about equal proportions, 

 about 3i inches long, seven- tenths of an 

 inch broad, quite smooth, and of a very dark green colour. 

 When ready to gather they are rather flattened, but as they 

 become ripe they assume a round shape. They contain on an 

 average eight peas in each, which are of a very dark olive green 

 colour, rather thick in the skin, and very closely packed, so 

 much so as to be quite flattened on the sides adjoining. 



This is a very characteristic Pea, and may at once be detected 

 from all others, either by the ripe seed or the growing plants, 

 from the very peculiar dark green colour which, when true, it 

 always exhibits. This variety comes in at the same time as 

 the Imperials, and, on account of its fine dark green pod, is an 

 excellent Pea to grow for market ; but it is one that requires to 

 be very carefully selected when grown for seed, as it has a great 

 tendency to degenerate back to the Blue Prussian, from which 

 it has evidently been raised. 



Batt's Wonder. — The plant is of a strong and sturdy habit, 

 with a thick stem 21 feet high, generally simple, but sometimes 

 branching, and having large dark green foliage. The pods are 

 produced in pairs, on an average of from twelve to eighteen on 



Carter's First Crop 

 Blue. 



each plant ; they are curved like those of the Scimitar, and con- 

 tain from nine to eleven good-sized peas. The ripe seed is small, 

 dark bluish green, of the colour of that of the Woodford Marrow. 



In the trial of 1859 this was found to withstand the dry 

 weather better than any other variety ; but in 1860 it suffered 

 from the coldness of the season, and the pods filled irregularly. 

 It is a very excellent and productive kind, as much so as the 

 Scimitar, and the pods and peas are of the same dark dull 

 bluish green colour as those of the Woodford Marrow. 



Green Noyon. — The habit of growth is like that of Blue 

 Prussian, having a stem about 2i feet high, with deep green 

 foliage, and producing eight to nine pods, generally in pairs. 

 Pods pale green, small, round, nearly straight, containing five 

 tosixsmallpeas. Bipe seed light green, small, round, and smooth. 



It is in use at the same time as several other Peas of much 

 superior quality, and is, therefore, worthless. 



Blue Prussian. — Plant of a vigorous but not robust habit of 

 growth, with a single stem about 3 feet high, and which is 

 sometimes branching. The pods are generally produced in 

 pairs, but are also sometimes single, and vary from twelve to 

 sixteen on each plant. They are from 2f to 3 inches long, three- 

 quarters of an inch wide, somewhat curved, and rather broader 

 towards the point, where they terminate abruptly. They con- 

 tain about seven peas, which are four-tenths of an inch long, 

 seven-twentieths wide, and about the same in thickness, and 

 compressed on the sides from being so close together. The 

 ripe seed is blue. 



This is a very old and popular variety, extensively used in 

 field culture and market gardens on account of its great f ertility 

 — a character which it maintains superior to any of the other 

 blue Peas, most, and indeed all, of which during the past season 

 have exhibited much less hardy constitutions. 



Evergreen. — This is a new variety of Mr. Laxton's, growing 

 5 to 6 feet high, and having the habit of Auvergne, with rather 

 smaU pale green foliage. Stem generally simple, producing 

 from fourteen to sixteen pods, which are in pairs. They are 

 rather small, slightly curved, and blunt-pointed ; very closely 

 filled with from seven to eight medium-sized peas of a bright 

 green colour, tinged with dark green. This is an inferior Pea, 

 which comes into use at the same time as Scimitar. 

 T.— IMPERIAL PEAS. 



Bipe seed large and irregular in shape. Skin thick, blue. 

 Foliage large, dark green, and blotched. 



Nimrod. — This new variety of Mr. Laxton's is slender in its 



Nimrod. Griffin. Blue Peter. 



habit of growth, and in general appearance resembles Alpha. 

 It is from 3 to i feet high. The stem is simple, and bears from 



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