December 15, 1897.] 



Garden and Forest. 



495 



Cultural Department. 



New Vegetables. 



Gregory's Surprise Pea.— This is an American variety said to 

 have resulted from cross-breeding the Earliest of All and the 

 American Wonder. The vine and leaf resemble those of the 

 first sort. The green and dry peas are much like those of 

 American Wonder, while the pod is intermediate in character. 

 I have had it under observation in a small way for three sea- 

 sons, and with me the comparatively slender vine grows to the 

 height of about two and a half feet, does not branch, and bears 

 its pods singly, the lower one at the seventh to the ninth node. 

 The earliest pods have become fit for use a little before those of 

 the Earliest of All, but it has not furnished a picking any sooner 

 nor has it matured all of its crop quite so early. With me the 

 vine has not been quite so hardy, vigorous or productive as 

 the Earliest of All, but the difference has been so slight as to 

 be of no practical importance. The pods are a little shorter 

 and more cylindrical than those of the Earliest of All and a 

 little less in diameter than those of the American Wonder, and 

 they are less attractive. The green peas are much the best in 

 quality of any of the first early sorts, and superior in sweet- 

 ness, tenderness and flavor to those of the Station, Eclipse or 

 Gradus. They are better even than Alpha, and, of course, 

 incomparably better than any of the smooth and hard sorts 

 like Earliest of All and First and Best. When ripe they resem- 

 ble those of the Alpha, being quite as small and wrinkled, but 

 a little more square in shape and a trifle darker in color. I 

 have not had an opportunity to see the variety under field cul- 

 tivation, and it is hardly fair to judge of the purity and even- 

 ness of stock from the small quantities I have seen grown, 

 which have been very good in these respects. It is reputed to 

 come true and to show little tendency to sport. I question 

 whether this will become a popularsorton the market because 

 of its comparatively small and unattractive pods, but it will be 

 welcomed by those whose judgment is not unduly influenced 

 by appearances as a really good first early pea. As far as I 

 can judge from my limited acquaintance with it this is the best 

 first early for the home garden which has yet been produced. 



The Gradus Pea. — This variety has been in cultivation in 

 England for several years, but the quantity obtainable has 

 been so small that the past season was the first that it has been 

 extensively tried in this country. The vine grows to the height 

 of from two to three and a half feet, is a little coarse-stemmed, 

 with rather long nodes, and usually bears from four to six 

 large, and two to three smaller pods, the lower one from about 

 the eighth node. It rarely branches, even when given plenty 

 of room, and has not proved with me very hardy or productive, 

 but is better in both these respects than the Telephone was on 

 its first introduction. I believe that stock grown for a few 

 generations in this country will show even greater improve- 

 ment in these respects than has developed in that variety. The 

 pods first formed can be used about the same time as those of 

 the Alaska or a good strain of Extra Early, but the crop does 

 not mature so early or evenly, and will generally require sev- 

 eral pickings to secure it. The individual pods remain in 

 good condition much longer than those of most early sorts. 

 The leaves are above medium size and the stipules are very 

 large, so large as to distinguish the variety from all others, 

 especially as they are a distinct light yellowish green color. 

 The pods in size, shape and color closely resemble those of 

 the Telephone, and are quite as handsome and attractive. 

 They usually contain six to eight peas, and occasionally one is 

 found having as many as ten. The green peas are very large, 

 light bright green, oval in shape, and I think are sweeter and 

 more tender than those of the Telephone. The dry peas are 

 above medium size, coarsely and deeply wrinkled, and when 

 well harvested and cured are a light green color, though if 

 exposed to the sun in harvesting they bleach to a bright light 

 yellow. Most of the stocks we have seen are much more pure 

 and true than one can usually obtain of the newer English 

 sorts, and with me the variety has shown little tendency to 

 sport or run off in type. I am not certain what the future of 

 this new Pea will be. Its earliness, the large size and beauti- 

 ful appearance of the pod, and the excellent quality of the peas 

 make it a most desirable sort for the market gardener, but its 

 slow maturing, so that it requires a number of pickings to 

 gather the crop, and its habit of growth, which calls for a lib- 

 eral use of seed, are against it as a commercial variety. But 

 these very qualities are in its favor for use in the home garden, 

 and I think that it will find many friends among amateur 

 gardeners and become extremely popular. 



Golden Hubbard Squash. — This new squash has been before 

 the public for two years and has proved to be a distinct and 



fairly well-fixed variety of evident merit. The vine is vigorous 

 and hardy, in general character like that of Hubbard, but on 

 our rich soils it does not grow quite so rank, and in such cases 

 instead of expending its surplus energy in the production of a 

 few overgrown specimens it tends rather to develop a greater 

 number of fruits of normal size. It matures some of its fruits 

 quite early, nearly as early as the Prolific Marrow, and with me 

 has always given a large crop, which has ripened before and 

 much more uniformly than the Hubbard. The fruits are 

 about the size and shape of a small and rather long Hubbard 

 squash, the length coming from the projections at the stem 

 and blossom ends being rather longer, and they are also gen- 

 erally more curved. It is very hard-shelled and uniformly 

 warty, though the protuberances are smaller and less pro- 

 nounced than in a warty Hubbard, and the projections at each 

 end are smooth-skinned. When ripe the color is a rich orange- 

 red, of a deeper and redder tint than that of Prolific Marrow, 

 and about one and a half inches of the blossom end is dull 

 olive-green, like a light-colored Hubbard. Some fruits show 

 narrow, indistinct lighter stripes running from the blossom 

 end, similar to those which the seed breeders have tried so 

 hard to get rid of in the Hubbard. With me these fruits have 

 proved as good or better keepers than those of the old sort. 

 The flesh is a deep rich reddish orange color, darker than that 

 of any winter squash I know, very fine-grained and brittle, and 

 I have never seen one which was coarse-grained or had the 

 objectionable green dots and shades found near the skin in 

 most Hubbard squashes. The flesh is, however, only moder- 

 ately thick, and the sort can probably be improved in this 

 respect by selection. When cooked the flesh is very dry, often 

 rather too much so, of fine color and grain, sweet and good- 

 flavored, practically like that of the Hubbard, though if Ewere 

 obliged to decide between the two on this point I should give 

 the choice to the older sort. 



Since the Hubbard squash was first introduced every few 

 years there has appeared some new variety which it was 

 claimed was better in some respects and just as good in all other 

 particulars, and sure to displace the old sort. But after a few 

 years' trial each of these has disappeared to be followed by 

 another sort with the same history. To-day the majority of 

 gardeners and consumers regard the Hubbard as by far the best 

 winter squash, and I am not bold enough to say that it will 

 ever give place to the Golden Hubbard or any other sort. It 

 seems to me, however, that this new variety has some advan- 

 tages over the old ; it is more desirable in size and it is more 

 uniform in this respect ; it matures earlier and more uni- 

 formly ; the exterior color is far more attractive than the dead 

 green of the old sort ; the flesh when cooked is of much better 

 color and is practically the same in quality. It seems to me 

 that the old stock may have to give way to an improved and 

 beautiful descendant. 

 Detroit, Mich. Will IV. Tracy. 



Amaryllis. 



'"FHOSE who saw the magnificent lot of seedling Amaryllis 

 -*• exhibited by Mr. Kenneth Findlayson, gardener for Dr. Weld, 

 Brookline, which were shown in Horticultural Hall, Boston, 

 last spring, will not soon forget it. These gorgeous bulbous 

 plants have been imported at high prices from European 

 raisers. There has been little thought of the possibilities of 

 procuring stock at home. A beginning has been made in 

 southern California, where the climate is favorable, to grow 

 seedlings for the trade supply, The finest varieties, however, 

 do not come in wholesale lots, and it is only by thorough and 

 persistent effort that they are obtainable. 



As the season for these remarkable flowers approaches, 

 some account of the methods of seeding and raising them 

 may be timely. To cultivators who can find the time required 

 this will prove an interesting occupation. The flowers do not 

 appear to be self-fertilizing. No seeds are produced unless the 

 work is done artificially. The stamens are always ready 

 before the pistils, whose tips reflex, becoming triclavate and 

 gummy before they are ready to receive the pollen. But as the 

 pollen will keep some time after it is ripe I always take the 

 stamens off before crossing them with other pollen. To indi- 

 cate how long pollen will keep fresh I was at North Easton one 

 Friday, where the late Mr. William Robinson had some choice 

 varieties in bloom ; he kindly packed some stameris in tissue 

 paper, which I put in my pocket, and forgot until the following 

 Sunday. This pollen took well, and now I have a fine batch of 

 seedlings which will flower this winter and spring from these 

 crosses. When the pollen has taken the flowers drop and the 

 capsules swell at once. It takes about six weeks lor them to 

 mature, and when ready they open longitudinally. As many 

 as fifty seeds may be produced from a single capsule, and 



