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Arthur T. Boddington. 342 West 14th St.. New York City 



A Short History of the Sweet Pea 



By the REV. W. T. HUTCHINS. California 

 A noted authority on the Sweet Pea 



C"^^OMPARISONS are not always accepted graciously among 

 people, but among tlowers w e have thought there could 

 be but one Oueen, but why not (Jueens ? W'e cannot say 

 less than that the Sweet Pea, in iis present development 

 ' of courtly beauty, is a yueen. Its present stage of devel- 

 opment is simply phenomenal. Its range of color and improved 

 form, and the pleasure of growing it at its best, almost challenges 

 rivalry. Twice in its recent history it has been made into a new 

 flower, once by Henry Kckford, who made it into the grandi- 

 fiora form, and now by a numerous coterie of enthusiasts, who 

 have made it into the latest L'nwin and Spencer type. 



As far back as the memory of the oldest person, it has always 

 been a garden favorite ; but now it is of such imjiortance that 

 both Great Britain and the I niled States have their National 

 Sweet Pea Societies. (See 2d cover page.) 



If we mean by the history of the Sweet Pea its earliest intro- 

 duction to our notice, we go back to the Italian monk Cupani, 

 who found it in .Sicily and, in 1700, sent seeds of it to Uvedale, 

 in ICngland. This was celebrated at tiie 15i-Centennial held at 

 Crystal Palace, in London, in 1900. Mr. S. 1'. Dick, of London, 

 is the Sweet Pea anticiuarian who has ransacked European 

 libraries to find the auliienlic data. The original colors, so far 

 as known, were red, jjurple and white. The old popular Painted 

 Lady was probably known at an early date. A hundred years 

 later, John Mason olTered black, purple, scarlet, white and 

 Painted Lady. These were what we call tlie old-fashioned Sweet 

 Peas. We then have to take another long lean forward. In 1866, 

 Carter put out Invincible Scarlet. In 1877, Benary offered the 

 first flesh pink, Crown Princess of Prussia. In 1877, Sutton in- 

 troduces Butterlly, the white and blue boi dered variety. In 1880, 

 Invincible Scarlet Striped was offered by Carter. Fairy Queen, 

 a white with delicate carmine pencillings appeared in 1882. Capt. 

 Clark, the first tricolor was another. Adonis came from Carter's 

 in 1884, the first rose-pink. Dark striped sorts were not un- 

 common. By this time Mr. Eckford had been at work several 

 years preparing for his great chapter in the history of this flower. 

 And Mr. Laxton, of Bedford, England, was also doing some- 

 thing along these lines. The list of introductions from this time 

 multiplied. Mr. Eckford's first varieties were not specially 

 novel in color, but when he brought out Orange Prince, in 1886, 

 and Boreatton, the d.irk velvety maroon, in 18S7, it was evident 

 that he had mastered the secret of making new colors. Duchess 

 of Edinburgh was another with great prophetic promise in it. 

 But none of these could compare with the later grandiflora 

 novelties. From 1876 till his death, three years ago, he devoted 

 himself to the development of the Sweet Pea. 



Mr. Eckford was a Scotchman and a peer among the 

 thoroughly trained gardeners of Great Britain. His floral work- 

 shop, at \Vem, Shropshire, England, comprising several acres, 

 was a Mecca to those who enjoyed the privilege of visiting him. 

 His name must always stand first in the history of this flower. 



While the Sweet Pea is taking a new type, a more graceful 

 form today, quite distinct from Mr. Eckford's best novelties, to 

 him more than to anybody else is due the splendid range of color 

 that we now have. Practically every one but true yellow. As 

 to the number of listed names, counting all to date, there are 

 about six hundred. Probably, out of these, two hundred are 

 sufficiently distinct to hold a place in a strictly judged exhibit. 

 Mr. Eckford lived long enough to see the advent of the new 

 chapter in this flower, the story of what is called the Spencer 

 type. No one knows why, after Mr. Elckford had brought the 

 flower to its grandiflora stage, in which it took the graceful 

 hooded form, there should still be locked up in its sacred 

 chamber a new and still more beautiful form. Nature still held 

 in reserve the surprise that bnjke into \ iew when the first 



Countess of Spencer bloomed. It seemed to be ambitious to 

 make an orchid of itself. It has been called the Orchid-flowered 

 Sweet Pea. Both standard and wings take in so much new fabric 

 that it is disposed of in fluted and wavy form. And all the colors 

 are coining to this Spencer type. When, twenty years ago, there 

 was no Sweet Pea literature, what has since been written on 

 this flower might almost be said to be a library. Its culli.re ex- 

 cites the liveliest competition. But while in Great Britain the 

 enthusiasm isnowatitsheight, twenty years ago Mr. Eckford was 

 t|uietly winning certificates. About that time attention was at- 

 tracted in this country to the merit of Mr. Eckford's work and 

 soon a wave of interest swept over the United States. The de- 

 mand leaped from pounds to tons of Sweet Pea seed, and the 

 growing of Sweet Pea seed was taken up in California and else- 

 where as one of the chief sources of connnercial value. It seemed 

 like a new flower and no American garden was complete with- 

 out a row of improved Sweet Peas. Their new popularity re- 

 sulted before long in overdoing the matter and what had 

 previously been an easy flower to grow began to give trouble. 

 Nature entered its protest against such a craze, and certain forms 

 of plant weakness and insect pests seriously disputed the way 

 with even the most skilled gardeners. But, in the meantime, 

 many fine exhibitions had been held in the larger cities. Before 

 Great Britain had really waked up we had our feast. And then, 

 after we had thoroughly advertised Mr. Pxkford's work. Great 

 Britain felt the contagion and now for about ten years the "storm 

 center" has been there. And to their credit it should he said, 

 when they did wake up they took hold of the work in thorough 

 fashion. Kir. Eckford himself had been an old gardener on fine 

 estates, and when the new Countess of Spencer appeared, in 

 1901, it was shown by Mr. Silas Cole, a gardener on an English 

 estate. And this was the beginning of the new race of Sw eet Peas. 



It is but an aggravation to try to condense the story of thf 

 present enthusiasm over this flower. Last year about seventj 

 novelties were offered for judgment at the English shows. Ii 

 every way the interest is stimulated. Great pains are taken ther« 

 by deep culture of the soil, and by planting in pots, to get then 

 into early bloom. They vie with each other and they scold eacl 

 other for everything not up to catalogue promise. They hav 

 gold medals and silver cups. And, too, they begin to see ' 'break 

 ers" ahead as we did in this country. The writer hopes, w 

 shall, in America, be ready to take up the torch of enthusiasr 

 and run with it w hen nature compels them there to take a rest. 



As to the specific matter of merit of varieties up to date, th 

 writer would say, he made a careful study of about five hundre 

 trials at the extensive INlorse ranches, in California, thissumme 

 Everything of I£nglish merit had been imported, and splendi 

 original work is also done there. We would not ad\ ise peop 

 indiscriminately to buy the English novelty seed direct. It c; 

 be successfully grown in California and stronger seed got fro 

 it. By waiting a little, the average Sweet Pea lover w ill have ; 

 the finest things put w ithin his reach in American-grown stoi 

 that will be more satisfactory. Erom the English reports ai 

 from what the w riter has seen of the new things waiting to 

 introduced, our anticipation may well be on the 17/^? :'iz'e'. It w 

 the writer's pleasure, this smnnier, to see many of them. T 

 novelties for 1910, Rliriam Beaver, apricot and straw; Ma 

 Corelli, of the brightest rose; Senator Spencer, a giant da 

 striped and W. T. Hutchins, buflf-apricot tinted pink, will 

 represent the latest Spencer form. (.See pages 4 and 5.) 



The National Sweet Pea Society, of America, are now ho 

 ing extensive trials in the grounds of Cornell University, of 

 known varieties, presided over by Prof. John Craig ; it will 

 very interesting, next year, to watch the results of this import 

 exposition. 



All our Sweet Pea seed is grown by C. C. Morse & Co., Cal., the largest growers of Sweet Peas in the world They are most ca 

 ful as to the elimination of "rogues" and of reselection of true types; you may rely absolutely on our seed being true to name 

 of highest quality. 



