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January 27, 1912. 



THE GARDENERS' MAGAZINE 



69 



A FIRST-CLASS 24 SWEET 



PEAS, 



In giving a list of twenty-four varieties 

 of sweet peas for exhibition, exclusive of 

 tlie actual novelties, one is able to speak 

 quite definitely as to the merits of all 

 varieties, although I very much doubt 

 whether any two growers would quite agree 

 on the whole twenty-four, although they 



eiiihteen of that 



that after 



peas 



last 



9 



may probably agree on 

 number. This really means 

 a certain number of varieties have been 

 included (of really outstanding merit), the 

 inclusion of the others more or less de- 

 pends on the taste of the individual mak- 

 ing the selection, and so he naturally in- 

 <*ludes those varieties that do well in his 

 particidar neighbourhood, or which ap- 

 peals to him most by their colour or form. 



In staging tAventy-four varieties of sweet 

 peas the aim should be to include as many 

 distinct colours as possible, and in prepar- 

 ing the following selection the importance 

 of this has been constantly kept in mind. 



Elsie Herbert, when in good form, is, I 

 believe, as near perfection as we can hope 

 ill have in the sweet pea, and it is easily 

 first in the picotee edge white ground sec- 

 tion. Dainty Spencer is its only rival, but 

 after growing both side by side I find that 

 tbe first-named is the best. 



Maud Holmes is another pea of iniique 

 j)roportions, a giant in every way, and is, if 

 anything, just a little the best of the 

 Sunproof Crimson section, but there is not 

 UMU-Ii difference in point of merit between 

 llie first named and Dobbie's. 



John Ingman, the first break from Coun- 

 tess Spencer in its true colour, rose, is 

 the best in that section, and although we 

 have Marie Corelli and one or two others 

 ■Mindar, they are not to be compared to 

 tlHMirst-named for exhibition purposes. 



Chva Curtis.— This stands alone in the 

 noam class for colour, a good bunch of it 

 ''enif:r vei-y effective. ~ 



and 



J . - Paradise Ivory and 



isai)oi Malcolm are its nearest rivals, 

 iJithongh good in every other way, they 

 JHst lack the deep colour of Cl-ra Curtis. 

 ^ { r s . C . W . Br ea d mo re . 



This 



the 



exact connterpart of Evelyn Hemus, except 

 tiiat It IS a trifle the stronger grower, and 

 iiust be nicluded in any collection, whether 



Zu} ""'i -i"'^"' '^^^^^g' addition to a 

 ^.ood exbd>ition variety, one of the best in 



tlie decorative section. 



lioma.s Stevenson.-- Although of rather 

 r-^rCJ"'"'-^ ^^^troduction than the other 

 / tli ?' 1* ^^^-tainly deserves its place 

 -'t the },ond of the orange-scarlet class. It 



Inn ^v'l ^T?''^' ' '"'"'^ fl^^^'^^'^^ stand the 

 ^vell o 1 r ^^''"'^'^ '^^ exhibited M'hen 



Klfn<la P.nrson should, I think, be in- 

 :T\'l ^'r. '^K'^ twenty-four, not as a 



'^rter^'Z " v'-'^' ^'^^i^^' iV'Liu^ rather 



^'-'k'offi""*''^'"-?^"^^' i« « true 



... A "\t'"^ variety I tliink it stands quite 



minent position among the new varieties 

 of last season belonging to the same shade 

 of colour, 



Florence Nightingale. — As a lavender 

 \ ariety a fixed stock of this sweet pea 

 would be difficult to surpass. As grown 

 in 1910 it was decidedly the best lavender 

 I ever saw, but it did not quite keep up 

 its reputation last vear 



Nora Unwiu. — Although not so free in 

 producing four blooms on a stem as Etta 

 Dvke, it makes a rather better bunch, the 

 flowers having a longer stem, and show 

 themselves off to better advantage. Etta 

 Dyke is, of course, a very fine variety, 

 and well deserves the popularity it enjoys. 



Nubian. — This was my best dark variety 

 last yc<ar, probably because it was on 

 rather better ground. It is quite fixed, 



proaches violet. The flowers are large, 

 and when well shown will make a good ad- 

 dition to a collection. 



Charles Foster. 



termed 



and is a very fine pea, and will, I think, 

 be seen in much better condition during a 

 cooler season than that of last year. 



Countess Spencer, in good form, is still 

 one of the best of the pink varieties, but 

 it has some strong competitors among 

 the newest varieties. 



Doris lusher belongs to the deep cream- 

 pink class, and is very fine, and in a 

 collection of twenty-four varieties there is 

 room for it in addition to the other pinks 

 named. 



AVinsome. — Tlie colour of this variety 

 might be described as lilac, and is a very 

 pretty sweet pea of full exhibition size, 



,S\VKKT PKA MRS. \V. J. TXWIN 

 A handsome red-fiaked variety. 



-"i ln,.;:,v ;ffe ^"^^""-tely beautiful 

 ^ of Xorwav. 



the sun well even in - 



'Opened 



also highly meritorious. 



^-asons ^l i ^^''^''-'^ for three 



and is well worth commending, although 

 Tom Bolton and Black Knight Spencer 

 both so meritorious as to <leserve the 

 heartiest commendation. 

 , Scarlet Monarch. — This is probably the 



This variety belongs best variety raised by Air. "William Deal. 



It is a iirst-rate scarlet, although the plant 

 is not vso robust as some of the 

 other colours ; the flowers are verv fine, and 



stand the sun well. 



Helen Grosvenor. — This is about the best 

 iu the orange-pink section, not quite so 

 large as Edroni Beautv, but it is brighter 



a 



Ten- 



and if given a suitable position in a col- 

 lection is verv telling. 



Mrs. W. J . ruAvin -This verv fine 



•j 



striped variety in goo<l condition is very 

 telling in the front row of a stan<]. and 

 altliouiih not very long m the stem, the 

 size and colour of the oflwer is all that ean 



lie desired. 



W. R. Beaver. — Tlu^ colour of this choco- 

 late striped variety is not belove<l by every- 

 <.ne. Ne\ ertlu»less, it is a very telling 

 viirietv. and certainly one of the best in 

 size and form in its class, and, like nearly 



'''SOUS and in • ^ inree large as r.cn'oni neautv, out it is ori^iiter ai/.c .m^i iwnu m ^i.. . — 



^^'^if^tif^, I consiY''''+'''i'*'^ "^^^'"^^^ ^''"^ ''^ '^^'^ '^^^le to burn. In the nil the striped varieties, it is a very strong 



■'t flower' and colour ^^^^ north the latter might possibly ])rcve the -rower. 

 Karl Sponcer was' 



"1 the 



niuloubtedlv the best 



good enough to have 



pea . 



Menie Christie.— 



the colour of which 



This is a distinct sAve(»t 



is described as 



a pro- magenta, but I think it more closely ap- 



t!;iower. 



Arthur Fnwin is a strong-growing 

 l)icoloi\ and the flowtM's are very effective 

 in the bunch. It i< not so distinct in tlie 

 two colours as is CoHeen and Mrs. Andiew 



