740 



THE GARDENERS' MAGAZINE. 



September 28, 1912 



SOME OF THE NEWER 



SWEET PEAS. 



A year ago there were many people pessi- 

 mistic enough to forecast ^lie decline in 

 popular favour of the sweet pea, but up to 

 the present there is no evidence of decline^ 

 if one can judge by the numher of enquiries 

 received as to which varieties, both new and 

 old, are the best to grow for 1913. Cer- 

 tainly, the practice of autumn sowing is 

 very much more general than it was even 



matter of some difficulty to .secure really 

 distinct novelties, so that we must be satis- 

 fied if new varieties are really improve- 

 ments on existing ones, without being dis- 

 tinct in colour. As a good instance of this 

 I would here mention Breadmore's Re- 

 selected Countess Spencer, which, as I an- 

 ticipated, is a distinct advance on an old 

 favourite, and has proved one of the best 

 and most continuous bloomers, giving con- 

 siderably larger flowers than the original 

 stock. As I have mentioned more than 

 once, there is considerable room for an im- 



two or three years ago, which goes to show provement in the whites. White King (A. 

 that the results obtained from such sowings Dickson and Sons) may prove the variety 



CUTHBERTSON 



A beautiful light pink variety, introduced by Messrs. Bobbie and Co., Edinburgl 



are quite satisfactory, and it is this fact, 

 no doubt, that induces the Eflitor of the 

 Gardeners' Magazine to give his readets 

 matter now which two years ago would 

 have been reserved until after Christmas. 



Generally speaking, sweet peas have done 

 better this soason than in 1911, con8e- 

 quently we have been better able to judge 

 the merits of the varieties, many of which 

 have proved even bettor than was antici- 

 patefl. Considerable adv.'inre is still being 

 made in the matter of new varieties, though 

 there is nothing go outstanding as in some 

 Heasons, But we must remember that the 



we want, but this we cannot have until 

 IJU Ancl we must also wait for Constance 

 Hinton (Dr. Hinton) ; this variety, though 

 giving a shade of pmk in the standard of 

 the young flowers, is, 1 think, decidedly an 

 improvement, and is quite white enough 

 to show m a collection, the size and quality 

 ot the blooms benig quite up to exhibition 

 standard. White Queen (G. Stark and 

 vSon) must be our stand-by until we can 

 Have the two previously mentioned, and 

 even tlx^n tins will want a lot of beatinjr 

 as It 1- v^- — ■ - 



good 



itly introduced 



good 



a 



xr(>ptionally vigorous, and gives 

 flowers on the stem practically 

 every time, and always well placed 



Among cream varieties Dobbie^s Cream 



(Dobbie and Co.) must take a very high 

 position, being a sturdy grower, and giviL 

 good solid-looking flowers, but even now it 

 does not surpass the popular Clara Curtis 

 which is a little deeper in colour and a little 

 more frilled. 



Crimson Giant (B. W. Deal) is a very fine 

 crimson variety, not so much waved Sun- 

 proof Crimson, but of a distinct shade of 

 colour and very large, though not one of 

 the best to give four blooms on a stem. 



Recent introductions in the bright rose 

 section are a decided gain to cultivators 

 and Edith Taylor (Sydenham and Holm^j 

 is, I should say, one of the best peas intro- 

 duced for the past three or four years. A. A. 

 Fabius (Alsen) and Aggie Elder (Bread- 

 more) are identical ; under either name it 

 is a very fine pea, the colour, a brilliant 

 rose, being equally eifective for decoration 

 and exhibition. Kathleen (B. W. Deal) is 

 even brighter than the three above-named 

 and may be described as cerise. Having 

 grown this for two years, I cannot speak 

 too highly of it. The blooms are not of the 

 largest size, but the plant is a good grower 

 and is very floriferous, while the colour is 

 striking from quite a distance. It does not 

 turn, neither are the flowers damaged by 

 the bad weather to any serious extent. Mr. 

 B. Deal has a more waved form of this. 

 Very fine also is Bertrand Deal (B. W. 

 Deal), the flowers rose-mauve. 



There are, again, several additions to the 

 cream-pink section, but, being so closely 

 alike in colour it is a difficult matter to 



■ 



recommend them individually. Queen Mary 

 (Messrs. E. W. King and Co.) one of last 

 season's introductions, is a veritaible giant, 

 and for exhibition purposes it is excellent, 

 and might be described as an improvement 

 on Mrs. Routzahn, though not so prone 

 to give double standards. Another excep- 

 tionally good pale cream-pink is Lilian 

 (Holmes and Sydenham) ; in colour it is be- 

 tween Zarina and Mrs. Routzahn. It is a 



bunch, 



good grower, makes an 

 and. 



excellent 



though not so large in the flower as 



Queen Mary, it has the advantage of k^^p- 



MilloT 



this 



ing rather longer in stem. Lady 

 (Dobbie) is a very beautiful pea in 

 section, and will ' prove one of the most 

 useful for decorative purposes. 



In the darker shades of cream-pink Minnie 

 Furnell (Alsen) is, I think, rather better 

 than Doris Usher, the colour and size of 

 flower being a little in advance of it. Wen- 

 voe Beauty, a variety I saw at Cardiff, is 

 the brightest and best of all this section, 

 but as I understand it is not yet fixed 

 enough to distribute, it seems almost pr^' 

 mature to speak about it, but it is too good 

 a variety to lose sight of. 



In addition to the really decided or de- 

 fined shades of pink, there are several 

 others of equal beauty, such as Andrew 

 Aiken (R. Bolton), Grace Darling (E. 

 King), Juliet (B. W. Deal), Winifred Im- 

 proved (B. W. Deal), Fair Maid Improved 

 (G. Stark and Son), and Mrs. Stewart 

 Champion (S. Bide and 'Sons), all of whicti 

 are dis.tinct from one another, and cer- 

 tainly, if not quite up to exhibition stan- 

 dard in size of flower, they are among tne 

 very hest for delicate decorative schernes. 

 Zarina. is such a well-known and distme^ 

 variety that the mere mention of a g<f' 

 Spencer form of it should be sufficient ; tm 

 waved form is one of Mr. Holmes' r^ism.,^ 

 and is heing distributed hy Mr. 

 Sydenham. 



W. P. Wright (W. J. Unwin), thoiij 

 only distributed last year, has already ma 

 a name for itself as the very best pale bii 

 It is one of the strongefit growers, and « 

 the plants are in good order it is diffic 

 to find a stem with only three blooro^^ 

 fours or fives heing the usual number. 



