IMPROVEMENT AMONGST PEAS. 



37 



possible in main-crop Peas, as the pods are very large, hand- 

 some, of good colour and well filled, the quality excellent and 

 fertility fair, the straw being also of moderate length, the only 

 shortcoming appearing to be a constitution which renders it 

 unfitted for some seasons and situations. Many other second 

 early and main-crop sorts, with fine pods and showing advances 

 in one or more directions, have been obtained, notably Paragon 

 and Alfred the Great as earlier editions of the Telephone type ; 

 and amongst the useful, hardy, and free-bearing 3-feet Peas of 

 medium season, introduced during the period covered by this 

 paper, I may note Prince of Wales, Fillbasket, Invincible, and 

 Laxton's Standard (now more generally known as Wordsley 

 Wonder), Dr. McLean, and G. F. Wilson, and two good all-round 

 4-feet Peas in Mr. Standish's Criterion and Laxton's Charmer, 

 both high quality, handsome, and productive wrinkled so:ts, and 

 whose merits have hardly been fully recognised. Amongst the 

 later main sorts we have John Bull, a fine half- dwarf wrinkled 

 Pea, but of an over-leafy habit, and consequently succeeding 

 only in certain seasons and localities. In the later varieties we 

 have gained Superiority (Eckford) and Walton Hero (W. H. 

 Laxton), both, I believe, from crosses between Telephone and 

 British Queen, and advances in size and earliness on that much- 

 approved tall Pea. Amongst the latest Peas we have added Omega, 

 Latest of All, and Perpetual-bearer, all dwarfed types of the well- 

 known Ne Plus Ultra, and to these no further commendation can be 

 accorded, for undoubtedly Ne Plus Ultra, syn. Jeyes' Conqueror, 

 or rather its broad-podded selection, known formerly as Buckley's 

 General Wyndham, is still the Pea of Peas ; but though Ne Plus 

 Ultra is of high quality and good-looking, it is tall and very late, 

 and we still want its earlier and dwarfer prototype, which will 

 probably be soon provided for us in some of the newer varieties 

 not yet thoroughly fixed. Lastly, we have the remarkably fine 

 but unfixable Pea, Evolution. 



In the endeavour to enumerate the principal introductions of 

 the past twenty-five years, I fear I may have unintentionally 

 omitted some sterling varieties, but, as my experience is only 

 limited, I must ask your indulgence and correction. For the 

 purpose of comparison I have drawn up from my own recollec- 

 tion, and the slight sources of research open to me, the following 



