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JOURNAL OF THE ROYAL HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



worthy about the vegetables in use at that time, at least as 

 regards their intrinsic merit. 



It will be noticed that the title refers to Progress in Vegetable 

 Cultivation, but I do not suppose I w T as intended to speak so 

 much of the cultivation as of the improvement of the vegetables 

 cultivated. Had it been otherwise, I cannot doubt that one of 

 the many able gardeners connected with the Society would have - 

 been invited to read a paper rather than myself. 



In sketching the outline of my paper I therefore felt that I 

 could not do better than take the leading vegetables, enume- 

 rating the varieties in cultivation in 1837, and briefly mentioning 

 the improvements that have since followed. It is obvious that 

 unless there had been a very marked advance in the vegetables 

 grown, the progress in cultivation would have been compara- 

 tively insignificant. In saying this I do not for a moment 

 suggest that the gardeners of to-day are not far in advance of 

 those of 1837, but that, whatever method of culture might be 

 adopted now, no very great advance would be possible without 

 improved vegetables to work upon. Without further intro- 

 duction I will proceed at once to the all-important subject of the 



Gaeden Pea. 



"Without hesitation I may say that the progress made during 

 the last sixty years in the improvement of the garden Pea has 

 been fully commensurate with the position this vegetable occu- 

 pies, which may fairly be called the prince of all vegetables. I 

 think also I am correct in saying that this proud position has 

 been attained solely through the progress made in its improve- 

 ment since 1837 ; an astonishing evolution, as I think all will 

 admit when we compare the Peas of 1897 with those of 1837. 

 In the thirties and for many subsequent years the gentleman's 

 garden — as well as the market garden — was dependent upon 

 such varieties as Woodford's, Bedman's Imperial, Scimitar, Early 

 Charlton, Warner's Emperor, Early May, McCormick's Prince 

 Albert, and Early Warwick, the other principal varieties culti- 

 vated being Blue Prussian, Bishop's Early Dwarf, and Auvergne. 

 Such of these Peas as are still grown we, with better varieties at 

 our disposal, now look upon as chiefly suitable for boiling in a 

 dry state. Knight's Tall Green Marrow, a wrinkled Pea, was 

 certainly available at that time, but was not so generally grown 



