12 



JOURNAL OF THE ROYAL HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



the trouble; only, Nature in her operations usually clears out the 

 finest types, from a florist's point of view, first. 



Since then I have seen to it that plants from crosses are grown, for 

 the first year, on a poor piece of soil, as I believe 100 seeds will give 

 all the breaks likely to occur, and, that being so, there is no use 

 working with thousands. 



In this continuous raising of sweet peas there is a constant 

 renewal of varieties — re-invigorated, no doubt, but practically the same 

 as the named varieties already on the market. It is from this that 

 all the trouble about naming arises. We are all sinners — all we 

 sweet pea raisers. Let me justify ourselves in this way. It is not 

 difficult to persuade oneself that one's seedling is better in some way 

 than one's neighbour's, and it is all the easier done when a few 

 hundreds of pounds are thrown into one side of the scales. 



Take lavender-coloured sweet peas as an instance — Breadmore 

 is identified with * Lavender George Herbert, ' Bolton with ' E. F. 

 Felton,' Dobbie's with 'Masterpiece,' Burpee with 'Florence 

 Nightingale,' Morse with ' Asta Ohn,' Unwin with 'Nettie Jenkins,' 

 Bakers with 'Mrs. Charles Foster,' Miss Hemus with 'Lavender 

 Paradise,' and there are several others. A grower most likely only 

 wants one lavender; what is he to do? Eead all the sweet pea cata- 

 logues and all the sweet pea advertisements in the gardening Press 

 and then ! 



The Eev. J. Bernard Hall said not long ago that, "At present, 

 apart from the National Sweet Pea Society's list, all seems chaos in 

 sweet peas to the amateur." Let me remind you that there is another 

 list — a very good one, too^ — the list issued by the Floral Committee of 

 the Eoyal Horticultural Society last summer, after a very excellent trial 

 had been made at Wisley.* There the flowers were not judged from 

 an exhibitor's standpoint, but as they appeared growing naturally in 

 clumps in the border. They were commended " on account of their 

 strong growth, and because of their non-burning qualities " which add 

 so immensely to their value for garden decoration. 



The Spencer or waved varieties so recommended are 'Asta Ohn,' 

 lavender; ' Aurora Spencer,' cream ground, flaked salmon-pink; 

 'Colleen,' rose and white bicolor; 'Countess Spencer,' pink; 

 'Dobbie's Sunproof Crimson,' ' Elfrida Pearson,' large pale pink or 

 blush; ' Elsie Herbert,' white, edged rose; ' Etta Dyke,' pure white; 

 'Gladys Unwin,' pale rosy-pink; 'Ivanhoe,' mauve; ' Isobel 

 Malcolm,' ivory; ' Lady Althorp,' white tinged with pale peach; 

 ' Princess Victoria,' clear blush-pink; ' Tennant Spencer,' mauve. 



That is a list of fourteen varieties which behaved handsomely last 

 summer in Surrey. Fourteen may be thought too many. Which are 

 the best six? Take ' Etta Dyke,' the best white, ' Dobbie's Sunproof 

 Crim.son,' 'Elfrida Pearson,' 'Elsie Herbert,' and you have four 

 on which the E.H.S. and N.S.P.S. agree as the best. Add ' Asta 



* See Journal R.H.S., vol. xxxvii. 1911-12, pp. 394 and cxlii. 



