GARDEN PEAS. 
In the “Gardeners’ Magazine” for 1826 I find an “Historical 
Notice of two varieties of the Garden Pea,” by T.H. Masters, Eden 
Nursery, Stoke Newington ; one being Masters’ Imperial Marrow; 
raised by Mr. W. Masters, of Canterbury, a hardy green Marrow¬ 
fat Pea, 5 feet high. 
In the year 1886 Lawson’s “Agricultural Manual ” describes 
“ Knight’s Dwarf White Wrinkled Marrow as producing pods in 
pairs, from two and a half to three and a half inches long, well 
filled and terminating abruptly at both ends; the Peas on an 
average about three-eighths of an inch in diameter, flattened and 
very much wrinkled ; colour white and sometimes of a greenish 
tinge ; height 8 feet. 
“ Knight’s Tall White Wrinkled Marrowfat: Pods larger and 
rather more bent than the last; Peas exactly similar; height 
7 feet. 
“ Knight’s Improved White Wrinkled Marrow : Pods similar 
to those of the Tall and Dwarf variety, but much sweeter and 
more prolific. 
“ Knight’s Dwarf Green Wrinkled Marrowfat: Pods in 
pairs, 3 inches long by -§ inch broad, flattish and very slightly 
bent; the Peas, which are of a light bluish-green, differ only 
from the White Marrow in colour; height 3 feet. Medium 
prolific. 
“ Knight’s Tall Green Marrowfat: Similar in shape and colour 
to the last-named variety; height 7 feet. Very prolific.” 
These Peas of Knight’s, the Tall White and Tall Green* 
were no doubt the parents of the British Queen and Ne Plus 
Ultra, and the Dwarf Green and Dwarf White of the Alliance and 
Climax types, names which were first catalogued in 1849-50. 
I believe I am correct in stating that a gardener named 
Fairbeard, in the district of Sittingbourne, cross-fertilised some 
Peas, and found in the same pod both Round-seeded and Wrinkled 
varieties. One of the former was distributed as Champion of 
England, and one of the latter as Harrison’s Glory. 
Dwarf Knight’s Marrow Pea was also raised by a gentleman’s 
gardener in the vicinity of Sittingbourne. It is nearly the same 
height as the Blue Prussian, but in all other respects—even to 
the shrivelled appearance of the seed—it resembles the very excel¬ 
lent Pea raised by the indefatigable President of the Royal 
Horticultural Society, Mr. T. A. Knight. 
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