September 13, 1883. ] 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
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International Potato Show, Crystal Palace (two clays). 
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Aberdeen Show (two days). 
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17th Sunday after Trinity. 
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PEAS IN 1883. 
HIS season lias been a very favourable one for 
Peas. Early crops came in well to time, and 
midseason crops were luxuriant and prolific. 
Late ones are now suffering from the gales and 
wet, and the crops generally for this year will 
soon be over. Some new varieties have come 
very prominently to the fore with us this season, 
and several of the old standard sorts retain their 
position. The most noticeable of all these is Telegraph, 
which may be said to be the best midseason Pea in cultiva¬ 
tion. It grows robustly, fruits profusely, is dark green in 
colour and superb in flavour. 
Day’s Sunrise we have ceased growing, as with us it did 
not equal its reputation. It is not so early as William I. 
The pods do not fill quickly, and they frequently remain 
empty at the points. 
Culverwell’s new Paragon sent out in 1883 is a grand 
new variety. It is not the earliest, but it fills its pods won¬ 
derfully well. In fact, it has a peculiar point to each of the 
pods, as they are quite square across, and always filled to the 
end. With us it attained a height of 5 feet, podded profusely, 
and each pod contained nine or ten peas. It is a robust 
grower, and has an excellent constitution. It will soon 
become a favourite, as it possesses all the qualities which 
could be desired. 
The Stourbridge Peas always turn out well, and Electric 
Light, Kinver Gem, and Stourbridge Gem are amongst the 
finest of our Peas. The Messrs. Webb strongly recommend 
the Electric Light as the best, and, from experience, I can 
thoroughly confirm their advice. 
Messrs. Carter have of late years mainly confined their 
Pea list to four varieties— i.e., Telegraph, Telephone, Pride 
of the Market, and Stratagem, and they would do well to 
adhere to these, as it would be difficult to find other four to 
surpass them. Telephone is a second Telegraph, only it has 
not the deep dark green colour, and its pale pods tell against 
it, especially in competition ; but apart from this nothing 
can be said against it. Stratagem and Pride of the Market 
are not unlike eaeh other. Neither of them grows tall; 
both produce long handsome green pods, which fill up and 
become magnificent, but they are longer in doing this than 
the other two. We always gather Telegraph and Telephone 
a fortnight at least earlier than those two, and anyone who 
sowed the four to come in at the same time would not find 
them do so. 
Giant Marrow, which is another of Mr. Culverwell’s 
productions, is a splendid Pea. It might be described as 
Telephone extended, as it has all the qualities of the latter, 
but the pods are very much larger. Two years ago Mr. May, 
seedsman, Leeds, became the owner of one of Mr. Culver- 
well’s new Peas, and the few I had of it have been grown 
here for two seasons with much satisfaction. It is not yet 
in commerce. It could not be distinguished widely on any 
particular point from the Giant Marrow, yet it is undoubtedly 
a few degrees better in every respect than that variety—more 
prolific, larger pods, and abetter Pea. La’ge-podded Peas 
as a rule are considered bad fillers ; but this charge could 
never be sustained against any of Mr. Culverwell’s Peas, 
because they fill as well as any of the small varieties. 
Last autumn a Pea attracted my attention at Drumlanrig. 
It had grown about 6 feet high, and was bearing many pods 
about the size of William I., and each one was covered with 
a moss-like deposit. Mr. Thomson called it the Moss-podded 
Pea, and after growing it this season I find it of most excel¬ 
lent flavour. The only objection to it is that the haulm is 
rather high before it begins to bear, and this is the chief 
objection I have against Ne Plus Ultra. 
Laxton’s Omega and Yeitch’s Perfection are two late 
Peas of the highest value. Last spring I had a variety sent 
from Messrs. Sutton with no name, but under a number, and 
after growing several rows of it I am highly impressed with 
its qualities. It is of the Omega type, grows about 0 inches 
taller, produces pods an inch or so longer, and is unique in 
flavour. It does not require to be used young to secure its 
flavour fully, but it retains all its deliciousness until it is 
quite large. Another new Pea I had on trial from Canada 
was represented as the “ earliest in cultivation,” and I believe 
it will turn out to be so, as this year it came in many days 
earlier than Dickson’s Eirst and Best. It is longer in the 
pod than William I., fills well, grows 4 feet high, end has a 
very hardy appearance. As to its flavour I cannot speak, as 
every pod was saved for seed. 
Last year a new Pea named Duke of Albany was described 
by Mr. J. Wright in the Journal. I secured a small supply 
of seed, and have now converted it into some quarts, as, like 
the Canadian, it proved so good as to induce us to save all 
the seed possible. This variety is not unlike Telegraph in 
its habit of growth, and it is equally as prolific and good in 
colour. The pods, however, are a little narrower and most 
handsome in appearance. 
I had the pleasure of inspecting the Chiswick Peas in 
July last. They numbered over a hundred sorts, but amongst 
them all I did not see one so good as most of those named 
in these notes.—J. Muir. 
ROOT-PRUNING—LARGE PEARS. 
The time for this operation is now near at hand, and 
although most gardeners know the good results that arise 
from careful root-pruning, judging from the majority of 
gardens which we see from time to time, it is not half 
vigorously enough carried out, as is evidenced by the mass of 
breastwood, or the paucity of fruit on the extremities of the 
branches. The best results are probably attained by pre¬ 
paring the trees one year before in the case of wall trees, and 
two years before in the case of espaliers. In the former- 
trees the roots are certainly confined by the wall, and the 
latter have the power of feeding themselves on all sides ; and 
if the roots are shortened on the face of the tree one year, 
the next season the back can be operated on, and so treated 
the tree will feel no check. Fertility will thus be induced, 
and the fruit also gains in quality ; the warmth of tl e sur¬ 
face soil will greatly benefit the newly-formed roots, which 
it is as well to protect and encourage by a summer mulching of 
leaf soil and manure. 
I am led to refer to this subject, having recently seen re¬ 
markably heavy crops of fine fruit on the large wall Pears at 
Kenward Yalding (Lady Fletcher’s), where the gardener, 
Mr. Smith, has very successfully operated on the unfertile 
trees, and I was shown sections of the coarse roots as much 
as 3£ inches in diameter that had been removed. Many of 
the trees had been bodily transferred (after preparation) to 
more suitable sites, and were forming a host of plump fruit 
buds. A large tree of Doyenne Boussoch was carrying a 
grand crop of probably twenty-five dozen fruit, which were all 
clean and of large size, while the rather shy-bearing Beurre 
Ranee was fully covered all over with fine fruit free from 
specks or cracks. I counted thirty dozen on the tree. Trees 
that have been wholly or partially prepared or entirely lifted 
will require syringing in very dry weather, and watering at 
