October 11,1833 ] 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER . 
811 
in and around London knew little or nothing of it till 1880, 
when I first grew it and endeavoured to make it known. 
Precocite is still, perhaps, the best early yellow, but the new 
yellow sport of Early Cassy is better in some respects. Chroma- 
tella, or Chrome Stella, is not a good plant. The new Frederic 
Marronet of this season is far before it in habit of plant and 
form of flower. It is the same colour—oi’ange-yellow, a small 
Pompon, and came into bloom August 7th ; a real little beauty. 
Frederic Pele is in some respects the best of the colour, but it is 
a shy bloomer and has a delicate constitution. My red sport of 
Madame Piccol (svn. Mr. Piercy) is a much more profuse bloomer. 
Pompon Toulousain is another red, very early, very free and 
robust as well as dwarf. Early Cassy is not nearly so good as 
Madame Piccol, which is the same colour. Golden Button is 
simply worthless, while Scarlet Gem is of a very tender consti¬ 
tution, and only seems to do well on gravel subsoils. One of 
the very best new Pompons is Lyon. It is of French origin. 
Colour, rosy purple, much the tint of Madame Piccol, and 
makes the latter of little value, only that it is rather later. 
Lyon blooms in September from spring-struck cuttings, and is a 
superb Pompon in every respect; an admirable plant. 
Nanum, the Sistou of the French, although old, is still in 
many respects the best early white, it is so dwarf and stout. 
Besides being the very earliest of all, it will bloom from plants 
struck the summer before by the middle of May, and under 
glass is of exquisite whiteness. Another of the best of the 
early whites is the new Mdlle. Jolivart. It is very dwarf, and 
a profuse bloomer, with a flower of wax-like appearance differing 
from all others. The new Mrs. Cullingford resembles it a little, 
and is between it and Nanum, but does not bloom till September, 
and is a taller plant, but very fine. The little Petite Marie is 
another pretty white variety; it will bloom at 4 inches high and 
is very early. 
The following are all good, early, and new—Virginia, white; 
Anastasio, magenta; Inimitable, orange; Curiosity, lilac white; 
Lavallee,white ; St. Crouts (syn. Pollion), pink; Zenobie,orange; 
Secretaire Daurel, Tresorier Lacoste, crimson and buff. Besides 
many others which I cannot mention now, I intend to publish a 
list of some of the best between now and November, and will 
write more if I find this is valued. I shall be glad to hear from 
anyone interested in eafly-flowering Chrysanthemums, or show 
my collection to anyone who will send me word when they will 
call. I have been growing, collecting, and studying them for 
the last seven years, and probably know something about them 
othei-s would wish to know, and they are welcome to hear from 
me what they may wish. —W. Piercy, West Road, Forest Hill, S.E. 
NOTES ON PEAS. 
Peas have only succeeded moderately with me this season 
the earliest crops be : ng by far the best, the midseason fairly 
good, and late varieties very indifferent. This is only what 
might have been anticipated, as the soil is a gravelly loam with 
gravel beneath, and in such soils it is usele s expecting fine full 
late crops without making spec’al preparations, as the growth 
has to be made when the days are hottest and driest, and the 
plants become stunted, producing a weakly haulm, whilst the 
peas are few in the pod, badly swelled, and are soon over, 
even if they escape attack by mildew. Not only was the above 
disastrous in its effects, but the caterpillars of the Y moth fed 
upon the leaves and ate the flower buds, whilst the maggots of a 
minute fly were most assiduous in their attentions. These 
between them committed great havoc; and as I have not had the 
same evil to contend with I shall be grateful for any information 
that would point to some mitigation of the mischief done by 
these pests. I think it likely that fir-tree oil syringed over the 
haulm might prevent the eegs being laid upon them, which I 
think takes place during the early part of June to early July, 
but I do not know enough of the life history of these insects to 
warrant any positive statement. Can any of your entomological 
correspondents enlighten me ? 
Happily the sparseness of haulm and the mildew can be suc¬ 
cessfully combat id by strengthening the plant with a deeper soil. 
This is best done by taking out a trench 2 feet wide and a spade 
deep, putting in about G inches thickness of well decayed manure, 
forking this well into the soil at the bottom of the trench, and then 
returning the soil thrown out to its former position. This will 
form a ridge, and in the centre of these the peas may be sown. 
When the peas are staked, and by or before they are a 
foot high, mulch on both sides of the row with about half- 
decayed manure to the extent of 3 or 4 inches thickness and 
18 inches wide, giving previously a thorough soaking of liquid 
manure if the ground be dry, and from this time forward a 
thorough watering must be given weekly if there is little or no 
rain. This will give very much better results than leaving every¬ 
thing to the weather; indeed the labour and means will be amply 
repaid by a full supply of delicious peas, whilst the ground is 
undergoing an enriching process, fitting it for the carrying of 
almost any crop. 
William the First was our best early Pea, and First and Best 
Early maintained its reputation for earliness, free-bearing, and 
good quality. Criterion did well, bearing abundantly, and like 
its prototype, Ne plus Ultra, was of fine quality. It certainly is 
one of the best second earlies, being a much earlier and dwarfer 
form of Ne plus Ultra. It grows 5 to 6 feet high. 
Gladiator, one 1 believe, of Mr. Laxton’s raising, purchased 
and sent out by Messrs. Yeitcli & Sons, proved a marvel of pro¬ 
ductiveness, having large pods exceedingly well filled with 
medium-sized deep green peas, which proved of excellent quality. 
It partakes somewhat after the type of Fillbasket, having a 
curved pod, but the quality is much superior and the season is 
longer. It is a Pea of such merit that it cannot fail to become a 
favourite with growers for market and those that cannot command 
long sticks, as this only grows 3 feet high and is remarkably 
prolific. 
Marvel is a fine Pea of the Yeitcli’s Perfection type, but 
comes in earlier and is very productive, the pods being large, as 
also are the peas, and has ten or more in a pod, which are 
delicious in flavour. A main crop variety, growing 3 feet high. 
Telegraph did very much better than Telephone, filling its 
pods better and giving fully twice as many of them. The quality, 
it is needless to say, was excellent, as all the peas of Mr. Culver- 
well’s raising are, size and quality being inseparable. The 
Giant Marrow gave its magnificent pods abundantly, and as an 
evidence of quality I may mention that not a pod was gathered 
G feet from either end of row, so much esteemed were they by 
tho:e ever prone to test the quality of Green Peas. It is one of 
the very best late Peas, growing full G feet in height. 1 have 
had it half as much more. 
Bestof All surpassed Yeitch’sPerfection,whichissaying much, 
filling its pods better, and is a medium grower (3 feet) of the 
highest quality, being good for main or late crops. Sturdy was 
of stout branching habit, and did not mildew nearly so badly as 
most, bearing an abundance of deep green peas, which keep in 
season a long time, having in fact the habit and size of pod of 
Yeitch’s Perfection, whilst the peas are like those of Ne plus 
Ultra, excellent in quality A very desirable late Pea, producing 
pods successionally ; height 3 feet. 
Ne plus Ultra was the best of the tall-growing late varieties, 
being, as it almost invariably is, unrivalled, standing the vicissi¬ 
tudes of late summer and autumn as regards climate better 
than any other, unless it be Emperor of the Marrows, which I 
may state has almost, if not quite, superseded British Queen. 
These have proved the best with me, and I need not trouble 
anyone with enumerating varieties that have done badly, as 
another season may alter the estimate ; still, those named 1 feel 
certain will hold their own. Mr. Laxton sent me some of his 
new Evolution, and the reputation of the raiser being so great it is 
certain the name would not have been given without justifiable 
reason. I expected much and have not been disappointed. 
It grew very vigorously and was much branched, yet only 
attained to a height of 3^ to 4 feet. The pods were produced 
in great abundance, twice the length of those of Omega, which 
it somewhat resembles in the shape and greenness, the pods 
containing in some instances a dozen peas, and the quality excel¬ 
lent. Sown at the same time as Omega, it was several days 
earlier, and from its branching habit afforded the crop succession- 
ally. I think it will prove a very great advance on many second 
early and ma n crop varieties, and become popular in gardens 
and also for market purposes.—G. Abbey. 
MICHAELMAS DAISIES. 
Asters have within the last few years made considerable advance¬ 
ment in public favour ; and this is not at all surprising seeing they come 
into flower at a time when few other plants are attractive, together with 
their adaptability to furnish the necessary supply of cut flowers where 
the hardy outdoor plants are depended on. Ordinary garden soil is quite 
good enough to grow them in. They require, however, plenty of room, 
otherwise from superfluous root-growth they will become very trouble¬ 
some unless divided every second or third year. They present a great 
variety both in height and the size and colour of their flowers, are suit¬ 
able for nearly all purposes—the wild garden, shrubbery, the flower 
border, or rockery, and when judiciously planted in any or all of the 
above places have a very telling effect at this dull season. 
I have selected from a very large collection a few that can be re¬ 
commended for general culture, and likely to prove useful in gardens 
where from lack of space the cultivator is compelled to choose oniy the 
very best. The wild garden has been for some time engaging the atten- 
