August 18, It)?. ] 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
161 
I T would appear that these highly esteemed annuals are this 
season very deficient in quality owing to the bad harvest of seed 
last year. In some instances I have heard of, an admixture of the 
seed of Tares had been added in order to spin out the quantity, 
and in most cases a larger quantity than usual of the commoner 
sorts had been used in making up mixtures. This has not been 
invariably the case, as I do not think I have ever had a choicer 
collection of mixed sorts, the colours being varied and the 
individual blooms large and fine. With varieties grown under 
name I imagine there would be no difficulty in making up bunches 
of separate sorts to the number of twenty-four, and perhaps even to 
thirty. Some of these varieties are doubtless of but slight value 
for decorative purposes, and it may soon become an established 
practice to select a few by name or colour and to grow these to the 
exclusion of many of which the value is but slight. 
This system may be objected to as entailing an additional 
expense for flowers which can be had in quantity for a very slight 
annual outlay, but we have as a set off the quality of floriferousness 
increased to a great degree in selected sorts in addition to a larger 
number of blooms on each flower stalk, the blooms, moreover, 
being greatly increased in size. Then there is no doubt that Sweet 
Peas are much too thickly sown. The best crops I have are on 
plants set out a foot apart. These are of the newer kinds, and 
were started under glass in pots and planted out in late spring. 
Each was pinched once in order to obtain a bushy plant with four 
or five main shoots, and there is simply no comparison as to the 
amount of bloom on them and on older varieties sown in the usual 
way, though not at all thickly. It may seem somewhat absurd to 
enter into any detail as to the best method of cultivating thi» 
simple easily grown flcwer, but the ease of its culture is, I am 
afraid, a serious drawback to securing Sweet Peas at their best. I 
have already mentioned thick sowing as a detail to be avoided, and 
I have no hesitation in affirming that thinly sown Peas invariably 
give the best results as to crop and size of flower, while the period 
of blooming is extended. 
I do not think that a rich soil is conducive to the best results. 
A more rank growth is no doubt obtained, but that means either 
taller plants, with longer sticks to cling to, or broken-over growths 
where the sticks are short. The best form of manure I know for 
Sweet Peas is soot applied after the seedlings are through the 
ground. Superphosphate of lime is also very beneficial, but not to 
the same extent as soot. The way I discovered the merits of this 
common manurial agent was through the difficulty experienced in 
keeping pheasants from destroying the young plants—of which 
they are particularly fond, grubbing the whole crop up if allowed 
to go on unmolested. On one occasion when time was scarce a 
very thick coating of soot was sown on the plants. This had at 
once the desired result in disgusting the pheasants and at the same 
time securing finer Peas than we had ever seen before. The 
dressing has since then been annually applied. A mere sprinkling 
i is not of much use ; a barrowful is applied to from 30 to 40 yards 
; run, and one dressing is sufficient for the crop. 
Another point of much importance is deep sowing. The 
necessity for this practice is found in the roots being well out 
, of the way of drought. Shallow Bown seeds invariably cause a 
i falling off in the plants during a short spell of dry weather, while 
[ No. 655.—Vol. XXV., Third Series. 
deeply sown seed secures the plants against any short vicissitudes 
of temperature. The practice of drawing soil to the plants 
previous to staking acts beneficially, because it keeps drought 
away. Many years ago I began to have all the pods gathered off 
the plants before they caused a cessation of flowering, which con¬ 
tinued podding does. In some years the rows require to be picked 
over twice ; but, as a rule, once is sufficient in our district. This 
practice insures a supply of good flowers until stopped by frost. 
The way we employ foliage in which to set up the blooms has also 
a good effect in securing a continuous bloom ; causing, as it does, 
an unfailing supply of young shoots to be produced from the stems, 
the tops of which had been removed. 
Any remarks on Sweet Peas would be incomplete which made 
no reference to the strains under name, and which show quite as 
wonderful a progress as almost any other flower during the past 
few years. Several good varieties have been before the public for 
some time, such, for instance, as Princess Beatrice, a soft rosy 
variety of much beauty. But prettier even than this is Apple 
Blossom, a flesh coloured sort, not of the largest size of flower, but 
very lovely in its shade. Countess of Radnor is a meet com¬ 
panion for it, the shade being a French grey or very light blue of 
the most charming effect. Unfortunately the colour does not 
appear to be quite fixed, as several shades of blue are found 
among the plants. Of even greater beauty is Mrs. Eckford, 
which has a blossom of quite a pale straw colour, almost white 
indeed. This, I think, is the most beautiful of all Sweet Peas, 
at the same time many prefer to place Countess of Radnor in 
that position, and in any case neither can be done without where 
flowers of the finest quality are desired. The largest variety I 
know is Her Majesty, a glorious flower in the way of Splendour, to 
which it is much superior. The colour is a clear light pink. Of a 
much softer shade, indeed only a little deeper than Princess 
Beatrice, is Mrs. Gladstone. Few of the sprays on this fine variety 
carry less than four large blooms each, and occasionally a spray 
is found with five. The stem is also of good length, and for vase 
decoration it is a valuable kind. 
Of the dark sorts Boreatton has many admirers, but I cannot say 
I like it so well as many others. For a crimson, perhaps, there 
is nothing better than Cardinal, which is very bright and glowing. 
Ignea is in the same way with larger flowers, but I do not know 
that it is so effective as the other. Of whites both Queen of 
England and Mrs. Sankey are good ; the latter is a variety of 
very strong growth, a feature which detracts from its usefulness. 
The stalks are of great length, and the flowers of the clearest 
white. There is not yet a good blue, so far at least as I have had 
experience, and a yellow is more than the blue a thing of the 
future. We have Primrose, which is said to be yellow, but much 
of the yellow is a delusion. However, we may hope for some¬ 
thing better ere long. Mr. Eckford has evidently mastered the 
problem, and has his Sweet Peas so well in hand that anything he 
may produce will be received with gratitude, though without 
surprise.—R. P. Brotiierston. 
SCHEDULES AND THEIR INTERPRETATION. 
Although I had nothing whatever to do with the fruit judg¬ 
ing at Trentham, it has often fallen to my lot to share in the 
adjudication of prizes, and therefore I naturally take an interest in 
the question of the framing of schedules, and the interpretation of 
the terms employed in the classes. I have no preferences or 
prejudices in respect to the Trentham case of disqualification ; but 
regarding it from a judicial point of view, and recognising, as we 
must recognise, in case of doubt, the intention of committees who 
prepare schedules for the guidance of exhibitors and judges, I am 
bound to dissent from some opinions that have been expressed in 
the Journal of Horticulture. 
A correspondent (“ W. II. M.”) states, on page 122, his belief 
No. 2291.— Yol. LXXXVII., Old Series. 
