314 
THE COTTAGE GARDENER. 
January 26. 
done so to the same extent in utility ? That we should 
go on from one degree of excellence to another is one 
thing, and a most desirable end to be attained, but to 
extend varieties and multiply the names of varieties for 
tiie mere gratification of whim or fancy is quite another 
matter, and leads to nothing hut confusion, disappoint¬ 
ment, and annoyance. 
I have now before me three seed catalogues of the 
last century, varying in dates from 1780 to 1791, and 
each issued hy separate establishments. The greatest 
number they can collectively enumerate of Peas is 23; 
of Brocoli, 5 ; of Cabbage, 8 ; and of Lettuce, 13; these 
I have selected as illustrations, and it will be allowed, 
that so far as the number of varieties is concerned they 
are amply sufficient for all purposes. But I have also 
before me three catalogues of the date 1853, also issued 
by three separate houses, and in these the collective 
enumeration of Peas is 88 ; of Brocoli, 47 ; of Cabbage, 
46; and of Lettuce, 53, varieties! Need it be wondered 
at, therefore, that the public, and “ the trade” themselves, 
are longing to be freed from such a chaos of names and 
nonentities. It is exceedingly desirable that we should 
have new varieties—the more the better. It is only in 
this way we can expect to improve as we have done 
during the last few years. Were it not for some step 
in that direction we might still have been confined to 
the Charlton for the earliest, and the old Marrows and 
Marotto for the late; but the time has now arrived 
when such old varieties as are found to be inferior to 
those of more recent introduction should be discarded. 
It is a complaint of daily occurrence that there is such 
a multiplication of varieties, and names of varieties; 
and some havo ventured to attribute this to unworthy 
motives on the part of the seedsmen; but, as a body, I 
know the respectable part of the seed trade deprecate 
such a state of matters as much as any one, and glad 
would they be if the public would take the matter in 
their own hands, and ascertain what is really worth 
cultivating and what is not; if they would so make 
themselves acquainted with what they grow, as to be 
able to decide upon what is distinct and what is not. 
Much has been said, of late, endeavouring to inculpate 
the seedsmen. It is not for me to advocate the cause 
of any party, as I have no interest in the matter beyond 
a desire to “ see things called by their right names,” and, 
if possible, to reduce the number of useless and unne¬ 
cessary names and varieties. But I believe much of 
the confusion has arisen with the public themselves; it 
is with garden vegetables as with fruits. A person 
becomes possessed of a first-rate variety, of which he has 
lost the name, or of which, he, perhaps, has never known 
the name; he is pleased with it, cultivates it, takes 
prizes with it, and, if of a liberal spirit, distributes 
it among his friends and neighbours: in course of 
time it is associated with his own name, is adver¬ 
tised as “ a new thing,” gains popularity, and “ the 
trade” become possessed of it to enable them to oblige 
their customers. One-half of the world soon discovers 
it to be the same as something else, but the other half 
will not believe it is so, either because they have not 
observation enough to see the identity, or because they 
have never seen that with which it is identical; and so 
they persist, year after year, to buy, and cultivate, and 
recommend it under the name by which they first 
made its acquaintance. And so it is with the Pea, 
Brocoli, Cabbage, Lettuce, and every other crop; and 
until the public use a little more discrimination they 
must continuo to dwell in this state of bewilderment, 
and the seedsmen remain the passive agents of their 
patrons. 
It is for us, therefore, to make ourselves acquainted 
as much with what we grow as wo do with how to 
grow it; to exercise a little more observation, without 
taking things for granted, and then we shall have the 
remedy in our own hands. With this view, I, last 
season, determined to make myself acquainted as much 
as possible with the subject, beginning with the Pea 
and its varieties; and for this end I procured all the 
varieties of garden Peas which were to ha obtained in 
London, under whatever and as many names as they 
were to be had, taking care that all new varieties were 
got from those houses which professed to supply them 
true and genuine. They were all sown on the same 
day, and on the same piece of ground, and were care¬ 
fully noted at least once, but frequently twice a-week. 
In addition to this, I most kindly and liberally 
received permission from several of the wholesale 
London seedsmen to make free use of their sample 
grounds, in which they make trials of all the seeds 
they have supplied during the previous season; and it 
is from observations so made that I am now enabled 
to furnish some account of the garden Peas. The 
varieties are arranged in the rotation in which they 
came into pod. 
taylor’s prolific. 
This is a very early Pea, earlier, if anything, than 
even Sanyster's No. 1, but is of a more slender habit 
of growth. The pods are all strictly single, and are 
of the size and shape of No. 1, containing, on an 
average, from six to seven peas in each. The plant 
is two feet high, and produces perfect pods even 
to the top of the haulm, when the whole ripen off 
simultaneously. 
Taylor s Prolific seems to be a very superior variety 
of the old Early Kent, from which it has, no doubt, 
originated. I obtained it from Messrs. Noble, Cooper, 
and Bolton, of Fleet Street, who seem to have paid 
particular attention to the preservation of the true 
character of this excellent variety. It was sown on 
the 29th of March, and fully slatted on the 8th of 
June; but, as regards earliness, it cannot be called 
more than a day before No. 1. It is a very good 
cropper, well adapted for forcing and early sowing, and 
in field culture produces, on an average, five quarters 
per acre. 
EARLY KENT. 
Synonymes. —Prince Albert, Early May. 
This variety may be included under the same head as 
