328 
THE COTTAGE GARDENER. 
abstain entering into details ; more may be known subse¬ 
quently, as I have referred the transaction to the proper 
authorities. I merely call your attention to the fact. I have 
made some very important improvements since I changed 
the manufacturer." 
123 B, p — Jones’ Portable Hand Garden Engine. 
The construction of this engine is the same as a com¬ 
mon engine, without the barrel or tube, and so, conse¬ 
quently, can be carried in the hand, and placed in a tub 
at any place it may be required. The cylinder, which 
is so contrived that it forms an air vessel, is fixed to an 
upright bar of iron, with a rest or handle at the top, 
while the lower end is pointed; also to this is hinged the 
handle, by which the piston of the pump is worked; the 
pipe is fixed to the lower end of the cylinder. In working 
this engine the left hand is placed on the rest at the top 
of the bar of iron, to steady the engine, while the handle 
is worked with the right hand, consequently it requires 
another man or boy to hold the pipe ; however, this is a 
useful engine for a small place, as it can so easily be re¬ 
moved and taken among flowers, where it might be diffi¬ 
cult and inconvenient to take a larger wheeled-engine. 
There are other portable engines made, quite as good as 
this. Ry a different arrangement the pipe is fixed on the 
top of a longer cylinder, so that the operator can steady 
the engine, and direct the pipe with one hand, while 
he works it with the other. 
We are indebted to our apiarian friend, J. H. Payne, 
Esq., of Bury St. Edmund’s, for the following particulars 
of the greatest improvement in Pea-growing of which 
we have ever heard : that is, supposing it effects all 
that is stated, and that it will, we have the united tes¬ 
timony of Mr. Payne and Mr. Last. Mr. Payne’s com¬ 
munication is this:— 
“ The twelve or fifteen rows of peas that I mentioned to 
you as being all sown on the same day, and coming in at 
stated periods between Midsummer and Michaelmas, at 
the will of the gardener, and, indeed, through November 
(weather permitting), were sown early in April; the peas 
were put in six inches apart, by which five-sixths, if not 
more, of the seed is saved. The distance between the rows 
is something more than is generally allowed. The kinds 
were —The Champion, Thurston’s Reliance, Knight's Green 
Marrow, and sucli-like. The sticking was done at the usual 
time, but the sticks require to be very strong, and to extend 
considerably more than is usual on each side of the centre of 
the row. Now, when the peas are two feet high (and herein 
lies the merit of the discovery), they are stopped, and when 
three clear joints are made after stopping, they are stopped 
again, and the stopping is repeated as soon as three joints 
are made after each previous stopping, until such time as the 
peas are wished to come into bearing. Now, by this method, 
the produce is increased at least four-fold, and not more 
than five-sixths of the usual amount of seed used; the 
trouble as well as the risk of late sowing being also avoided. 
The person who kindly showed me this method, is Mr. 
James Last, gardener to R. Bevan, Esq., Ivy House, Bury 
St. Edmund’s, to whom the credit of it alone is clue, for it is 
entirely his own discovery; and at his request I make you 
this communication. It must be remembered that each row 
is to be occasionally looked over, and every blossom (for 
there will be, here and there, one make its appearance) 
pulled off, until they are wished to be productive. I should 
have made you this communication yesterday, but I wished 
to read it to Mr. Last before sending it, that its correctness 
may be insured; and yesterday being by no means inviting 
for a walk, prevented my seeing him. I have again seen the 
peas, and must say the abundance of the crop is scarcely 
[August 28. ^ 
to be credited by those who have not seen it. Mr. Last 
says he could now gather three sacks of peas, and I have not 
the least doubt of the correctness of his statement. Some 
of the rows are six feet through—lienee the necessity of 
sticking “ broad,” as he terms it.” 
GARDENING GOSSIP. 
The Seedlings worth notice at the Surrey Zoological 
Gardens consisted of the Dahlia, Dr. Framplon, which 
had a first-class certificate, and is unquestionably de¬ 
serving it; and a fancy Dahlia, called Laura Lavington, 
a dull fawn-colour, tipped with white, not first-rate in 
form, hut a very different colour to what we have at 
present. The folly of having hut one kind of certificate 
to give was exemplified in this, the first Dahlia being 
all one could wish, and the latter having but the one , 
solitary quality of novelty, and yet both had the same 
distinction, one being worth a hundred of the other. 
Of HollyhocJcs there were also two deserving peculiar 
notice; one, Watford Surprize, a most delicate white, 
with purple at the base of the petals; and flower close, 
double, and very rich. This had a first-class certificate. 
King of Roses, another variety, we have already noticed; 
this, also, had a first-class certificate: but there was a 
third which deserved one and did not have it. The 
Duke of Wellington is a mottled variety, beating every¬ 
thing we have of anything near its colour, which is a 
rich mulberry on a pale ground, and the mottleryis very 
fine. Of the new Dahlias of last year, Bar Maid was 
the most beautiful in several stands; but instead of 
being white, as shown last year, it was splendidly edged 
with rose, and a very pretty model of a flower. It was 
one we strongly recommended, and it does ample justice 
to all we said of it. We presume the flower loses its 
edging as the season advances; but at present we have 
nothing half so beautiful among light flowers already 
out. 
Mr. Bragg showed the King of the Dahlias, not sufficiently 
out to be first-rate, but quite good enough to sustain the 
character we gave it; other blooms, by comparison, looked j 
rough and mean. George Glcnny was shown, and fully | 
proved that it is one of the most useful, if not the most 
perfect, of the yellows. Admiral was well shown. Dr. Bushell 
showed a number of seedlings in a stand of twenty-four; 
among them a fancy flower, very brilliant carmine, tipped 
with white, and better than average form. We shall see 
this again, we presume, shown as a seedling and named, and 
shall not lose sight of it. 
The worst things shown were Fuchsias. The sorts, for 
the most part, badly selected, and none well grown; all 
straggling about, or propped up with sticks, or tied up with 
ligatures. The Dahlias were good for the season; but the 
want of that experience, or thought, which does not much i 
trouble the committee of the South London, left growers in 
doubt as to whether fancy varieties might be shown among 
the regular varieties or not. Accordingly we see that two of | 
the exhibitors, who took first and second prize in the nursery- ' 
men’s class, went upon opposite tacks. Mr. Keynes, of 
Salisbury, confined himself to the ordinary show varieties. 
Mr. Turner, of Slough, mixed them, taking the best of each. ‘ 
The judges gave the prize to the stand of all ordinary kinds. ' 
Mr. Turner paid the penalty of his taste. On no other | 
ground could the flowers of Mr. Keynes have been placed be- ; 
fore Mr. Turner's. But why should showers be left in doubt 
about such matters ? Mon entrusted to draw up schedules 
should be persons capable of making all the world under- j 
stand what they mean. The fancy flowers have been so j 
