250 
THE GARDENING WORLD. 
December 18, 1886. 
grasses, there are a number of South African species 
which have not yet been identified, but which are much 
appreciated for their handsome form and natural brown 
tints of colour. Bleached fronds of various Palms are 
also requisitioned in large numbers, of the Date Palm, 
Phoenix dactylifera especially, large quantities of which 
are obtained from Egypt, and which, by the use of 
curling irons, are made to assume shapes which aro 
certainly novel, if not quite true to nature. The 
leaves of Latania borbonica and a species of Thrinax 
are also bleached ; and those of a species of Geonoma 
dried their natural colour, have a very imposing effect 
in a large bunch or other device, such as the “ Makart” 
bouquet. 
Among the dried flowers there has not been much 
change as regards the bulk, Helichrysums, Rhodanthes, 
Acrocliniums, &e., both plain and coloured, contributing 
largely to the general stock ; but, as an article of com¬ 
merce, the comparatively new “ Cape Everlasting,” a 
very beautiful satin white kind of Helichrysum, puts 
all others in the shade, being literally sold by millions. 
The flowers come from Table Mountain, and are simply 
invaluable in the composition of every kind of floral 
device. The Messrs. Hooper are ever on the look-out 
for novelties, and expect, ere long, to introduce many 
subjects regarded as botanical curiosities. They have 
already in Echinops ritro, a “Globe Thistle” of a 
pretty steel-blue shade of colour, and another curiously 
contorted thistle-like plant from Africa, which are 
expected to prove of commercial value. In the limits 
of a short article, of course, only a very few subjects 
can necessarily be mentioned, nor can much valuable 
space be devoted to descriptions of the many floral 
devices that can be made of dried flowers and grasses ; 
but we strongly advise those who may visit the market 
during the next few weeks, to look into the Messrs. 
Hooper's windows, and see for themselves what beau¬ 
tiful objects can now be obtained for winter decorations. 
In the preceding page we give an illustration of one 
of their “Makart Regal Bouquets,” so named after 
Hans Makart, the famous painter, who was the first to 
show what fine effects can be obtained with Palm leaves, 
dried grasses, &e. 
-- 
NOTES ON PEAS. 
The Pea crop for 1886 was with us an excellent one, 
and I think this has generally been the case in the 
district, except, perhaps, as regards the earliest sorts, 
which suffered for want of moisture early in the 
summer. I attribute our success with the earliest sorts 
and the good supply we had all the season to a plenti¬ 
ful supply of water being given, especially during the 
swelling of the pods. “We half sink some hogsheads 
between every alternate third row, which are kept filled, 
so that we can water whenever we please, and get in 
return an abundance of pods and peas of most delicious 
quality. The following remarks concern such varieties 
as have proved to be the best in this northern county. 
Your correspondent, Mr. Fry, has alluded to the dif¬ 
ference in quality of varieties in different districts, and 
there is certainly a marked difference : Dr. Maclean 
and Yeitch’s Perfection may be cited as instances of 
this ; both are very well thought of generally, but here 
they do not crop nearly so well, nor are they so good 
in quality as I have seen and grown them in other 
places. As regards new Peas, the cry is—“still they 
come,” and I hear that we are likely to have a large 
influx of them next spring ; well, the more the better 
if they are decided improvements on existing sorts, 
and not merely old acquaintances re-christened. 
Early Kenilworth and Earliest of All are 
about equal in merit, and none compare with them for 
earliness, colour, flavour and cropping. The first- 
named is, if anything, a few days earlier than the last. 
Dickson’s First and Best is still a good old sort, which 
does well in the north, and is always to be relied upon. 
•William the Conqueror is by the same raiser 
as Early Kenilworth, and is easily recognised by 
its dark green foliage, and numerous well-filled pods 
containing from seven to nine peas, which are of good 
colour, being, like the foliage, deep green, and of 
excellent quality. It comes in with Dickson’s First and 
Best, grows 5 ft. high, and is a most desirable variety. 
Prince of ‘Wales is a dwarf, white, wrinkled 
marrow, of first class merit; 3 ft. This has been a 
favourite for many years, but it requires catching at 
the proper moment—just before the pods are full—or 
it quickly gets past its best and loses its flavour ; a 
most abundant cropper. 
William Hurst is another grand 3 ft. Pea ; a good 
companion to the above, but better in colour. The 
haulm is literally covered with fine well-filled pods of 
superior quality. This is one of the best new Peas of 
recent introduction ; a fine variety for market gardeners. 
Abundance and Ever-bearing are not equal to the 
last-named, despite the flourish of trumpets with which 
they were ushered in upon us. The haulms with me 
are very strong, but whilst their cropping qualities and 
flavour are good they do not surpass the two above- 
named, or the old sort, which follows. 
The Prince. —This is a good old favourite, and for 
a late dwarf is still one of the best. It is a white 
wrinkled marrow of branching habit, pods long and 
well filled ; an abundant bearer, and of excellent 
flavour. It must not be confounded with the Prince of 
Wales, as it somewhat differs from that variety ; it 
being hardier and later, and withstands mildew better. 
I have failed in some seasons to get this true, Yeitch’s 
Perfection having been sent instead. 
Telegraph and Telephone are now firmly 
established as two of the best introductions in recent 
years, in the 5 ft. class. They, are good croppers, and 
the pods of both are large and handsome. The first- 
named lacks flavour, but is of a deep rich green colour ; 
whilst Telephone has the flavour, but is deficient in 
colour. 
Fairbeard’s Fortyfold and Ne Plus Ultra 
are too well known to require any description, as 
they are two of the best cropping sorts extant, and for 
flavour not yet surpassed, if equalled. 
Duke of Albany. —It is almost needless to speak 
of the merits of this truly grand and distinct sort ; for 
as an exhibition sort it carries all before it. I have seen 
samples of this shown during the last season with pods 
over 6 ins. in length, perfect in colour, fulness of pods, 
and symmetrical in form. It would be as well for our 
hybridisers to centre their thoughts upon this variety, 
and if they cannot improve upon it to keep all other new 
ones back until they can. Taking all the qualities of 
this Pea into consideration, it is the finest introduction 
of recent years. Undoubtedly, this is the Pea your 
Scottish correspondent, “ M. T.,” was enquiring about 
a few months ago. 
Duke of Connaught (Eckford).—There are two 
varieties which bear this name, but this is a new one 
of last year. Height 5 ft. ; a good cropping variety; 
pods thick, blunt and well filled with from seven to 
nine large peas of superior flavour. It is somewhat 
after Sharp’s Paragon, and does not appear to differ 
much from that sort. 
Pontefract Castle is not exactly a new one, as 
it has been grown largely as an exhibition sort in 
Yorkshire, but is being discarded in favour of Duke of 
Albany. It is, as it seems to me, a selected stock of 
Ne Plus Ultra or General Wyndham. 
Sharp’s Immense Longpod —given to me for trial 
by the raiser, Mr. J. T. Sharp, Almondbury—is a white 
wrinkled marrow, 5 ft. in height, with large, healthy, 
succulent foliage, light green in colour, and the pods 
large and of good depth. As an exhibition variety 
this is inferior to Duke of Albany, as it lacks colour 
and flavour, and, moreover, requires higher cultivation. 
The growths have to be well pinched or thinned ; and 
some of the immense pods are perfect windbags, whilst 
others will contain their fullness of peas—thirteen in 
each pod. A type of Culverwell’s Giant Marrow and 
Laxton’s Superlative. 
Webb’s Stourbridge Marrow. — A very good 
general cropping sort; some of the pods are of fine 
proportions, and with good cultivation would no doubt 
make a capital exhibition sort. Height, with me, over 
5 ft., and the pods dark green, produced in pairs, each 
pod containing from eight to eleven peas of first-class 
quality. A commendable sort.— B. L., Huddersfield. 
-*>*«•- 
THE POTATO TERCENTENARY. 
(Concluded from p. 234.) 
At the Friday morning conference held in connection 
with the Potato Tercentenary, the chair was occupied 
by Mr. W. S. Mitchell. 
Dr. Maxwell T. Masters, F.R.S., read the first paper 
upon “The Production of Varieties by Culti¬ 
vation.” He said that the question for discussion was 
whether the modes which we now adopted for the 
purpose of obtaining new varieties were sufficient to 
insure the attainment of the object worked for. On the 
whole he did not think they were, and he would take 
the opportunity of drawing attention to the extreme 
vagueness that attended all the efforts at the present 
time to raise new varieties of the Potato. A wider 
knowledge and a greater precision in scientific method 
were much wanted. The practical men were rather apt 
to depreciate the value of scientific inquiries, but he 
believed that a little more information upon the object 
aimed at, and the best ways of attaining it would be 
very beneficial. The most general method of producing 
varieties was that of selection ; but he was of opinion 
that nothing useful could be derived from this method. 
Another process was that of cross-breeding, or producing 
new varieties by the application of the pollen of one 
variety to the stigma of another. This method has 
been practised for many years. The third method was 
that of hybridization proper, or the crossing of two 
reputedly distinct species. This process had not been 
much attended to in England until it was taken up by 
Messrs. Sutton at Reading. There was yet another 
mode by which new varieties might be obtained— 
namely, grafting. Very many Potato cultivators abso¬ 
lutely denied the possibility of anything like grafting, 
but he believed it to be a practical and realisable idea. 
He had, himself, obtained intermediate forms by the 
process, and he had seen remarkable results obtained by 
grafting the Potato on to the Tomato and other species. 
These were all the methods at present practised for 
gaining new varieties of the Potato ; there might be 
more, but he did not think it probable. What he would 
wish to emphasise was that all these modes, except that 
practised by Messsrs. Sutton, were merely ringing the 
changes on the old varieties over and over again. If 
any really important result] were to be obtained in the 
future in the point of greater adaptability to our climate, 
power of resisting disease, or general robustness, we 
should have to infuse a new strain into our varieties, 
and the only way to do this was by hybridisation of 
species. It was not necessary to confine the experi¬ 
ments to tuberous Solanums only, but other hardy 
species of the Solanum might be put under requisition. 
The process, however, would be very long and tedious, 
and it would hardly be within the power of private 
individuals to undertake the experiments, which would 
require quite twenty years of constant attention. 
The Chairman referred to the want of scientific 
knowledge associated with what was called practical 
knowledge, illustrating his remarks by pointing out 
that when Lord Cathcart offered a prize for an essay on 
the Potato disease, out of the ninety-four competing 
papers sent in not one was considered to evince sufficient 
knowledge of the subject to deserve the prize. 
Mr. Alexander Dean said that at the time when the 
prize was offered for an essay on the Potato disease, 
scientific men themselves hardly understood the subject. 
'With regard to the process of selection for producing 
new varieties, he could say, as one who had had much 
experience in the mattter, that the only result to be 
obtained was a slightly better stock for a year or two, 
which, however, would soon degenerate. The only real 
means by which distinct varieties have been introduced 
was by cross-breeding ; and by this means from the 
simple Solanum tuberosum, a thousand distinct varieties 
have been obtained. They had also produced many 
varieties entitled to be called disease-resisting, and had 
put themselves in the position to say that Potatos were 
never better or cheaper than at present. 
Mr. Arthur Sutton (Reading) said he did not wish to 
claim any of the credit for having originated the ex¬ 
periments referred to by Dr. Masters. The idea had 
emanated from Lord Cathcart, and he believed that 
in its execution, they had a pleasing example of the 
union of scientific and practical knowledge. He had 
never known any new variety to be originated by 
selection, and he believed such a thing to be impossible. 
Mr. William Earley said, that while he did not assert 
the possibility of obtaining new varieties by the process 
of selection, the fact was not to be overlooked that by 
continually choosing the best specimens of a variety, a 
better standard of excellence was maintained. 
Mr. Charles Ap Thomas said that he had resided for 
twenty-five years in Chili and Peru, and was converssnt 
with the edible plants there. There were three 
varieties of the Potato, one of them, the yellow Potato, 
being very suitable for introduction into England. Its 
name was given it on account of the colour of its 
flesh ; and it was very similar to the Rector of Wood- 
stock variety. It was indigenous to the soil, and had 
been found in the country by the Spaniards when they 
first arrived. 
