THE GARDENING WORLD 
605 
May 28 , 1896 . 
Tomato Sutton’s Dessert. 
Tomato Sutton’s Golden Gem 
MESSRS. SUTTON’S GREAT EXHIBIT. 
Those who visited the Temple Show last year will 
have a lively recollection of the Peas,Climbing French 
Beans, Tomatos, and other early vegetables which 
Messrs. Sutton and Sons, of Reading, exhibited in 
pots along the central stage of No. i tent. On this 
occasion the firm surpassed all previous efforts both 
in quantity and quality of the same classes of veg¬ 
etables. The whole of the central staging of No. 2 
tent was completely monopolised with this monster 
exhibit. A special train was chartered to convey the 
material to the exhibition ground, or as near it as 
that could be effected by this mode of conveyance. 
The labour necessary to accomplish this task, inde¬ 
pendently of the work and skill necessary to grow 
the vegetables to such perfection at this early period 
of the year must have been excessive. Messrs. 
Sutton and Sons take time by the forelock, for the 
task was commenced on the day previous to the 
opening of the show, so that everything was trim and 
in excellent order long before the judges were called 
upon to perform their allotted task. Some idea of 
the extent of the exhibit may be formed when we say 
that the central staging of this tent was 120-ft. in 
length by 6-ft. in width. 
In order fully to have realised this collection of 
vegetables and flowers, its extent, arrangement and 
effect, it would have been neccessary to see it. To 
those who were not favoured with an opportunity of 
seeing the show, we will try to convey an impression 
of it. A central line along the whole length was 
occupied with trained Tomatos, Climbing French 
Beans, Melons and Cucumbers, all heavily laden 
with fruit. On either side of this were four rows of 
Peas placed at intervals with various flowering sub¬ 
jects occupying the intermediate spaces. All these 
together formed three lines running along the whole 
length of the tent. As an outside margin to the 
whole was a line of Messrs, Sutton’s superb strain of 
Gloxinias. The centre piece of the group was a 
row of Sutton's Tender and True Climbing French 
Bean. 
Only those whose allotted task it is to provide and 
arrange an exhibit of this nature can fully realise its 
accomplishment. We are familiar with all sorts of 
grouping and arrangements of flowers; but it has 
never been our privilege previously to see it done 
with vegetables on so extensive a scale. It may be 
regarded therefore as a new and unique departure in 
the method of exhibiting vegetables in a growing 
and fruiting state. Although something in the same 
way was seen last year, it was practically tentative, 
and the public has reason to be satisfied and gratified 
with a new sensation that could hardly have been 
expected in the matter of vegetables and flowers 
combined in this unique way. Gardeners more so 
than the general public could hardly have failed to 
feel immense interest in the contents as well as the 
exhibition value of this exhibit, so that we shall 
proceed to deal with them seriatim. 
Tomatos. 
On entering this tent from the main entrance the 
visitor was confronted with plants of Lilium Harisii, 
behind which were 12-in. pots of Tomatos trained 
in fan-shape. The other Tomatos were stood at 
right angles to this, all of course facing the visitors. 
Being amongst the tallest subjects they occupied the 
central line. Two methods of training were adopted 
as may be seen by reference to our illustrations 
above. On the right hand side is a pot of Sutton’s 
Dessert, consisting of two plants trained over an iron 
rod forming an arch. The globular crimson-scarlet 
fruits of this variety are well-known ; and the beauti¬ 
ful bunches as well as their two-rowed character and 
the abundance with which they are produced may 
be seen from a glance at the illustration. The other 
method of training may be realised by looking at the 
representation of a pot of Sutton’s Golden Gem on 
the left. Three plants in the pot are confined to 
single stems trained in fan-shape. We noted that 
the globular goldeD-yellow fruits of this variety 
were much larger than those of Golden Nugget, and 
very profusely produced. This is a novelty for '97 
and is sure to find favour. There was no danger of 
the fruit in this instance clashing with the colour of 
the Gloxinias in front. The variety is bound to 
become a favourate when put into commerce. The 
arch was certainly the more novel method of train¬ 
ing, and visitors being able to look through the 
opening, we are not sure that frequent reciprocal 
glances were not made in a manner which Love 
Apples would naturally suggest. 
Sutton's Sunbeam was another very productive 
variety with golden-yellow, plum-shaped fruits, 
which were both novel and attractive. The better- 
known Golden Nugget, has globular golden-yellow 
fruits that are smaller than either of those above 
mentioned, but produced in large bunches that are 
very charming. They take on a much finer colour 
under glass at this early period of the year than they 
would do out of doors later on. Sutton’s Vesuvius 
had globular crimson-scarlet, smooth fruits and was 
a novelty intended for next year's distribution. It 
was obtained by crossing Sutton's Best of All and 
Earliest of All, and is a first early. Another novelty 
for '97 was Sutton's Favourite derived from Perfec¬ 
tion and the Peach Tomato. The fruit had the 
shape of the former and the downy skin of the latter ; 
but the colour was peculiarly different from that of 
either, and for want of a better term may be des¬ 
cribed as brick-red. Sutton’s Eclipse was also a 
new sort, bearing a heavy crop of globular, smooth 
and bright scarlet fruits. The globular smooth fruits 
of Sutton’s Empress are nearly white in the early 
stages, but ultimately of a terra-cotta hue when 
mature. This made five new varieties, notable for 
their fertility, even when grown in pots thus early. 
Sutton’s Best of All was something in the way of 
Perfection but earlier and better for any purpose. 
Another early variety was Sutton’s Abundance, 
having medium-sized, smooth, crimson-scarlet fruits. 
Each of the above were about 4 ft. to 5 ft. high and 
about a yard wide, so that when elevated on the 
centre of the staging they had a bold and imposing 
effect. 
Climbing French Beans. 
Without doubt these were a feature in themselves. 
They were trained fan-shape to-a height of 7-ft. but 
as the tops turned down again for some distance and 
re-mounted the supports, they would reach about 
ir ft. They were something hke Climbing Beans, 
and reminded us of an old Scottish gardener who 
was not particular about the length of the stakes he 
used for Peas, because, said he, they always went up 
to the top of the stakes, no matter what their height, 
and came down to the ground again. Tender and 
True was sown on the 28th February, and the long, 
smooth, and beautifully shaped pods were in prime 
condition. Sutton’s Epicure was exceedingly pro¬ 
ductive. and had equally as long pods as the last 
named but they were rounder. Though not sown 
till the 6th March, the pods were equally as forward 
as those of the former. Sutton’s Earliest of All is 
rightly named, for it was more forward than the 
other two, though not sown till the 13th March. The 
round pods were shorter than those of Epicure 
but produced in enormous clusters. This is a 
