606 
THE GARDENING WORLD 
May 28, 1896. 
Pea Sutton's Seedling Marrowfat. 
novelty for ‘97. In the above we have three distinct 
types of Climbing French Beans. Tender and True 
was first sent out about five years ago. 
Peas in rows. 
As m the case of the Climbing French Beans, 
gardeners and visitors generally paid particular atten¬ 
tion tothe four rowsof Peas each 10ft. to 14ft. long, the 
like of which have never been paralleled at a public ex¬ 
hibition. Some of them were grown in long boxes, and 
others in large pots. The accompanying illustration 
of a small portion of a row gives a good idea of 
Sutton's Seedling Marrowfat as it appeared on the 
fhree days of the show. This was the variety which 
caused such a sensation at the Temple Show last 
year. The plant grows about a foot high and was 
covered with pods as large as those of the well.known 
Duke of Alhany. The variety, however, differs 
immensely from the last named in being so dwarf 
and as early as American Wonder. It is a wrinkled 
Pea which originated with Mr. Culverwell, but was 
grown, selected and fixed in its present form by 
Messrs. Sutton & Sons, by whom it was put into 
commerce last year. In a word it is a dwarf, first 
early, Marrowfat Pea which cannot fail to be very 
widely cultivated, displacing American Wonder for 
forcing and for the production of the first early crops 
from the open ground. 
Sutton’s May Queen was also raised by Mr. 
Culverwell as a cross between American Wonder 
and Early Paragon. Earliness is, therefore, a 
special feature of this variety which gardeners know 
to be as early as any for outdoor work. It grows 
to the height of 2J ft., and the seeds possess 
the full marrowfat flavour. A row of it on the 
exhibition table had a telling effect. To its other 
recommendations it adds that of productiveness, as 
many gardeners can testify, independently of the 
testimony it supplied as to its being amenable for 
forcing purposes. To retard it and prevent it from 
being too far advanced for the show it had to be 
placed in an unheated house entirely shaded from 
sunshine. Sutton’s Favourite Marrowfat is a second 
early as could be seen from the more backward 
nature of the pods as compared with the other types 
exhibited, although grown under the same conditions. 
Judging from its appearance it is probably one of 
the most productive Peas in cultivation. The stems 
usually grow to a height of 18 in., but forcing added 
another 6 in. to them. That matter is not at all 
regrettable considering that it continues flowering, 
and producing pods well filled to the tip. These 
pods are very broad, straight and of beautiful 
appearance for exhibition work. But as a Pea for 
use in private establishments, to come in after the 
first earlies, its merits will be tested, and its prolific 
nature, robust habit and excellent flavour cannot fail 
to find many admirers and cultivators. Sutton’s 
Excelsior, though only put into commerce this year, 
has already been well tested and approved as a first 
early marrowfat Pea of great excellence. The pods 
are large, very full, of the rich glaucous green colour, 
so highly appreciated on the exhibition table, and 
contain six to nine peas of a beautiful green hue. 
They differ in shape from those of Sutton’s 
Seedling by being blunt-pointed. The seeds are of 
such excellent flavour that they will be appreciated 
by the connoisseur as much as by those who can 
make but little distinction between one sort and 
another. The haulm reaches a height of 18 in. and 
bears heavily throughout its length. The variety is 
another of Mr. Culverwell’s triumphs, and originated 
from a cross between Early Paragon and American 
Wonder. There was a row of each of the above 
varieties. The same four sorts were also grown in 
pots showing the special advantages which each 
method has to offer the cultivator. 
Peas in Pots. 
The special advantage of growing and cropping 
Peas in pots seems to be one of convenience rather 
than necessity. In this case the pots were about 
10 in. wide, and had a few nice twiggy stakes placed 
upright in them for the support of the Peas. Pots 
are easily moved about and can be placed relatively 
close to the glass, thereby insuring dwarf short- 
jointed stems. As the Peas grow, the pots may be 
lowered if need be. Light and air can play freely 
round them so that good pod s are developed on all sides. 
In private establishments, pots can quickly be trans¬ 
ferred to a cool house, if the pods are too forward 
for any required date. Those in boxes were equally 
fruitful on both sides and over the top ; so that under 
good cultivation a good crop can be secured either 
way. 
Sutton's Ai. is a first early and the counterpart of 
Excelsior as far as the pods are concerned, but the 
stems were 3 ft. high The variety was the pioneer 
of a new early race of marrowfat Peas, the distribu¬ 
tion of which commenced in 1891. When it first 
made its appearance in private gardens it created 
quite a sensation on occount of its earliness, produc¬ 
tiveness and high class quality. Each pot contains 
seven to ten peas of large size and excellent flavour. 
Empress of India is the counterpart of Telephone, 
but is a first early—-a consideration of the greatest 
importance. The haulm is about 3 ft. in height and 
bears a heavy crop along its whole length, of 
large and shapely pods well filled with eight to eleven 
handsome peas of excellent flavour. The variety 
is equally well adapted for exhibition or table use. 
The largest podded early Pea in cultivation is 
Sutton’s Early Giant (see p. 607) which has pods of a 
dark glaucous green colour, and the counterpart of 
the Duke of Albany but earlier. The plants are also 
dwarfer, for they only reach a height of 3 ft., at least 
when forced. The variety is one of the present 
year’s novelties, and is a decided acquisition to 
horticulture seeing that pods of such size with seeds 
of the marrowfat flavour can be gathered as early as 
the dwarf Sutton's Seedling Marrowfat. The Sutton 
Forcing is the dwarfest Pea in cultivation, American 
Wonder and others of that ilk notwithstanding. It 
is a free bearing variety as those who visited the 
show could see, and the pods are equal to 
those of Sutton's Seedling in size. The seeds are 
wrinkled and of excellent flavour, so that altogether 
the variety will be a boon to those whose space is 
limited, but yet are required to furnish an early dish 
or two for the table, previous to the harvesting of the 
early supplies from the open ground. Mr. Culver¬ 
well was the raiser of the variety which was a cross 
between Sutton's Royal Jubilee and American 
Wonder. It is as early as the latter but possesses 
the true marrowfat flavour, and proves equally suit¬ 
able for forcing in pits or frames and for warm borders 
outside. 
Melons. 
To grow Melons successfully in pots is perhaps a 
feat more difficult of accomplishment than in the 
case of Peas, especially when one is required to 
have them in readiness by a given date, indepen¬ 
dently of all vicissitudes to which our precarious and 
fickle climate is liable. The plants were grown in 
12 in. pots and in the case of some of them we noted 
five fully grown fruits to a pot besides some smaller 
ones belonging to a later set. Some of the fruits of 
the well-known and widely appreciated Hero of 
Lockinge had reached maturity. The variety is 
widely reputed amongst gardeners as the best all 
round Melon, and as a white-fleshed variety it cer¬ 
tainly upholds its reputation admirably. Sutton's 
Eureka is one of this year's novelties, and is the 
counterpart of Hero of Lockinge, with the exception 
of being scarlet-fleshed. The fruit is globular, of a 
useful size for table purposes and possesses a 
beautiful golden yellow, closely and attractively 
netted skin. The flesh is of great depth, juicy and 
of excellent flavour. The flowers set freely and 
under ordinary methods of cultivation this is a heavy 
bearing variety. Sutton’s Scarlet Melon is another 
scarlet-fleshed variety of great excellence. It was 
raised by Mr. Tegg, of Bearwood Gardens, and was 
put into commerce by Messrs. Sutton in 1894. 
Several have pronounced it as one of the best 
flavoured Melons in cultivation. The plants were 
trained in fan-shape and occupied the central line of 
the staging. Sutton's Magnum Bonum Cucumber is 
one of the most useful all round sorts in cultivation. 
When in perfection the colour is of a dark green and 
the skin furnished with small black spines. The 
form being all that could be desired, the variety is 
useful for exhibition, market work and private use. 
Flowers and Foliage Plants. 
The Gloxinias were undoubtedly the leading feature 
of the flowering plants, both on account of the extent 
of the exhibit, the variety of colours and the high 
quality of the cultivators’ art. It is a matter of taste 
as to whether the spotted or self-coloured varieties 
were best, for both types were excellent and one the 
corollary of the other. The size, substance and 
excellent form of Her Majesty as well as the purity 
of the white flowers commanded universal admira¬ 
tion. Duchess of York, one of this year's novel¬ 
ties, was rich purple with a broad white margin. 
Duke of York on the contrary was bright crimson 
bordered with white. The intense glowing scarlet 
of Reading Scarlet was sufficiently fine to be included 
in the most select collection. The beautiful sky 
blue colour of Sutton’s Azure Blue formed a charm¬ 
ing contrast to the vivid colours of the darker kinds, 
and is certainly a break in the right direction for 
securing a blue Gloxinia. 
Empress of India is a dark violet-purple flower of 
splendid proportions. The same may be said 
of Crimson King, the colour of which is indicated by 
the name. The silvery foliage of Prince of Wales is 
