742 
THE GARDENING WORLD. 
July 21, 1894. 
raised in thousands in the same nurseries were seed¬ 
ling Rhododendrons and fine-leaved Begonias, for 
which latter class there was then something like a 
rage. From Tooting Mr. Outram went to the late 
Mr. William Cole, who. with the late lamented “ Billy" 
and other sons, carried on a lucrative business 
at the Fog Lane Nurseries, Withiogton, near Man¬ 
chester, and where he had a good spell at propaga¬ 
ting and specimen plant culture—hard work, and 
long hours, for the Coles were then numbered among 
the best of plant growers, and perhaps the most ex¬ 
tensive exhibitors in the country. The next step 
upwards was an engagement to grow the stove plants 
and do the propagating at Manley Hall, Manchester, 
Mr. Sam. Mendell’s famous gardens being at that 
time being under the management of Mr. Sharman. 
Here he stayed two seasons, but finding life in a 
private place too slow for his taste, he got into the 
trade again, and for several years had charge of the 
stove department in Messrs. James Veitch & Son’s 
nursery at Chelsea, where he greatly increased his 
knowledge of plants and their value. An opportunity 
offering about twenty years ago of going to the late 
Mr. B. S. Williams, as traveller, Mr. Outram 
accepted it. He was very young for such a 
responsible post, but perseverance and the wise 
counsel and liberal encouragement of the late Mr. B. 
S. Williams pulled him through, and he has since 
travelled for the firm in all parts of Great Britain and 
Ireland, America, and Canada. In 1876, in company 
with Mr. Henry Williams, he took a valuable collec¬ 
tion of plants to the Philadelphia exhibition, which 
gained the highest award—a gold medal. This enter¬ 
prising trip was the means of opening up an extensive 
business with plant lovers in the United States, and 
Mr. Outram has visited America every year since. Mr. 
Outram, in the prime of life, is still on the road, and 
a welcome visitor wherever he goes, ever ready for a 
crack ’’ with an isolated gardener, and ever bearing 
in mind the good old rule never to recommend any¬ 
thing that will not suit for the purpose particularly 
required, and never to press anyone to buy that 
which they do not want. 
--- 
A TRIAL OF PEAS. 
Gardeners who have the will and the opportunity 
to conduct trials of new things render a valuable 
service to the less favourably situated members of 
their order, and especially when they allow the 
results of their experience to be made known beyond 
the confines of their own immediate neighbourhood. 
Such a benefactor to his species is Mr. H. C. 
Prinsep, who so worthily presides over Lord Port- 
man's gardening establishment at Buxted Park, near 
Uckfield, a most interesting and beautiful place in 
the charming residential county of Sussex. Buxted 
Park, and indeed the whole surrounding district, is 
famous for its sylvan beauty, and the gardens and 
pleasure-grounds are notable for the richness of the 
collection of trees and shrubs and hardy plants 
generally, for the most successful treatment of 
Dendrobium nobile, and other Orchids, and for 
high-class kitchen gardening ; and its gardener has a 
penchant for discovering good things “ on his own," 
if the expression may be allowed. 
The soil at Buxted is a deep tenacious loam, but 
wants good management to make it yield the best 
results, which means deep cultivation, heavy 
manuring, and sowing and planting at the proper 
time to ensure quick and vigorous growth. The 
kitchen garden is a large one, but the rule to double dig 
and well manure for all crops is steadily enforced, and 
the results abundantly pay for the labour expended. 
Our visit to Mr. Prinsep a week or two ago was 
paid for the purpose of inspecting a trial of Peas 
which he is conducting this season, and which in¬ 
cludes some fifty-one varieties, all Marrowfats, no 
round Peas being grown at all in the open air. In 
the deep, rich feeding ground, the Peas which are 
very thinly sown, make a wonderful growth, and this 
season many of them have far exceeded the normal 
standard of height claimed for them, in fact, taken 
all round, the varieties are quite 12 in. to 18 in. taller 
than last year. 
The earliest variety grown in the open air is Lax- 
ton’s Gradus, which was sown on January 22nd, and 
was ready to pick on May 15th; and a grand early Pea 
it is, with haulm 7 ft. high, a most abundant bearer of 
long, straight, well-filled pods generally. When full 
the pods should contain 10-12 large Peas, but it has a 
fault in not setting all regularly alike. Still, it is a 
decided acquisition amongst the first earlies, and in 
its place will take a lot of beating. In this collec¬ 
tion the earliest to come in were Gradus, Exonian, 
Empress of India, and Chelsea Gem, in the order 
named, and with only a few days between them. 
Without attempting to classify them in any way, 
we may note that Sutton’s No. 6 is a finely flavoured 
Pea, 3 ft. 6 in. high, with straight, massive-looking 
pods, containing an average of ten Peas. Sutton’s 
Early Marrow is a gem amongst the gems for garden 
culture, 4 ft. high, and bearing a remarkably heavy 
crop of straight handsome pods of nine to eleven 
large and very sweet Peas. Sown the same day as 
Gradus it came into use at the end of June. A per¬ 
fect picture was this row. Carter’s Daisy, 3 ft. 
high, is still a nice Pea, but not comparable in 
colour or flavour with Early Marrow. Sutton’s 
Dwarf Mammoth, 5 ft., is very fine, a heavy cropper, 
and of excellent flavour. Sutton’s Invincible is a 
splendid Pea, 4 ft. to 5 ft. in height, with handsome 
pods, and of fine flavour. Sutton’s Perfection is a 
little taller than the last-named, a good cropping and 
well-flavoured sort, with nine to thirteen Peas in a 
pod. Sutton’s Perfect Gem is of the same 
height as Perfection, and a great bearer, with the 
pods hardly so long as those of the latter, but 
closely packed with large Peas of splendid flavour. 
Windsor Castle is of the Dwarf Mammoth type, 
and a wonderful cropper, the long straight pods con¬ 
taining nine to ten large Peas of excellent flavour. 
Sutton’s Magnum Bonum is also a grand cropper, 
5 ft. 6 in. high, with straight pods containing an 
average of ten Peas of the best quality. Sutton’s 
Exhibition is a special favourite of Mr. Prinsep as 
a late variety, height 6 ft., pods large, containing 
nine to ten Peas, and the flavour superb. Taber's 
Duke of York, 7 ft. high, is a good second early 
with large massive pods, and unexceptionable in 
flavour. Eckford’s Essential is a promising late 
variety, 7 ft. 8 in. high, but not in a condition for 
tasting. Eckford’s Critic and Epicure were in the 
same condition. The Echo from the same raiser, 
3 ft. high, is remarkable for its deep green colour 
and good flavour, but the pods run short in length. 
A dwarfer variety (2 ft. 6 in.) is Eckford’s Juno, and 
this also has short pods, but the colour is deep 
green and the flavour good. Eckford’s Consumate 
has a peculiarly distinct flavour, grows 4 ft. high, 
and averages eight Peas in a pod. Eckford’s The 
Don was stated to be 3 ft. to 4 ft. high, but is here a 
good 7 ft., a great cropper, and of good flavour, 
with eight to nine deep green Peas in a pod. 
Eckford’s Censor is a little later than the Don, but 
like it of a remarkably deep green colour in the 
foliage, a good cropper, and has the best pod of the 
lot bearing this raiser’s name. 
Sutton’s May Queen is the earliest of the white or 
light coloured Marrowfats ; height, 4 ft. 6 in., with 
short, stumpy, well-filled pods, and ready about the 
middle of June. Colossus (Eckford) is a most 
promising late variety, 6 ft. to 7 ft. high, with nine 
to eleven peas in a pod,deep green, and of fine flavour. 
Eckford’s Royalty, of the same height, is a well- 
flavoured Pea, but has a somewhat puffy looking 
pod. Cannell’s English Wonder, 2 ft. high, is a good 
early sort, a fine cropper, and good in flavour. 
Sutton’s No. I, 1894, 3 ft. to 4 ft. high, has a fine 
robust habit and vigorous constitution, is a good 
cropper and of excellent flavour. Sutton’s Eureka 
has a very distinct appearance, height, 5 ft. to 6 ft., 
foliage and pods pale green in colour, pods 5 in. long, 
containing nine grand deep green Peas of superb 
quality. Ambassador (Eckford) is a tall grower, of 
good constitution, and a fine croppper. 
Chelsea Gem was represented by an extraordinary 
row, 3 ft. 6 in. high, and carrying a marvellous crop. 
This row, with one or two others, has been photo¬ 
graphed, and will beat any artist to exaggerate it. 
Sutton’s Empress of India is a fine early sort, earlier 
than Chelsea Gem, of very fine flavour, but 7 ft. 
6 in. high. Exonian is also 7 ft., and a rare pro¬ 
ducer of tightly packed pods of Peas of fine quality. 
Autocrat is a finelate Pea, and has a very admirable 
reputation in that it does not mildew. 
We come now to the last sort that we can find 
space to mention, but by no means the least in im¬ 
portance. Some two or three years ago an amateur 
friend, who appreciates all that is good in a garden, 
made enquiries of us with reference to a variety 
named Challenge the World, which he had heard of 
but could not obtain. We searched through 
ail the leading trade catalogues but could not find 
any reference to it, and the matter pas§ed out of re¬ 
collection until we found the identical article in the 
Buxted collection, and, in the interest of horticulture; 
we hope it will soon be found in the lists again, for 
we hold that as a green-wrinkled,mid-season Marrow¬ 
fat, Challenge the World has no superior on the 
table. It seems that the variety was raised by an 
old pensioner named Hutchens, residing somewhere 
near Staines, who sold the stock to a midland firm, 
who in turn, as the story goes, sent it out, sold all 
they had, and could get no more. In turn it would 
seem that the purchasers, like our enquiring friend, 
believing that where one supply came from another 
could be obtained, must very nearly have tabled the 
lot, and that accounts for its disappearance from the 
lists. We should call the Pea a glorified Ne Plus 
Ultra. It is 6-8 ft. high this season, is a grand 
cropper, and in flavour must be considered the 
standard by which to judge others until something 
superior comes along. The raiser certainly 
deserves well of the gardening community for 
giving us this Pea. 
-- 
THE ORCHID GROWER’S MANUAL.* 
The popularity which Orchids have enjoyed for a 
long time past, has been the means of fostering and 
developing a wealth of literature which no other class 
of plants enjoy. There are now several large and 
numerous small books, but that the one under notice 
should have gone through six editions is, in itself, 
ample evidence that it was wanted by the gardening 
community. The sixth edition was published in 1885, 
and although considered a large book then, it is en¬ 
tirely eclipsed by the seventh which is now before us, 
and which looks twice the size of the old one. It is 
in super royal octavo size, bound in cloth with gilt 
edges, and would make a very handsome and useful 
present to any Orchid lover. Should new intro¬ 
ductions of showy and valuable Orchids go on at the 
same rate during the next decade as in the past there 
is no telling what the exigencies of the case may 
necessitate, in view of the big volume under 
notice. It is illustrated with twenty-five double 
page and fifty-four page engravings as well 
as by 232 smaller blocks given as representative 
types of genera. A list of these is given at the 
beginning of the work and presents an imposing 
appearance. It is followed by a bibliography of the 
works referred to in the text, explaining the 
abbreviated names of the authors who described 
each species, and also the varieties as far as could be 
ascertained. The arrangement is alphabetical, as in 
the case of the previous edition, yet a copious index 
is given at the end with synonyms printed in 
italics. The book runs nearly to 800 pages, and 
describes close upon 2,600 species and varieties, 
which should be sufficient in all conscience for the 
most enthusiastic amateur grower to grow. The lead¬ 
ing varieties are described with a brief history of their 
origin, including the names of the present proud 
possessors of specially rare or unique sorts. To 
give a description of everybody’s variety of any 
popular Orchid would have been a limitless and 
meaningless task, and we are pleased to note that 
this has only been adopted in the case of the most 
distinct and notable of them. For instance, eleven 
varieties of Vanda tricolor, fifteen of Cypripedium 
insigne, seventeen of Masdevallia Harryana, thirty- 
six of Odontoglossum crispum, and eight of Dendro¬ 
bium nobile are described—a fact which should be 
pretty exhaustive of all that could be distinguished 
by mere description. 
The numerous references to works where the 
respective species or varieties are figured must 
prove serviceable and acceptable to those who have 
opportunities for referring to the works in question. 
To those who know any particular Orchid by its 
synonym only, the index will be of great service in 
finding the page on which it is mentioned, and its 
more correct name. Odontoglossum Alexandrae 
and O. Bluntii are merely given as synonyms cf O. 
crispum, and we hope that this fact will be 
universally adopted amongst gardeners, for the 
use of O. Alexandrae is extremely confusing and 
misleading, enforcing upon all connected with Orchid 
culture and literature no end of corrections and mis¬ 
understanding. 
* The Orchid Growers’ Manual by Benjamin Samuel 
Williams, F.L.S., F.R.H.S. Seventh edition, enlarged and re¬ 
vised to the present time by Henry Williams, F.L.S., F.R.H.S, 
Published at Victoria and Paradise Nurseries, Upper Holloway, 
Lofidon, N. 
