July 21, 1900. 
THE GARDENING WORLD 
739 
XL ALL HORTICULTURAL SPECIALITIES 
INCLUDE EVERY KIND OF 
INSECTICIDE AND MANURE 
Required in the GARDEN and FRUIT FARM. 
Well known to all the leading Nurserymen, Seedsmen and Florists, and Horticultural Experts as the highest 
class goods of their kind in the Market, and obtainable at Moderate Prices. 
XL ALL VAPORISING FUMIGATOR (PATENT) 
(WILL LAST FOR YEARS). 
To do 5,000 cubic ft. of space at a time . 
2,000 
2 /- each. 
1/9 
BEWARE 1 
XL 
ALL 
XL 
ALL 
XL 
ALL 
XL 
ALL 
A, 
1 .A VASA 
XL ALL NICOTINE COMPOUND for using in the Fumigators, 
8d., is. 2d., 2s. 10d., 5s. 6d., 10s. 6d. and 20s. per bottle. 
IMITATIONS OF BOTH FUMIGATOR AND COMPOUD.iWHICH HAVE BEEN GIVEN NAMES WITH 
THE IDEA OF CONFUSING BUYERS. 
REMEMBER XL ALL IS WHAT YOU WANT; THE ORIGINAL INVENTION. 
.IQUID INSECTICIDE WASH. XL ALL ORCHARD AND FRUIT TREE WASH. 
>E%NGING WASH. XL ALL MILDEW WASH. 
MANURES. 
GRADUATING MANURE. XL ALL SPECIAL TOMATO MANURE. 
Please ask your Nurseryman , Seedsman , or Florist for a full Price List of the XL ALL REGIS - 
TERED SPECIALITIES. Most of them have the goods in stock. EVERY ARTICLE IS 
W'J GUARANTEED PURE AND UNADULTERATED , and the BEST OF ITS KIND IN 
THE MARKET. None genuine without the Reg. Trade Mark. 
Tbade Mabk. 
Lft 
MANUFACTURER AND PATENTEE, 
128, SOUTHWARK STREET, LONDON, S.E. 
f Tbade Mabk, 
Telegraph ic Address:— 
“ VAPORISING, LONDON.” 
"Gardening is the purest of human pleasures, and the greatest 
refreshment to the spirit of man ”— Bacon. 
^4 
Edited by J. FRASER. F.L.S. 
SATURDAY , JULY 2is#, 1900. 
NEXT WEEK'S ENGAGEMENTS. 
Tuesday, July 24th.—Tibshelf Rose Show. 
Wednesday, July 25th.—National Carnation and Picotee 
Society’s Show, at the Crystal Palace; Durham, North¬ 
umberland and Newcastle Horticultural Society's Show, 
at Newcastle (3 days). 
Thursday, July 26th.—St. Ives' Horticultural Society's Show ; 
Maidennead Horticultural Society’s Show; Rose and 
Horticultural Show, at Bedale. 
[rial of Sweet Peas at Kelvedon 
Essex. —Sweet Peas are very much 
in the air just now; certainly they have 
got wings ; but we refer more particularly 
to them as a “ bee in the bonnet ” of a large 
number of admirers. Messrs. Hurst & Son, 
Houndsditcb, London, have something like 
226 trials of them at their trial grounds, Feer- 
ing, Kelvedon, Essex ; and the committee 
of selection in connection with the Sweet Pea 
Conference held on the 20th and 21st inst., 
and others, paid a visit of inspection on the 
16th in order to select the best of each 
respective colour. N. N. Sherwood, Esq. 
(Messrs. Hurst & Son) provided a saloon 
carriage to take the party down from 
London. After a 
provided by the same gentleman, the whole 
party proceeded to the grounds under a 
burning hot sun to inspect the Sweet Peas. 
The work of inspection was greatly facili¬ 
tated by the admirable way in which all 
the varieties of similar colours were grouped 
together in contiguous lines for the sake of 
comparison. The 226 trials did not consist 
of as many varieties, because several of 
them were duplicates from different sources, 
Nevertheless, the number of really distinct 
varieties of Sweet Peas in cultivation is 
most remarkable, even allowing for dupli¬ 
cates of the same thing and “too-much- 
alike ” sorts, the names of which may be 
regarded as synonyms. There are probably 
hundreds of varieties in the country not in¬ 
cluded in this trial; but which would swell 
the list enormously. The object of the 
committee of selection was to weed out a 
considerable number of the less important 
or valuable varieties as well as those that 
resemble others too closely to be readily 
distinguishable, or are otherwise un¬ 
desirable. 
From the introduction of the Sweet Pea 
from Sicily in 1700 to its bi-centenary in 
1900 is a long stretch, and the transforma¬ 
tion or evolution it has undergone has been 
most extraordinary, yet that evolution is 
practically a result of the activity of our 
day, seeing that the number of varieties 
remained very small till cross-breeding and 
selection were undertaken by Mr. Henry 
Eckford, in 1879, or thereabout. The 
original form of the Sweet Pea from Sicily 
had purple standards and blue wings. 
Then, in 1737, we read of a variety which 
had a pink standard, pale blush wings, and 
a white keel. This was described as 
coming from Ceylon, but that was an oft- 
repeated error whatever its origin may have 
been. Philip Miller, of the Chelsea Physic 
edition, 1759, said that Sweet Peas grew 
naturally in Ceylon, and no doubt he copied 
the old error. He also describes the re¬ 
puted Ceylon variety above mentioned, and 
named it as being commonly known as the 
Painted Lady Pea, which is still cultivated, 
though superseded by Little Dorrit, Miss 
Blanche Ferry, Earliest of All,&c. A third 
variety quoted by Philip Miller had white 
flowers. Had that writer turned up at the 
inspection on the 16th inst., at Kelvedon, 
he would have been surprised at the ad¬ 
vance made both as to size and colour. All 
of them belong to a single species, for 
although several workers have tried their 
hand at hybridising it with other species, 
no one, so far as we are aware, has had the 
slightest success, although certain writers 
use the terms “ hybrid ” and “ hybridisa¬ 
tion ” rather vaguely. Miller would also have 
had difficulty in finding terms to describe 
the many varieties now in cultivation. The 
task for the committee of selection at Kelve¬ 
don was altogether too severe for the time 
at command in spite of the splendid arrange¬ 
ment of the colours. This work will be 
continued at the Crystal Palace during the 
exhibition and conference. 
In making a selection of the best of each 
colour several points have been kept in 
view, namely, size, form, and colour, the 
latter being, perhaps, the weightiest canon 
from a gardener’s point of view, because 
all colours have to be represented, and in 
the most distinct shades it is possible to get. 
One of the most satisfactory features of the 
Sweet Pea question is the broad basis along 
which the numerous varieties have been 
developed. No restrictions have been 
placed upon the particular arrangement of 
colours as in the Auricula, Carnation, laced 
Pink or Tulip. A well-formed flower with 
broad rounded petals and self colours, or a 
le party down trom been. DJaiiip Miller, ot tne cmeisea rnysic Droaa iuuuucu pcmia auu ^ — - 
sumptuous luncheon, J Garden, in his Gardeners' Dictionary, seventh | pleasing arrangement of different colours, 
