July 28 1900 
THE GARDENING WORLD. 
761 
cautioned by Judge Logan, the raiser, in the US6 of 
seed for propagating as it does not always come true. 
Messrs. Bunyard propagate from the original stock. 
Rhubarb, Fruit or Yegetable.— Schedule : Rhu¬ 
barb is vegetable, used as a fruit. 
MESSRS. WEBBS’ SWEET PEAS AT 
WOLVERHAMPTON. 
Sweet Peas are at present the order of the day, 
and in this place we refer not to the splendid exhibit of 
Messrs. Ed. Webb & Sons, Wordsley, Stourbridge, 
at the Crystal Palace, Sydenham, last week, but to 
their display at the Wolverhampton Floral Fete on 
the iotb, nth, and 12th inst. The accompanying 
illustration shows their Sweet Pea and Tomato ex¬ 
hibit, the latter being arranged along the back of the 
tabling. They also had at the same show 
exhibits of Gloxinias, double Begonias, culin¬ 
ary Peas and vegetables. The latter exhibit was a 
very fine one, but the pressure on our space pre¬ 
vented us from reproducing a photograph of it. 
The Peas, Long Pod Beans, and Cauliflowers were 
very fine. They also had Melons, Cucumbers, and 
Onions. Behind the vegetables were Tomatos trained 
on upright supports and on arches. The light and 
gay character of the Sweet Peas had a cheerful 
effect, and being shown so much earlier than those 
at the Crystal Palace, they had the advantage of the 
cooler weather, while the plants themselves were 
still in their virgin freshness. Sweet Peas are 
naturally later in the midlands and northern dis¬ 
tricts, and the exhibit of which we reproduce the 
photograph was particularly fresh and handsome. 
The thirty-six varieties shown were grown on the 
Kinver Seed Farms of Messrs. Ed. Webb & Sons. 
Fruits —Juicy fruits are said to partially destroy 
an inebriate's love for alcohol. 
SWEET PEN BICENTENARY. 
July 20th and 21st. 
In the following pages we furnish an account of the 
International Celebration of the Bicentenary of the 
introduction of the Sweet Pea to Great Britain. 
The event took place at the Crystal Palace' on 
Friday and Saturday of last week, and may have a 
great bearing on the horticultural prospects of the 
Sweet Pea of the future in more ways than one. 
But as we have already summarised our views and 
gleanings in the leader, more need not now be said 
on these points. 
The opening day was almost unbearably hot, 
causing great inconvenience to the exhibitors, 
judges, visitors, and the Sweet Pea itself. The 
visitors were not so numerous as we should have 
liked to see on the opening day ; but Friday, in our 
experience, is generally an “ off" day at the Crystal 
Palace. They came in great numbers on the second 
day, which was comfortably cool; but, unfortunately, 
the Sweet Peas were in bad condition on account of 
the heat of the previous day. They ought really to 
have been in finer condition on Saturday, and we 
hope this exceptional experience will not give the 
general public the idea that Sweet Peas are ephemeral, 
for such is really not the case. 
Opening the Exhibition. 
At half-past one Alderman and Sheriff Sir W. P. 
Treloar received the foreign visitors, judges, and 
committees, and after a few congratulatory remarks 
upon the success of the celebration, he introduced 
his wife, Lady Treloar, who had courteously con¬ 
sented to open the exhibition. In a few well-chosen 
words in which her Ladyship declared herself to be 
honoured in being asked to perform the opening 
function, and wishing the committees and all others 
interested in the movement success in their labours, 
she formally declared the show open. The Misses 
Sherwood then presented her Ladyship and daughter 
with two lovely bunches of Sweet Peas. 
The Luncheon. 
Those who attended the luncheon will remember it 
specially for one reason—it was "stewing" hot. 
And what with toasts and speeches, two-and-a-half 
hours of mild torture was borne by the company, 
which nevertheless was in high good spirits. There 
was Sir W. Treloar, 6 ft. 2 in. in the chair, dressed 
in his handsome civic costume; Lady and Miss 
Treloar on either side of him; and variously dis¬ 
posed on right and left along the great length of 
tables we noticed: Mr. N. N. Sherwood, V.M.H., 
Rev. W. T. Hutchins (Indian Orchard, Massachu¬ 
setts), Herr Fritz Benary (Erfurt), Messrs. R. Gofton, 
Salmon, William Sherwood, Edward Sherwood, 
John W. Moss, Mrs. Moss, Messrs. John Green, 
Henry Gillman, John Collingridge, T. W. Saunders, 
William Cuthbertson, W. Balchin, Junr., J. Hudson, 
V.M.H., H. C. Prinsep. G. Stanton, Henry Eckford, 
John Stainer Eckford R. Dean, V.M.H., Geo. Gor¬ 
don, V.M.H., Percy Waterer, E. Beckett, H. J. Jones, 
H. A. Needs, R. Sydenham, Lewis Castle, Edward 
Laxton, W. P. Wright, H. Wright, S. B. Dicks, H. 
Dunkin, C. H. Curtis, J. Fraser, &c. 
After the substantial banquet had been partaken 
of, the loyal toast was proposed by the President 
from the chair. The speech volunteered with the 
toast proved that in Sir William Treloar the com¬ 
pany had secured an ideal chairman—handsome, 
able, and full of humour and good nature. It would 
take pages of The Gardening World to do justice 
to all the laughable anecdotes, suggestions, and hints 
of either Sir William's speech or that of any other 
speaker. Most of them might have been shorter. 
The toast was drunk upstanding. 
The next toast, " Success to the Bi-Centenary 
Celebration,” was also proposed by the President. 
Mr. Geo. Gordon, V.M.H., Chairman of the Com¬ 
mittee, replied. Mr. Gordon described how the 
movement first originated at a meeting in Edinburgh 
last September, and explained the various steps 
which have led up to so satisfactory a result. Mr, 
