2 Cl 
THE GARDENING WORLD 
January 10, 1903. 
FACTS AND FANCIES ABOUT 
SWEET PEAS. 
(Concluded from page 284, Vol. XIX.) 
Janet Scott, although exhibiting the trait of Golden Gate in 
the wings, which W. P. Wright strongly condemned at the 
Bicentenary, will doubtless find many admirers. 
The raiser states that it is a new shade of deep pink, with 
abnormally large wings, and borne three on a stem. Sue Earl 
was distributed on trial last season under the title of Q. It is a 
cross between Lottie Eckford and Mrs. Eckford, and partakes of 
both parents. The primrose standard is edged with mauve, with 
nearly pure primrose wings. A peculiarity of this variety is that 
the last flower on each pedicel comes clear primrose, while the 
older flowers take on a distinct mauvy tint. Mr. Burpee says the 
habit never alters. He is also issuing a new many-flowered white, 
not yet possessing a name. 
I am looking forward to this latter variety, as several years ago 
I asked Mr. Burpee if it were possible to secure a Sweet Pea 
bearing flowers in the same manner as the Japanese Dolichos. 
Mr Burpee expressed doubt, but I live in great hopes. 
Respecting the Dolichos I will, with the Editor’s permit, pen 
a short note^ together with a sketch I have by me. 
In the new Bush Sweet Pea there is a great influx m named 
sorts— Royal Rose, Dorothy Tennant, Lady Mary Currie, Lottie 
Eckford, Blanche Burpee, Senator, Her Majesty, and Prima 
With Cupids, Sadie Burpee is to be the White Cupid of the 
future, being black-seeded. The flowers are of huge size, being 
nearly’2 in. across the standard. 
Bridesmaid is a clear deep pink self. 
For buttonholes, Burpee speaks highly of Enchantress, being 
rose pink on a cream ground, somewhat resembling the Hon. F. 
Bouverie. . . . 
Mauve Queen is what its name implies, a clear pinkish mauve 
I had almost omitted Josephine White, which is a white 
counterpart of the newly selected Earliest of All. It is more 
vigorous than Mont Blanc, and much earlier, although not so 
good in contour. 
The Cupids are quite a modern introduction, the first appearing 
in 1895, in the form of a white variety. 
It has been generally admitted that the climate of California 
was responsible for the break, but it has been said that a similar 
freak appeared in this country at the same time, but it remained 
for the American to seize the opportunity and place it upon tiiel 
iUcirkot 
The type has been much maligned, owing to its bud-casting 
propensities in damp weather, but nevertheless it has its merits, 
and I doubt not that its faults will eventually be overcome. 
Silice White Cupid appeared both Burpee and Laxton have 
made many crosses, but the majority of, if not all, the new colours 
have emanated from the former source. 
In fact, there are some forty colours hailing from the States, 
but many of them are wretched and deplorable specimens as far 
as form goes. . . • 
This matter remains to be rectified. The varieties under name 
are to be had separately : —White Cupid, Pink Cupid, Alice Eck¬ 
ford Boreatton, Beauty, Countess of Radnor, Firefly, Royalty, 
Captain of the Blues, Apple Blossom, Stella Morse, America, Her 
Majesty, Lottie Eckford, and Giant Chamberlain, the last four 
being 1902 introductions. , „ . ^ . . 
The last-named variety is undoubtedly the finest or the whole 
set, being of great size and very vigorous. I had the pleasure of 
testing it prior to its general introduction. 
The latest break is the “ New Bush,” and one or two experts 
in this country consider it of greater importance than the Cupids. 
Curiously enough, when testing it in Hampshire before its 
general dissemination I found the height as described, but in my 
present garden it lias run near 3 ft. in many instances, which 
points to the fact that it is far from being fixed. 
The first variety, which appeared in 1899, was a reproduction 
of Gray Friar, followed by Monarch, and the year 1901 saw 
Blanche Ferry,’ whilst 1902 saw some forty different colours intro¬ 
duced en Hoc.- Those familiar with the tall Sweet Peas may 
easily distinguish the colours of the “New Bush,” which are 
practically counterparts of many of the tall varieties. 
Strangely enough, at my first trial I had a dark-blue sport, but 
it failed to seed. °Since then, however, I had a new break in the 
form of a vivid orange, much resembling Gorgeous, and the few 
seeds that resulted have been divided between myself and a great 
American grower, so that its value can be thoroughly tested, 
although I have proved it to come true; 
The formidable list enumerated naturally can and should be 
cut down. A reference to the National Sweet Pea Society’s 
classification list, recently published in The Gardening World, 
describes the varieties that are really worth growing. 
This article would be incomplete without a few details on 
cultivation, and I am not an advocate for too generous treatment. 
A display from Jmie till November may be considered a good 
reward from one sowing, and such was the case with myself this 
past season. 
The ground, which is heavy yellow loam, was trenched, or 
rather bastard trenched, a thick layer of refuse from the ash- 
heap being strewn over the bottom spit. The furrows were 
opened a week before sowing, and a dusting of superphosphate and 
nitrate applied and allowed to precipitate. The furrows, I would 
say, are made 3 in. deep, and seed is sown about 1-in. apart and 
covered with 1 in. of soil, this proceeding occurring about mid- 
March. 
When well up, the remaining 2 in. are drawn in, but before 
doing so a slight sprinkling of nitrate of soda is given. As soon 
as plants are safe, I remove all that are closer than 2 in. apart. 
Under this regime my plants never fail to score 10 ft., and on 
the 15th of November last many of the vines were 11 ft., and as 
green as in midsummer, which goes to prove that Sweet Peas do 
not require a loose bottom such as is afforded by a trench of 
manure. 
Respecting the white-seeded varieties, many growers have 
doubtless experienced greater loss among them than the dark- 
skinned seeds. This is due to the outer covering being thinner, 
which rapidly absorbs the moisture, eventually bursting apart, 
causing the seed to rot before the radicle can make a start. 
Acting upon the advice given by the Rev. W. T. Hutchins, I 
place the packets containing such seeds in some moist earth for 
several days. The paper checks the rapid absorption of moisture, 
so that the seeds swell gradually when they are- sown in the usual 
way. 
The Cupids and Bush varieties I sow thickly in pots, shaking 
out when 1 in. high, and planting into small pots or even boxes, 
under cover of a cold frame, finally shifting outdoors in April or 
May. 
Several Cupids in an 8 in. pot make fine objects for an ordinary 
greenhouse; in fact, I never had finer blossoms than those grown 
entirely under glass. It tends to alter the colours somewhat, for 
when growing Pink Cupid the blooms came absolutely pure white. 
In fact, the form and purity was so chaste that I thought I had 
an improved white, but when shifting them outdoors they quickly 
assumed their natural colour. It is better when planting out to 
install in three’s, as they make a bigger and better clump. A 
dry and sunny situation should be chosen. 
The Bush varieties also make a better display when planted in 
batches instead of single specimens. 
In conclusion, I can only say that I trust readers will not have 
wearied of this long discourse. (Oh, see “ All About, Sweet Peas.”) 
Cal. 
Vitality of Seeds. 
Muntz, Van Tieghem, Bonnier,' Maquenne, and others have 
studied the germinating power of seeds kept in vaccuo, and M. 
Laurent, in a paper to the Academie des Sciences, Paris, gives 
results of experiments, proving that oleaginous seeds keep better 
in vaccuo than in contact with air. This is true for colza, 
mustard, cumin, among others, and has been known to practical 
agriculturists. It is explained by the oxidation of the oily 
matter in the seed. Some amylaceous seeds, for instance spinach, 
haricots, and lupins, keep better in vaccuo ; while barley, maize, 
and others do better in air, perhaps owing to the toxic action of 
carbonic anhydride on the embryos in close vaccuo. This gas is 
degaged in larger quantity if the seeds are rich in water. 
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