98 
THE GARDENING WORLD. 
February 4, 1905. 
so that in maintaining the standard of colours the best varie¬ 
ties are brought forward, and it may therefore be taken for 
granted that the variety which wins the most prizes is the 
best of its own particular colour. 
We are not surprised to find the varieties named at the 
top of the list, though C'occinea comes as a surprise, having 
been exhibited forty-five times. In the classification of colours 
it is described as cerise, and it is the only one of that colour, 
but the number of times it was exhibited shows that it was 
present in far more entries than were actually required in the 
schedule. During the first few years of its existence'it did 
not give very great satisfaction, but last year was evidently 
very suitable, or the variety is improving in constitution. 
Another variety which creates some surprise is King Edward 
VII., which was shown forty times last year. It is evidently 
a variety that may be grown with success in most parts of the 
country in the average of seasons, because, if we judge by its 
recent introduction, it has been successful with a very large 
percentage of those able to get it. Scarlet Gem, which was 
introduced the same year, and appeared for the first time at 
Earl’s Court in 1903, has not proved so popular a variety as 
we should have anticipated. It was only shown eighteen times 
last year, though there is no reason why it should not mount 
much higher this year. We suppose it will always remain a 
fact that the peculiarities of certain seasons suit the peculiari¬ 
ties of certain varieties. That applies not only to Sweet Peas, 
but to many other garden subjects. 
Another fact is the scattered way in which the white varie¬ 
ties appear in the complete audit list. Dorothy Eckford takes 
the highest position in this colour, as we should have expected, 
being shown sixty-two times. Sadie Burpee, which was at 
one time considered the best white, was only shown in twenty- 
three competitive entries • Blanche Purpee in only thirteen 
exhibits ■ Emily Henderson in only two; while Mont Blanc 
was not shown at all in the competitive exhibits. We can 
easily understand this, as it is not an exhibition Pea, being of 
value only for the production of the earliest flowers either for 
private use or for market. That is one of the few exceptions 
in which it might be said that the Sweet Pea Exhibition did not 
test the real value of every variety. In this case, earliness was 
the only thing to recommend it, whereas white varieties are 
represented by much better forms. Another suggestion about 
white varieties is that they had been kept in the background 
owing to the desire to possess bright and pleasing colours in 
conformity with the season of the year and for decorati -a 
purposes for which Sweet Peas are so much employed. 
An audit of the first prize exhibits serves its purpose, al¬ 
though we do.not think : t so definite or conclusive as the 
audit of all the varieties shown. It served its purposes, how¬ 
ever, as showing that the 217 bunches in the first prize ex¬ 
hibits reduced the number of varieties to sixty-two. This is 
good evidence that the total list of varieties worthy of being 
grown is sensibly reduced. No one can grow all the varieties, 
so that the value of these audits lies in the fact that anyone 
in the remotest parts of the country can form a just conclu¬ 
sion as to the very best Sweet Peas, within reasonable limits 
as to number. It is interesting to know that the white variety 
Dorothy Eckford takes the top of the list by being shown 
ten times in first prize exhibits. Four others follow with 
nine entries. From these audits the best varieties have been 
selected and classified under their respective colours. 
A classification of varieties was made by the society in 1902, 
being the first organised public attempt to classify Sweet Peas 
under their respective colours. Papers were sent to various 
cultivators and connoisseurs, to be filled in with the best varie¬ 
ties of each colour. The results gave such satisfaction that 
a fresh classification was organised last year. As many as 
forty of the papers sent out were filled in and returned. This 
shows a classification in which the best varieties have been 
arranged under their respective colours, with the number of 
votes to each. Five out of a possible nineteen have each re¬ 
ceived the full number of votes in these forty papers, so that 
the consensus of opinion is significant. No second-rate lists 
have been given here on this occasion, and the number of varie¬ 
ties in each colour does not exceed half a dozen, though they 
are more often under than up to that number. 
Several chapters relating to Sweet Peas in different parts 
of the country, and written by people in the respective neigh¬ 
bourhoods, are published in the Sweet Pea Annual. The in¬ 
formation supplied should increase the interest in Sweet Peas, 
as well as serve to assist those who have not hitherto entered 
the arena of Sweet Pea culture in earnest. Sweet Peas for 
home adornment, Sweet Peas for table decorations, the newer 
■Sweet Peas, improvements of the Sweet Peas, and Sweet Peas 
in town gardens, as well as staging Sweet Peas for exhibition 
will afford interesting reading to all concerned. 
Facts about Potatos.* 
From the first annual report of the National Potato Society 
we glean that within less than ten months of its inauguration 
it had a membership of 300 individual and about 1,500 
affiliated members—that is, members of the twenty-two 
societies affiliated with this. At the Crystal Palace Exhibition 
last autumn it is interesting to note that no less than 453 
varieties of Potatos were shown. Of this number fifty-four 
werei shown in competitive classes; sixty-nine others in com¬ 
petitive and non-competitive classes; and 330 varieties were 
shown in non-competitive exhibits only. This enormous 
number shows the need for a special society to look after the 
interests of the Potato in respect to keeping them distinct, 
in so far as it can be done 1 by organisation. Surely it cannot 
be necessary to grow anything like 453 varieties to meet the 
requirements of Great Britain and Ireland ! 
No doubt many of these were largely due to the recent boom 
in Potatos even before the advent of the society. That new 
varieties were necessary to* keep up the stock of Potatos suit¬ 
able for giving remunerative crops in various parts of the 
country is undoubted. At the same time, it would be as well 
that old and useless varieties should be looked up and dis¬ 
carded, so* that their places for general purposes, but particu¬ 
larly for commerce, might be reduced to within reasonable 
limits, including only the most productive of the highest 
quality suitable for different parts of the country. Beyond 
this there could only be the necessary margin—a very limited 
one', we think—for varieties suitable to special districts. We 
know it has been a. custom for many years past to keep up a 
stock of old varieties that could only maintain their position 
by virtue of their repute previous to the advent of the Potato 
disease. Some of them were, of course, kept up on account of 
their excellent flavour and the favouritism which individual 
growers extended to them, but those could oidy enjoy a limited 
cultivation, and the sooner it was generally known that they 
were worthless for general cultivation the better. 
A synonyms sub-committee has been formed for the purpose 
of ascertaining which Potatos are too much alike in habit, con¬ 
stitution, bloom, season and tuber to be regarded as distinct. 
This is one good idea for reducing the number of names, for 
there are, no doubt, many Potatos under different names which 
cannot be distinguished from one another. 
Ten varieties have been tried at different centres in various 
counties of England, arid their relative value tested by a 
number of marks, the standard of which is fixed at 100. In 
looking over this list it is remarkable how some varieties turn 
out by comparison with others. It does not follow that the 
same variety of Potato will give the same results in every part 
of the country or upon the same farm, as that varies according 
to circumstances. 
Factor comes out very prominently in this respect, heading 
the list of ten varieties tested. It gave the best results at 
Chelmsford, where it got 162 marks, thus indicating more than 
50 per cent, above the average yield of tubers. Its lowest 
number of marks was 118 at Stoke St. Michael, Somerset. The 
average at the eighteen centres was 137 marks. Up-to-Date 
comes nearest to this in fertility, ranging between fifty-seven 
* Nation'll Potato Society. First Annual Report, 1904. Price 3 d., post free, from 
Walter P. Wright Postling, Hythe, Kent. 
