THE GARDENING WORLD. 
98 
February 13, 1909. 
Sweet Pea 
William Kying. 
The above is one of the several novel¬ 
ties being put into commerce by Messrs. 
E. W. King and Co., Coggeshall, Essex, 
•who grow seeds extensively, including 
Sweet Peas. At the beginning of August 
last the firm sent us 1 a box of some of 
their novelties including the above one 
which made a beautiful contrast with their 
White Spencer mentioned on another 
column. The standard is orange-red and 
occasionally twin. The wingsj on the 
contrary, are a bright rose with orange 
face and the two colours contrast well in 
a bunch of flowers, though the general 
effect is that of a rich and dark, though 
bright colour. A very large proportion 
of the stems sent us carried four flowers 
each and never less than three. 
Rather a large number of flowers were 
used by our artist in producing his pic¬ 
ture, thereby apparently reducing the size, 
but in that respect the actual blooms left 
nothing to be desired. The fact that the 
variety bears the name, Mrs. William 
King, is a guarantee that the firm believe 
they have a novelty worthy of being added 
to any collection. The standards are 
more or less wavy, but nevertheless show 
a good extent of their surface in the cut 
state. 
Anglican Blue is another charming 
novelty sent us on the same occasion. 
The standard is of a light blue, more or 
less shaded with rosy mauve and slightly 
waved. The wings are light blue and 
large. This variety is also guaranteed 
to be fixed. We shall likewise hear more 
of E. W. King and Co.’s Blush Spencer 
which is being put into commerce this 
year. The flowers are of a very delicate 
colour, the standards being blush-white, 
wavy and often in pairs, which has the 
effect of giving the flowers rather a mas¬ 
sive appearance. The wings are also very 
broad and of the same colour. At the 
beginning of August these two varieties 
under ordinary treatment bear an average 
of three flowers on a stem. 
Sweet Pea Mrs. Wm. King. Maclaren and Sons. 
National Sweet Pea Society. 
The schedule of prizes of the ninth ex¬ 
hibition of the National Sweet Pea Society 
is now on our table. We note that the 
Metropolitan Show is to be held in the 
Royal Horticultural Hall, Vincent Sq., 
Westminster, on Friday, July 23rd next. 
Half-a-dozen cups and trophies are offer¬ 
ed at their two shows and at the London 
exhibition prizes and medals are also 
offered in thirty-nine classes. Some of 
the classes are open only to those not 
engaged in trade, while a large number 
of classes are open. The provincial show 
this year is to be held at Saltaire Park, 
Saltaire, in conjunction with the Saltaire, 
Shipley and District Rose Society on 
July 13th next, and we note that prizes 
and medals, as well as some of the tro¬ 
phies, are offered in sixty-three classes. 
This exceeds the number in the metro¬ 
politan show, and gives some evidence of 
the energy and enthusiasm of the Sal¬ 
taire Society. At the end of the. schedule 
is a classification of Sweet Peas for this 
year, and we note that there are now 
twenty-one groups of colours. The ori¬ 
ginal pink group had become rather ur 
wieldy, and that has now been divide 
into two, namely, pink and cream-pini 
the latter including those varieties i 
which the ground colour is cream, an 
typified by Constance Oliver, Mrs. Henr 
Bell and Sutton’s Queen. The hon. secre 
tary is Mr. Charles H. Curtis, Adelaid 
Road, Brentford, Middlesex. 
Changes in the Leaves of a Viola. 
Some of the wild species of Viola ar 
given to change from the habit of th 
plant and form of the leaves in spring 
time to a form assumed later on when 1: 
full growth. An observer writing to “ Th 
American Botanist” for November, sav 
that he had no doubt that he had foun 
V. ovata when he first saw it. It hai 
more flowers than leaves, and the latte 
were of the usual egg-shaped or ovat 
form. He lifted the plant, took it home 
potted it, and grew it on the window-sill 
After it had finished flowering, the leave 
developed plentifully, and underwent 
gradual change. At first they becam 
lobed at the lower end, and these lobe 
increased in size until the leaves assume< 
the form of those of Viola palmata, anc 
were smooth, although the spring leave: 
were hairy. Our Viola hirta is oftei 
nearly smooth at the time of blooming 
but later on, when the seeds are ripening 
the young leaves produced are quite 
hairy. 
Tomatos: 
Selecting Good 
Varieties. 
The time for sowing seeds of Tomato: 
has again come round, and a few note: 
regarding the varieties, grown here under 
glass, may prove helpful to some of the 
readers of this journal. 
I annually grow some nine or ten varie 
ties, usually trying at least one new sort 
every year. For the last nine years I 
have had the greatest satisfaction with 
Laird’s Supreme. A grand setter, it pro. 
duces an abundant crop of moderate-sized 
fruits, of fine shape and excellent flavour. 
An equally free setter is Stirling Castle, 
and the fruits, if not of the largest size 
are of a beautiful shape and colour. The 
new variety, Dickson’s Liberty, I tried! 
last season for the first time, and rvasl 
quite pleased with it, and will grow iti 
again. Freedom, an American variety, is 
second only to Laird’s Supreme here. It 
gives a heavy crop of beautiful large 
fruit, and the quality is excellent. Mag¬ 
nus, another American sort, is of a deep 
pink colour, like the old Mikado, and is, 
probably the finest flavoured of all the! 
Tomatos. It gives only a fair crop, how¬ 
ever, but individual fruits are large and 
not at all coarse. Spark’s Earliana, yet 
another Yankee variety, is quite distinct 
from any other sort I have ever seen. 
The fruits are dull scarlet in colour, and 
very sweet. Sutton’s Earliest of All does 
well, and produces the earliest ripe fruits. 
It gives a heavy crop of handsome, round, 
flat fruits. 
C. Blair. ' 
Preston House, Linlithgow. 
