October 24, 1908. 
THE GARDENING WORLD. 
671 
Sweet Peas 
IN OCTOBER. 
The weather during the past season has 
ien varied, but in most cases it has not 
:en unfavourable to the Sweet Pea, and 
e flowering season has been well pro¬ 
nged. Now, however, it is really over, 
id it only remains for us to uproot the 
ins of the summer's glory. This must 
icessarily be a mournful process, but 
lief may be found in hopes and plans 
r the future. 
Last month, in urging that seeds of 
ivelties can be procured early, it was 
entioned that a Spencer form of Henry 
:kford~ would be on the market. Un- 
rtunately, owing to damp weather, the 
op of this variety has failed, and the pub- 
1 must wait another year. Nancy Perkin, 
e variety I refer to, is a very shy 
eder— a defect which is common to 
veral of the finest waved varieties, 
ime of the progeny of. Countess Spencer 
ed well, however, Evelyn Heinus being 
case in point, but this variety has been 
much admired that it is quite possible 
at there may be a shortage. Remember, 
en. to order early, not only the coming 
:ar's novelties, but this year's also. 
The best novelties for next year, so far 
can be judged- at present, are the King 
dward VII. colour in Spencer form, of 
hich several stocks will be on the mar- 
:t, several maroon Spencer varieties 
am different sources, and several blue 
rencers. 
It is true that two maroon Spencers are 
ready on the market, E. C. Matthews 
id Prince of Asturias, but neither is 
ted, and the latter is by no means a 
)od type. 
Of the blue Spencers, more than one 
■e from America, but probably Zephyr, 
om Miss Hemus, is the. best of all, al- 
ough it is very- expensive. It is the 
ime shade as that beautiful, although 
nail, variety, Flora Norton. 
Experience of American Spencer varie- 
is makes one very cautious, but this 
:ar we have half a dozen different shades, 
id they are said by some who should 
iow, to include some exceptionally fine 
id fixed novelties. How far this is true 
is difficult to say, but it is a good policy 
here a reliable English raiser offers his 
ock of a variety that is also being offered 
om an American source to give the 
rmer the preference. 
Whether or no the American Spencers 
e fixed remains to be proved, but they 
ill certainly be widely grown, for they 
ill be offered by several English seeds- 
en. Seven that I have listed before me 
e waved forms of the following well 
-iown varieties of the older type: — 
urora. Captain of the Blues, Flora Nor- 
m. King Edward VII., Ramona, and 
lorence Morse, and also a lavender 
hich is said to be “wonderfully true.” 
he last mentioned, if up to specification, 
ill prove very welcome, for Mrs. Charles 
oster, the only truly waved lavender on 
the market, is unfortunately not yet fixed. 
It is not too early now to commence the 
preparation of the soil for next year’s 
flowers, so I will briefly mention the chief 
points to be remembered. In the first 
place, liming, in many cases, seems bene¬ 
ficial. If time and trouble can be spared, 
the ground should be trenched, but the 
top sjoit should be kept on the top. I 
have seen splendid flowers from ground 
that has only been dug in the ordinary 
manner, but plants on trenched ground 
are not so liable to be affected by dry 
weather, and they last better. Horse or 
cow manure can be dug in plentifully, 
being mixed with the soil. Bone meal 
is a very good supplement, but some use 
superphosphate of lime. Other manures 
are used by some growers, and in special 
circumstances may do good, but in most 
cases the very best results are attainable 
if only horse or cow manure and 
a phosphate manure such as bone 
meal are used. Horse manure is con¬ 
sidered best for heavy land, and cow for 
light land. A gentleman who grows 
Sweet Peas well, and who lives near the 
sea tells me that seaweed as a manure 
gives very satisfactory results. 
Many growers do not seem to have ever 
heard of the Pea weevil, but I am in¬ 
clined to think that it is a far more com- 
Hyacinth grown in moss fibre in a glass 
vessel. 
mon insect than this fact would lead one 
to suppose, and that other pests are often¬ 
times blamed for the mischief worked by 
weevils. In the spring I referred some¬ 
what fully to the insect, and mentioned 
that the larva lived on the roots of the 
plants. Where the plants have suffered 
from this pest, the ground, when cleared, 
should be watered with an emulsion of 
paraffin, 4 ounces to the gallon, three 
gallons to the square yard. To obtain 
the emulsion, the water should be boiled 
furiously, and the pan withdrawn from the 
fire and the paraffin added, the mixture 
being stirred vigorously. 
For the directions given above I am in¬ 
debted to Mr. Horace Wright. In men¬ 
tioning his name, I may state that he has 
published a booklet on Sweet Peas, which, 
as an advertisement, presumably, is being 
distributed free. It is certainly worth 
having. 
G. F. Drayson. 
-- 
GROWING 
J4yacintf?s 
In Moss Fibre, 
The more popular method of growing 
bulbs in fibre at the present day is to 
get ornamental jars or bowls which have 
been made for the purpose. These have 
no drainage holes in them like flower 
pots and the . jars being impervious to 
water, furniture or table covers do not 
get spoiled by the water oozing from the 
same. Ordinary Hyacinth glasses, how¬ 
ever, may be used for the purpose by 
those who care to do so. The glasses 
are, of course, impervious to water and 
may be stood about in the home on 
furniture or table covers without fear of 
spoiling them. 
The roots of Hyacinth bulbs penetrate 
the fibre much the same as if they were 
in pots, but the treatment must be 
slightly different from that of growing 
Hyacinths in glasses of water. When 
the roots develop in moss fibre they are 
like those which penetrate the soil, and 
air must have access to them if good re¬ 
sults are expected. Bearing that in mind, 
the reader who attempts to cultivate 
Hyacinths in glasses filled with fibre will 
have to take care not to over-water the 
fibre. Water is, of course, absolutely 
necessary, but it should be poured in 
onlv in "sufficient quantity to just wet all 
the" fibre. If the cultivator has reason 
to suppose that more water has been 
poured in than the fibre will conveniently 
hold, the glass should be tipped on one 
side after an hour or two to drain out 
any free water that may be in the bottom 
of "the glass. With that exception, there 
is no other difference between the culti¬ 
vation of Hyacinths in glasses of water 
and the culture of Hyacinths in glasses 
filled with fibre. 
- 
Pompoii Dahlia Adela. 
A first-class certificate was awarded 
this by the London Dahlia L T nion on 
September 10th. The R.H.S. gave it an 
award of merit on September 15th. The 
exhibitor was Mr. C. Turner, Slough. 
(See p. 617.) 
