692 
How Novelties are Obtained. 
To further understand the problem of 
unfixity the reader should know some¬ 
thing of how Sweet Pea novelties are ob¬ 
tained. One method is to transfer, by 
hand, the pollen from one variety to the 
stigma of another. This is called cross¬ 
ing the two varieties. One cross will pro¬ 
duce one pod of seed, and the resultant 
plants may be alike or they may vary, 
according, I believe, to whether the 
parent varieties were fixed or unfixed. 
However, the first year’s results of a cross 
are little, if any, criterion of the ultimate 
results, for the next year the colour splits 
up, and the shape and size of the flowers 
of the different plants also vary. Five 
plants from one cross that the writer was 
growing the second year after the cross 
produced two purple, and one each white, 
rose, and mauve. The mauve was rather 
small and hooded, the white was large 
and waved, as was also one purple. The 
other purple was not waved, but was badly 
notched at the sides. The rose was of 
fair size with an upright standard. These 
were five seeds taken indiscriminately 
from the produce of the first year’s plants. 
When the plants bloom the second year 
the grower marks those which are im¬ 
provements on existing varieties, and 
grows them on for the third year. If he 
is fortunate they may come true at once, 
or he may keep on selecting for several 
years, without being able to get the 
variety fixed. 
“ Sports.” 
It must not be imagined that all Swe'et 
Pea varieties are the direct results of 
hand pollination, for many of them are 
obtained as what are popularly, though 
perhaps incorrectly, known as sports. As 
an example, Mrs.. Collier appeared as a 
sport among Dorothy Eckford. As to 
whether any of the so-called sports are 
really the results of pollination by insects 
or other means it is rather difficult to say, 
but here again that which we can only 
call chance prevails, for seeds from the 
sport may come true right away, or may 
not. In one case that came before the 
writer’s notice, a sport that had been 
grown on seemed less fixed in the fourth 
year than in the first year . 
Many new varieties appear with several 
of the growers at the same time, and there 
is naturally keen competition to be the 
first in the market. This unfortunately, 
frequently leads to a variety being placed 
in commerce ‘before it is properly fixed, 
and there is thus ample justification of the 
N.S.P. Society’s recent decision to award 
certificates only to those varieties which 
have been tried and found to be fixed. 
G. F. Drayson. 
-4+4- 
Aster Norah Peters. 
The flowers of this variety measure 
ji in. across and have numerous narrow, 
white rays in several series with a bright 
yellow disc. The plant only grows 2% ft. 
high. It was raised by Mr. W. Peters, 
Givons Gardens, Leatherhead, who 
crossed Aster Daisy Peters with Erigeron 
speciosus, and thus the cross has been 
effected. In any case, the characteristics 
above given, including the very numerous 
rays, their length and narrowness, and 
the dwarf habit of the plant, seem to show 
the influence of the Erigeron. There are 
several white Asters in cultivation, but 
this we consider the best of them. Award 
of merit by the R.H.S. on October 1st. 
The Flower Garden. 
When a man has a hobby, it is safe to say 
that he will let people know it. The 
’hobbyist has a sort of weakness for one par¬ 
ticular thing, and if he gets half a chance 
he will talk, and talk, and talk about it. 
Now isn’t that so? Take the pigeon fancier, 
or the rabbit breeder. It is stupendous to 
heatr them. But when it comes to the gar¬ 
den hobbyist—well, now that’s a different 
matter altogether. The other fellows are 
clean mad, but the amateur gardener, why, 
he is a really sensible chap. Of course he 
is. And we of 'the “ G.W,.” are all touched 
with the same brush so to ©peak. 
Sweet Peas. 
We can put up with each other’s fads and 
fancies, even if all our views don’t coincide. 
We overlook them because we are gardeners. 
Just so; and as the hobbyist cannot cut him¬ 
self adrift from his own special particular, 
it is not surprising to find ’that I cannot 
leave Sweet Peas alone for any length 
of time. I dare say a good many 
small men have made up their minds to 
tackle the Horace Wright bowl class next 
year. The list of varieties to be grown is 
already out, at least it can be found in the 
neat little list published by Horace J. 
Wright. Quite a nice little booklet this, 
containing details of all the best varieties, 
and including quite a number of novelties. 
The present holder of the Horace Wright 
Bowl tells me he is beginning to prepare 
already. Wise man ! By the way, things 
will be extremely lively next year. Silas 
Cole, the raiser of Countess Spencer, is 
about to offer his own original stocks of all 
■the Spencer race, together with his faint 
blush, Lady Althorpe. Then the great 
American firm of Walter Burpee and Co. 
are sending out their special stocks of White 
and Cream Spencer. Big prizes are going 
for these two, besides a special Burpee Cup 
for an exhibit of Spencers. Wake up, my 
hearties, for the Spencer race of Sweet Peas 
rules the roost. By .the way, white and 
cream .Spencers are really good. I have 
grown them myself, iso know. In all proba¬ 
bility Etta Dyke and Clara Curtis will prove 
similar. 1S0 now out with it, Mr. Drayson, 
and tell us all how to win cups and mugs 
with blooms on 30-inch stems. I am .led to 
write in this strain in order to liven up 
things a bit. The weather has taken a turn 
for the worse, and faces .grow despondent. 
Asters and Chrysanthemums. 
The Asters and Chrysanthemums in the 
garden have a bedraggled look, but still the 
colour is there. Before long we shall not 
have .this even. 
Tidying Up. 
However, whenever there is an oppor¬ 
tunity for getting round, do not delay the 
tidying up business. A good many things 
are wearing a very tired look just now. 
Those Heli.anthuses, Phlox, Heleniurns, 
Galegas, etc., etc., will be better for being 
cut down now. They certainly are no orna¬ 
ment, and .there’s a bit of sweeping still to 
do, especially where there are trees about. 
A leaf-strewn drive or lawn is an eye-sore, 
and one conjures up visions of the sign 
“ This House -to Let ” at the sight. Of 
course the sweeping job is not ended in once. 
The same thing has to be done a day or 
two later. 
Manuring Borders. 
To my mind this is a good time for ! 
spreading manure on the borders, as it can 
be turned in lightly with a fork and there 
is no further bother. No more planting 
should be done now if it can be avoided. 
Bulbs of course may still be planted. 
Frames. 
There is still a chance for Pentstemon 
cuttings ,to callus if set in now. Keep 
frames aired well if occupied by plants of 
any kind, or there will be wholesale damp- / 
ing off. 
Gladioli. 
Gladioli will be better for lifting now, 1 
providing the soil is fairly dry. The very 
late flowering bulbs may be left for another 
fortnight. Never pull off the foliage until l 
it has thoroughly ripened. 
Roses. 
Roses should have a little attention just . 
now. All superfluous wood may be cut| 
away, for there is no reason why useless- 
shoots should .remain until next April. Do 
not prune back matured wood, however, or 
there will be trouble sooner or later. The 
beds, if the soil is rather light, may be 
heavily .manured, after pricking up the sur¬ 
face. Do not attempt to protect the bushes 
in any way just yet. Roses may be planted, 
but all the work should be cleared up 
within the next week or so. If it cannot be 
done, lay the bushes in, especially if the 
soil is cold and heavy. A great deal de- I 
pends upon the state of the weather, how¬ 
ever. iSaturated land if trod upon spells 
mischief. Do not plant in frosty weather. 
Planting Out. 
Flower beds, if not cleared, should be 
so treated, if Wallflowers, etc., are to go in. 
Unless such plants can get a grip upon the 
soil, they have small chances of getting 
through a severe winter, and I understand 
we must expect an extra parky time. 
The Fruit Garden. 
The man ydio is eager to shine as a fruit 
culturisit will have got his ground in fine 
trim for tree planting, and the sooner this 
work is done the better. 
Planting. * 
Cut away all bruised roots and broken 
shoots, and when planting see that the trees 
or bushes are not planted deeper than neces¬ 
sary. Roots are wanted near the surface, 
not 3ft. under ground. Quite recently 
I met a raw amateur, who last year employed 
a man to plant some Currant bushes. They 
made wretched growth so he took them up, 
and found they were really half buried. He 
assured me that the crowns were a foot be¬ 
low the surface. Currants should never be 
buried deeply. The topmost roots only need 
a couple of inches of soil over them, and 
all the roots should be spread flat, not 
stuck straight down. 
Root pruning of rampant trees should be 
finished as soon as possible. 
Mulching. 
Fruit plantations, whether old or new, 
pay for being mulched with manure. Fruit 
trees absorb manure applied at this time of 
the year very quickly. 
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