432 
THE GARDENING WORLD. 
June 29, 1907. 
Sweet Peas. 
A Letter 
To the Editor. 
Sir,—There were two pars on page 340 
of the “G. W.” which interested me, and 
I feel that I can supplement them. 
“A. W.” (Surrey), refers to the spot dis¬ 
ease, and I am forced to assume that he 
is only a horticultural starter, or else has 
not paid any particular heed to the recipes 
for fungoid diseases published in the 
“G. W.” and elsewhere. 
Bordeaux mixture is such a common 
thing that I thought everyone was aware 
of its constituents, and more especially 
its powers of checking the Potato blight. 
However, the mixing of Bordeaux solu¬ 
tion is to a small grower somewhat of a 
nuisance, and I would recommend the use 
of the special Bordeaux preparations. 
They are, of course, a little dearer than 
sulphate of copper, which is only 4d. per 
lb. But it is not always possible to ob¬ 
tain a piece of freshly burnt lime; air 
slaked lime is useless. 
My mixture is- made with 1 lb. of lime, 
1 lb. of copper sulphate, 98 per cent., and 
20 gallons of water. I fancy 3 lbs. of 
lime to 23 gallons of water is too strong. 
If a bright knife when dipped in the 
complete solution turns copper colour, the 
copper is still active, and will damage 
plant life. More lime must be added to 
kill the sulphuric acid. 
A really good Bordeaux preparation is 
Strawsonite, made by Strawson’s, of 
Queen Victoria Street; Vermorite is an¬ 
other and similar preparation. Many 
market', men use them in preference to 
making their own, owing to the difficulty 
in getting pure copper sulphate. 
“A. W.” and other readers may take 
it that Bordeaux is an effectual check on 
Pea spot. 
Last season, when visiting a local nur¬ 
sery, I found many rows of Sweet Peas 
smothered with spot from top to bottom. 
Another week would have finished them 
altogether. The grower did not know 
the cause of the trouble, and had serious 
thoughts about pulling the plants up, 
which were then nearly 4 feet high. He 
however sprayed at once, and within a few 
days new growths and foliage shot from 
every joint; and the plants bloomed right 
through the season. 
“ G. Field” is concerned about the 
limited number of plants he has, and the 
Editor is not over sanguine. Well, “G. 
Field,” if he is growing his plants well, 
as has been described in these columns, 
that is giving them plenty of room, etc., 
will easily be .able to put up 25 stems in 
mid-August. Some varieties are naturally 
less prolific than others, but at that date 
the plants will be in full vigour. 
I have done a little exhibiting both at 
local shows and away. I exhibited at 
Ulverston in mid-July, not coming away 
empty handed, although my blooms had 
to travel 350 miles. At two local shows, 
one at the end of July and the other in 
mid-August, I practically had things my 
own way. 
At the Ulverston show I put up 52 
bunches. At one local show I staged 100 
bunches, two-thirds non-competitive. At 
the other I staged 70 bunches, 18 being 
competitive, the others just to help the 
show. 
For the Ulverstomshow I took up nearly 
twice as many as I wanted, to allow for 
damaged ones. 
The following figures will show how I 
stood for plantsCountess Spencer 30 
plants, true; John Ingman 9 plants, true; 
Evelyn Byatt 10 plants, true; Helen Lewis 
7 plants, true; Janet Scott 10 plants, 
true; Dora Breadmore 12 plants, true; 
Bolton’s Pink 10 plants, true; Dorothy 
Eckford 15 plants, true; Hon. Mrs. 
Kenyon 12 plants, true; Mrs. Kendal 
Barnes 10 plants, true; Miss Philbrick 10 
plants, true; Duke of Westminster 12 
plants, true; Mrs. W. Wright 10 plants, 
true; Agnes Johnston 10 plants, true; 
Jeannie Gordon 10 plants, true; King 
Edward 12 plants, true; Henry Eckford 
15 plants, true; Queen Alexandra 16 
plants, true; Sybil Eckford 16 plants, 
true ; Phyllis Unwin 9 plants, true ; Helen 
Pierce 10 plants, true; Miss Willmott 11 
plants, true; Mrs. H. Sykes 14 plants, 
true; Mrs. Chas. Foster, 5 plants, true; 
Eric Hinton 8 plants, true; Codsall Rose 
7 plants, true. 
This list is only a portion of the varie¬ 
ties I was growing, but they were drawn 
upon for competition. Several other 
sorts were so sporty that I only had two 
or three true, yet I staged 10 to 15 stems 
of them when putting up non-competitive 
lots. 
For the show at the end of July I ceased 
cutting the night before, and spent the 
night staging. The netxt afternoon my 
helpmate brought about 500 sprays which 
had developed. This year the greatest 
number of any sort is 16, the majority 
being 10. 
Respecting cutting the blooms prior to 
the show, I always let the blooms stand 
in water after cutting for 12 to 24 hours 
before packing up. 
Some of the flowers I have staged, and 
won prizes with, had been cut three days 
by the time judges came round. 
Some varieties lose colour after being 
cut, but the majority stand well if kept in 
a dark and cool place. 
I usually stand my blooms in a stable, 
keeping them covered with tissue paper. 
Therefore, “G. F.,” grow your plants 
well, and cut the blooms as soon as the 
top flower is expanding, and you will find 
vour blooms increase greatly in size. 
Grower. 
Herbaceous 
chat „ Borders. 
Staking and labelling are two import¬ 
ant details which, if attended to, make for 
success. Every plant should be correctly 
labelled when in bloom, and the height 
and colour also noted. Ground colours 
only need be written, thus; Phygelius ca- 
pensis, 2j£ ft., scarlet, or Gentiana ascle- 
piadea, 2 ft., blue. The value of this will 
be appreciated when renovating the bor¬ 
der. It will also have been noticed tha' 
different hardy plant catalogues vary ir 
giving the height of the same plant. Tht 
reason of this is not far to seek, as thi 
plants themselves vary in this respect ii 
different localities, and the average heigh 
only can be given. It becomes necessan 
when staking, therefore, to have somi 
guide, and if this is on the label no mis 
take can be made. A knowledge of th. 
plants is also necessary. Take the florist' 
Potentillas and Pyrethrums, for instance 
Both are about the same height, and bof. 
require staking in the early stages c 
growth, but Potentillas should have a fin 
stake for every two growths, while Pyrett 
rums should have three stakes place 
round them, and the tying material take 
from one stake to the other, about thre 
times; this will have to be done until ih 
plants are in bloom. 
From April until the end of Octobc 
there is no lack of flowers of every bu 
in the border, but if we are to have som; 
thing all the year round, particular a 
tention must be given to securing plan 
that flower from November, when Schizi 
stylis coccinea, a beautiful “Irid’ froi 
South Africa, is at its best, until Marc] 
when flowers will be getting more plent 
ful. The following plants should l 
amongst those selected for these du 
months : — 
Anemone apennina, A. blanda, . 
coronaria, autumn and spring flowerii 
Crocuses, Adonis vernalis, all the varieti 
of Hepatica triloba, Colchicum, autun 
and spring, not forgetting the doub 
white variety Iris histrioides. I. retie 
lata, Helleborus, all of them, Erythr 
niums, Sisyrinchium grandiflorum, Prii 
roses, single and double Primula dentic 
lata, P. d. cashmiriana, P. rosea, Polya 
thus, Omphalodes verna, Aubrietia, wi 
ter Aconite, Snowdrops, and Daffodils, 
patch or two of Erica carnea in the fre 
of the border is very welcome at this so 
son, and if clipped over with the she;; 
to remove flowering points in April it ci 
be kept as tidy as a mossy Saxifrage. 
If we have only one border at our co- 
mand it will be found far more satisf;- 
tory to plant it something after the V 
I have described than to have eoler 
schemes and self borders. By all me;3 
harmonise the colours as much as possib, 
but this again is a subject that can on’ 
be decided by the individual on the sp- 
Give the plants plenty of room to - 
velop, and bear in mind that fre- 
planted borders will need water in o 
weather. Stake the plants early, 
keep the Dutch hoe going throughout e 
season, at the end of which time you v 1 
say that herbaceous borders are a delig - 
ful feature. 
H. Arnold. 
