December  3,  1896. 
JOURNAL  OF  HORTIGULTORL  AND  COTTaGF  GARDENER. 
539 
PEA-GROWma  IN  NORTH  NOTTS. 
The  Pea-growing  industry  in  Nottinghamshire  has  made  great  strides 
during  the  past  few  years.  More  particularly  is  this  to  be  observed  in 
the  neighbourhood  of  Worksop,  where  the  land  hag  been  found  from 
experience  to  be  suitable  for  the  cultivation  of  this  vegetable.  It  has 
also  the  advantage  of  being  an  early  district,  as  the  difference  of  only  a 
few  days  in  the  time  of  gathering  the  early  varieties  will  enable  those 
who  can  place  them  on  the  market  first  to  obtain  a  much  better  price 
for  their  produce. 
They  are  grown  in  the  open  fields,  and,  as  is  usual  in  this  system  of 
cultivation,  no  stakes  are  used.  Whilst  on  this  subject  I  may  mention 
a  fact  that  I  have  observed  on  several  occasions  which  I  have  not  seen 
noted  before.  It  is  this  :  Peas  grown  in  the  open  field  are  often  ready 
to  gather  before  the  same  varieties  grown  in  gardens  in  the  orthodox 
way  and  staked.  I  one  day  asked  a  large  market  grower  how  he 
accounted  for  this  difference,  as  he  was  then  gathering  a  heavy  crop  of 
well-filled  pods  ;  whereas  the  same  variety  grown  in  a  garden,  and  of 
course  staked,  was  several  days  later.  His  reply  was,  “  The  haulm  lying 
closely  on  the  soil  prevents  evaporation  and  keeps  the  heat  in  the  land  ; 
consequently,  the  peas  swell  much  more  rapidly  than  when  they  are 
staked.”  I  afterwards  experimented  on  these  lines,  and  found  there  was 
a  great  deal  of  truth  in  this  statement.  Much  of  the  land  hereabout 
is  a  light  sandy  soil,  in  which  the  earliest  varieties  are  grown.  There 
is  also  some  good  sandy  loam  in  which  the  majority  of  crops  do  well, 
whilst  only  a  few  miles  away  the  land  is  chiefly  on  the  limestone  forma¬ 
tion  where  the  crops  are  not  so  early,  but  the  late  varieties  do  remark¬ 
ably  well. 
Pea  Pullers. 
The  sight  of  a  crowd  I  saw  going  out  into  the  country  one  day  in 
July  would  have  naturally  called  forth  the  question,  “  Where  are  all 
these  people  going  "  They  cannot  be  the  workpeople  from  a  factory, 
for  this  is  purely  an  agricultural  neighbourhood,  and  the  pretty  town 
whence  they  are  emerging  is  only  celebrated  on  account  of  its  con¬ 
tiguity  to  the  wondrous  Dukeries,  where  thousands  of  tourists  are 
driven  per  coach  and  four,  a  twenty-mile  drive  through  magnificent 
scenery,  where  they  can  feast  their  eyes  on  countless  ancient  Oaks, 
where  Robin  Hood  and  his  merrie  men  hung  their  venison  and  held 
their  revels.  They  are  of  all  conditions  of  the  working  poor.  Here,  a 
few  strong  men,  but  they  are  evidently  men  who  work  at  odd  jobs  and 
earn  a  precarious  living  ;  there,  delicate,  care-worn  looking  women  with 
children  in  their  arms,  others  with  several  children  stowed  away  in 
perambulators  ,*  yonder  again  strong  girls,  who  are  caretakers  of  their 
sisters  and  brothers,  and  have  several  of  their  little  charges  running  at 
their  heels,  while  besides  there  are  also  a  few  strong,  brawny  women  from 
the  sister  isle,  and  also  a  few  men  from  the  same  country  of  the  small 
hawker  class.  For  nearly  two  miles  you  meet  a  continual  stream  of 
these  people,  and  you  wonder  where  they  can  be  stowed  away  in  clean 
trim  Worksop,  but  even  Worksop  has  its  poor  quarters  where  people 
congregate  thickly. 
All  these  people,  it  is  noted,  have  some  sort  of  receptacle  with  them  ; 
some  have  baskets,  but  the  majority  have  pails,  cans,  workman’s  basses, 
dilapidated  workbaskets,  and  in  fact  everything  one  can  imagine  that 
will  hold  Green  Peas,  for  these  poor  people  are  going  into  fie  country 
Pea  pulling,  and  as  it  requires  no  skill,  and  as  all  are  paid  according  to 
the  quantity  they  pull,  all  may  feel  assured  of  earning  something. 
The  Number  Employed. 
Thus  hundreds  find  employment  in  the  country  during  the  Pea¬ 
pulling  season,  and  in  answer  to  my  inquiries,  Mr.  Kirk  Dennis  of 
Worksop,  who  may  be  termed  “The  Pea  King,”  as  most  of  the  Peas 
grown  in  this  district  pass  through  his  hands,  informed  me  that  it  is 
quite  a  common  occurrence  to  have  from  300  to  500  persons  in  a  field  at 
one  time.  Sometimes  he  has  had  upwards  of  600,  and  on  one 
memorable  occasion  they  gathered  1100  bags  of  peas  (11,000  pecks) 
before  ten  o’clock  one  morning. 
The  wages  paid  for  gathering  vary  somewhat  according  to  the  variety 
and  crop.  In  answer  to  my  query,  one  of  the  workers  replied,  “  Earn, 
sir  ?  W^y  I  can  make  3s.  a  day  when  the  crop’s  a  good  ’un,  but  a  many 
on  ’em  don’t  get  more  than  a  shilling.”  The  whole  family  often  turns 
out  to  obtain  a  share  of  the  Pea  harvest,  and  as  there  are  several  children 
to  assist,  who  when  not  working  may  romp  the  whole  day  among  the 
Pea  straw,  eating  Green  Peas  to  their  heart’s  content,  and  while  the 
sbillings  or  pounds  earned  will  be  put  by  to  pay  the  rent,  the  few  weeks 
spent  in  the  country  will  bring  a  bright  gleam  of  sunshine  into  many 
a  poor  home. 
Varieties  op  Peas  Grown. 
Comparatively  few  varieties  are  grown.  What  is  required  for  market 
are  good  hardy  sorts  that  will  fill  their  pods  well  in  either  a  wet  or  dry 
season,  and  for  this  purpose,  Mr.  Dennis,  who  should  be  an  authority  on 
the  subject,  having  been  connected  with  their  cultivation  for  many  years 
past,  says,  “  Earliest  of  All  ”  and  “  William  the  First  Improved  ”  for  the 
first  crop,  followed  by  “Duke  of  York,”  “Prince  of  Wales,”  and 
Telegraph,  “  English  Wonder,”  a  dwarf  is  also  grown,  but  only  in  limited 
quantity.  The  above  selection  is  considered  the  best.  There  is  pro¬ 
bably  more  of  “  Prince  of  Wales  ”  and  “  Telegraph  ”  grown  than  all 
the  other  varieties  put  together,  “  Veitch’s  Exonian  ”  will  be  extensively 
grown  as  an  early  variety  next  year,  as  a  high  opinion  has  been  formed 
of  it.  I  can  corroborate  this,  having  grown  it  as  a  first  early  variety 
under  garden  culture  for  several  years  past.  Those  who  have  not  done 
BO  should  give  it  a  trial  another  season,  and  they  will  not  be  disappointed. 
Where  the  Peas  Go. 
The  Peas  are  widely  distributed  throughout  the  country,  the  chief 
markets  being  Sheffield,  Chesterfield,  Derby,  and  London.  The  former 
town  is  a  busy  centre,  within  easy  reach  of  Worksop,  but  a  few  miles 
does  not  make  much  difference  when  special  rates  are  obtained.  Those 
sent  to  London  are  divided  between  Covent  Garden  and  the  Borough 
Markets,  and  thus  the  hard-working  artisan  in  our  busy  towns  buying 
Green  Peas  in  the  market,  is  indirectly  assisting  his  poor  fellow-workers 
in  the  small  town  of  North  Nottinghamshire. — G.  S. 
ALDERBROOK. 
A  VERY  beautiful  portion  of  the  county  of  Surrey  is  that  between 
Guildford  and  Dorking,  and  Alderbrook  lies  about  midway  between  these 
towns.  It  is  comparatively  new  in  a  sense,  as  the  trees  around  and 
throughout  the  park  and  woods  seem  to  be  from  80  to  100  years  old, 
whilst  the  house — a  pretty  mansion  of  red  brick  which  almost  glows  with 
colour  in  the  wealth  of  trees  by  which  surrounded — has  been  built  some 
seventeen  years  only.  Less  than  a  year  since  Pandeli  Ralli,  Esq.,  the 
proprietor,  was  compelled  to  change  his  gardener,  and  being  strongly 
recommended  accepted  the  service  of  Mr.  Barks,  yet  comparatively 
young,  who  had  been  for  several  ytars  Mr.  Mease’s  foreman  and  right- 
hand  help  at  Downside,  Leatherhead. 
It  was  therefore  no  matter  for  surprise  that,  on  visiting  Alderbrook 
on  October  30th,  I  found  a  capital  collection  of  Chrysanthemums, 
because  Mr.  Barks  had  exhibited  at  Downside  ample  evidence  of  his 
capacity  to  grow  these  beautiful  autumn  fiowers.  It  is  one  of  the 
curious  yet  most  delightful  features  of  the  Cranleigh  district  that  in 
the  Chrysanthemum  season  certain  gentlemen,  notably  Sir  Richard 
Webster,  M.P.,  the  Attorney-General,  Mr.  Pandeli  Ralli,  Mr.  Ramsden, 
all  having  good  collections  of  Chrysanthemums,  throw  open  these 
during  certain  days,  invariably  Saturday,  Sunday,  and  Monday,  to  public 
view,  and  in  a  remarkable  degree  the  privilege  is  utilised,  especially  on 
Sundays,  when  hundreds  of  people  flock  to  see  the  flowers.  It  says 
much  for  public  appreciation  that  although  each  of  the  gardens  referred 
to  be  some  three  miles  from  Cranleigh,  the  only  village  near,  yet 
distance  seems  to  present  no  impediment  to  the  people.  What  a  pity 
such  examples  were  not  universally  followed.  How  much  would  they 
be  everywhere  appreciated  1 
The  Alderbrook  collection,  when  I  saw  it,  had,  of  incurved,  really  fine 
blooms  of  Jeanne  d’Arc,  Brookleigh  Gem,  Queen  of  England,  Lord 
Alcester,  Golden  Empress,  Lucy  Kendall,  Prince  Alfred,  Empress  of 
India,  Violet  Tomlin,  Globe  d’Or  (rich  golden  buff).  Princess  of  Wales, 
Baron  Hirsch,  and  others.  Generally  the  incurved  seemed  rather  later 
than  the  Japanese,  and  it  seemed  as  if  most  of  the  former  flowers  would 
be  in  better  form  during  the  second  week  of  the  month  than  in  the  first 
week,  Then  of  Japs,  Viviand  Morel,  Chas.  Davis,  H.  Jacotot  fils.  Col. 
W.  B.  Smith,  Mdlle.  M.  A.  de  Galbert,  Sunflower,  B.  Molyneux,  Duke 
of  York,  Mrs.  H.  Payne,  Mdlle.  Marie  Hoste,  Rose  Wynne,  Sir  B.  T. 
Smith,  Madame  Ricoud,  Madame  Carnot,  Violetta  (after  Etoile  de  Lyon, 
but  deeper  in  colour),  Col.  Chase  (very  beautiful),  H.  L.  Sunderbruck, 
Mrs.  W.  H.  Lees,  and  President  Borel,  are  but  some  of  the  good  things 
in  this  section.  That  another  year,  after  there  has  been  time  to  turn 
round,  Alderbrook  will  have  a  very  fine  collection,  there  can  be  no  doubt, 
as  business  in  this  direction  is  meant. 
Orchids  form  a  fine  feature  here,  as  several  roomy  show  houses  are 
devoted  to  them.  One  house  is  full,  now  very  gay  with  Cattleyas, 
especially  labiatas,  and  some  fine  pieces  of  Bowringiana  are  blooming 
finely,  carrying  big  clusters  of  flowers,  Aurea,  Hardyana,  and  others  are 
good  also.  Cypripediums  are  in  great  force,  so  too  are  Calanthes, 
Oncidiums,  Dendrobiums,  the  variety  fimbriatum  oculatum  having 
growths  5  feet  in  height ;  crispum,  thyrsiflorum,  and  others.  Phalse- 
nopsis  grandiflora  is  very  finely  blooming,  and  the  collection  includes 
Schilleriana,  Schrblenana,  and  others  ;  also  fine  clumps  of  Coelogynes, 
Aerides,  Vandas,  Odontoglots  in  great  variety,  Sophronites,  and  the 
beautiful  golden  Cattleya  citrina.  The  whole  of  the  plants  are  in  capital 
condition,  very  clean,  as  also  the  houses  ;  indeed,  it  is  evident  that  the 
collection  is  in  excellent  hands.  Climbers,  such  as  Lapageria  rosea 
superba,  and  Allamanda  Hendersoni,  running  under  the  roofs,  clean  as 
can  be,  grow  and  bloom  profusely.  .  -d  i 
In  other  houses  plants  of  all  descriptions  are  varied  and  good.  Palms, 
Perns,  Crotons,  Dracmnas,  Salvia  splendens,  Poinsettias,  Zonal  Pelar¬ 
goniums,  and  many  other  things  are  all  well  done.  Glass  houses  are 
good,  but  all  full,  and  as  there  is  not  enough  now  for  fruit  and  other 
things  it  is  hoped  that  several  others  will  be  erected  next  year. 
Carnations,  especially  winter  bloomers,  are  highly  valued,  and  some 
3000  are  grown.  Outdoors  tree  foliage  in  every  direction  is  beautiful. 
The  pleasure  grounds  are  rather  new,  and  there  is  no  parterre  gard^. 
A  new  and  eventually  charming  feature  is  being  provided  in  a  woody 
dell,  through  which  water  meanders,  by  trenching  out  Stocks  and 
planting  many  noble  semi-aquatic  or  strong-growing  plants,  such  as 
Bamboos,  These  will  be  in  big  clumps,  Lilies  planted  out  in  borders 
beneath  the  trees  do  wonderfully  well,  and  give  to  the  garden  the 
appellation  of  the  Lily  walk.  Great  improvements  in  that  particular 
direction  are  being  effected,  so  also  in  the  fruit  and  vegetable  depart¬ 
ments.  Owing  to  the  considerable  Oak  tree  surroundings  caterpillars 
were  a  great  plague  last  summer,  and  now  every  tree,  standard,  dwarf, 
or  espalier,  has  been  grease-banded,  with  good  results  already.  It  is 
pleasant  to  record  that  Mr.  Ralli  is  an  intense  lover  of  his  place,  and 
especially  of  his  garden. — A.  D. 
