July  25,  1901. 
JOURNAL  OF  HORTICULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 
77 
Sweet  Pea  Culture. 
In  answer  to  the  letter  received  from  you  asking  for  hints  on  Sweet 
CPea  culture,  I  consider  the  most  important  details  are  :  —Good  seed,  deep 
trenching,  and  thorough  cultivation  of  the  soil,  and  it  is  very  important 
to  get  the  seed  or  plants  in,  when  the  ground  is  in  good  condition.  The 
roots  should  have  every  encouragement  to  go  down  ;  there  should  be  no 
fertilisers  near  the  surface  ;  in  fact  some  of  them  destroy  the  germinating 
power  of  the  seed.  I  also  condemn  the  use  of  water  on  the  surface; 
the  continued  use  of  the  hce,  by  keeping  in  the  moisture  already  there, 
is  of  much  greater  benefit. 
A  light  syringing  of  the  foliage  on  warm  nights  when  there  is  no 
-dew  is  also  very  beneficial.  I  would  like  to  take  this  opportunity  of 
expressing  my  condemnation  of  the  practice  of  some  growers  who  thin 
their  plantB  to  one  shoot.  I  recently  saw  some  of  these  unsightly,  lanky 
plants,  with  just  a  bloom  and  a  bud  at  the  top  of  an  ugly  piece  of  bine 
"7  feet  high.  You  must  let  the  plant  make  its  natural  growth,  otherwise 
the  root  suffers  in  proportion  to  the  bine  taken  away. — P.  WaTERER. 
Autumn-sown  Sweet  Peas. 
As  “A.  W.  C.,  Devon,’’  is  probably  not  alone  in  wanting  to  hear 
the  measure  of  success  attained  by  some  who  adopted  the  method  I 
recommended  in  an  article  in  your  issue  of  8th  November,  1900,  my 
own  experience  may  be  of  interest.  The  Peas  were  planted  out  as 
soon  as  the  severe  weather  was  over  at  the  end  of  March,  and,  notwith¬ 
standing  the  cold  spring,  were  coming  into  bloom  at  the  end  of  May, 
and  are  still  (15th  July)  in  full  bloom,  many  of  the  flowers  being  three 
on  a  stalk,  and  some  even  four.  They  have  had  two  or  three  good 
waterings  during  the  last  month,  the  drought  with  us  in  Essex  being 
wery  severe.  In  addition  to  this,  all  the  seed  pods  have  been  picked  off 
daily.  They  are  6  or  7  feet  high,  aod  are  flowering  nearly  all  the  way 
up  from  the  laterals  which  strong-growing  Peas  produce. 
The  first  Fecret  of  success  is  deep  cultivation,  and  it  is  worth  while 
to  dig  out  a  hole  or  a  trench  2  feet  deep  and  fill  up  with  good  soil. 
Animal  manure  can  be  mixed  with  the  soil  or  not  as  desired,  as  nitrogen, 
though  not  essential  to  Peas,  is  always  useful  to  retain  moisture.  If  no 
■farmyard  or  stable  manure  is  given,  basic  slag  should  be  mixed  with  the 
<3oil  if  it  is  prepared  in  the  autumn,  or  superphosphate  if  in  the  spring. 
A  free  root-run  enables  the  plants  to  withstand  drought,  gives  them  a 
larger  area  for  collecting  food,  and  increases  the  number  of  colonies  of 
nitrifying  organisms  on  the  roots. — A.  PeTTs. 
Exhibitors  as  Committemei] 
I  thought  “  W.  S.’s  ”  answer,  in  your  issue  of  June  27th,  to  Mr.  G. 
Wadeson’s  query,  on  page  525,  “  Should  Exhibitors  Act  as  Committee¬ 
men  ?  ”  was  to  the  point,  and  conclusive.  But  I  notice  in  last  week’s 
Journal,  page  53,  Mr.  G.  Wadeson  does  not  appear  quite  satisfied.  I 
should  not  have  thought  of  writing  to  you  on  this  subjeot  had  not 
Mr.  G.  Wadeson,  by  using  a  rather  favourite  expression  of  mine,  i.e., 
“  Outside,  gentlemen  ;  all  outside,  please,”  when  clearing  the  tents  for  the 
^judges,  led  me  to  infer  that  his  complaint  was  directed  more  particularly 
against  the  oommitfeomen-exhibitors  of  the  Derby  Horticultural  Sooiety, 
and  having  in  mind  Mr.  G.  Wadeson’s  determination,  at  the  exhibition 
held  last  September,  to  have  the  honour  (?)  of  being  the  last  exhibitor 
to  leave  the  tents,  has  rather  confirmed  me  in  this  impression. 
I  do  not  think  it  at  all  necessary  for  me  to  try  and  justify  the 
conduct  of  my  two  colleagues  or  myself,  for  being  among  the  number 
of  committeemen-exhibitors.  I  have  been  for  the  past  twenty  years 
.  connected  with  several  horticultural  societies,  and  in  various  capacities 
at  different  times  as  secretary,  committeeman,  steward,  or  judge  at 
many  horticultural  shows.  I  have  yet  to  learn  that  the  committeeman- 
exhibitor  is  mean  enough  to  take  any  undue  advantage  of  the  other 
exhibitors  by  any  prior  knowledge  he  may  have  acquired  by  the 
alteration  of  any  matter  in  the  schedule,  or  that  he  has  so  far  forgotten 
himself  as  to  think  that  he  could  by  his  solicitations  bias  the  judges  in 
their  decision  one  iota  in  his  favour  ;  or  again,  that  any  of  the  gentlemen 
who  are  officiating  as  judges  would,  for  any  consideration  whatever,  give 
anything  but  what  they  knew  and  felt  to  be  a  just  decision. 
I  must  strongly  protest  against  Mr.  G.  Wadeson’s  insinuations 
both  as  they  affect  the  committeeman-exhibitor,  and  also  the  judges. 
Mr.  G.  Wadeson  should,  when  trying  to  point  a  moral,  be  somewhat 
more  consistent,  for  he  says  he  can  with  confidence  reoommend  all 
exhibitors  to  try  and  get  on  committees.  [This  was  meant  ironically. — 
Ed.]  And  yet  he  tells  us  that  he  is  sorry  to  say  that  some  first-class 
gardeners  are  acting  in  the  dual  capacity  as  committeemen  aud  also 
.  as  exhibitors.  He  then  winds  up  his  remarks  by  saying  that  his 
experience  has  taught  him  that  men  experienced  in  the  art  of  exhib-ting 
make  the  best  committeemen,  and  adds  that  if  the  exhibitor  is  a 
oommitteeman  he  looks  after  his  own  interest,  inferring  that  any 
exhibitor  who  agrees  to  serve  on  a  committee  does  so  from  purely  selfish 
motives.  This,  I  maintain,  is  wholly  wrong,  aud  the  least  that  com¬ 
mitteemen-exhibitors  may  expect  from  Mr.  G.  Wadeson  is  that  he  will 
give  them  as  much  credit  for  looking  after  the  interest  of  the  eo3iety 
aud  the  whole  of  the  exhibitors  with  which  they  may  be  conneired, 
as  he  takes  to  himself  when  acting  as  secretary. — Geo.  Woodgate, 
Rolleston  Hall  Gardens,  Burton-on-Trent. 
A  Pond  Weed. 
Can  any  reader  of  the  Journal  give  me  any  information  how  to 
exterminate  Potamogeton  orispum  from  a  pond  3  to  4  feet  deep  where 
Water  Lilies  are  growing?  I  am  keeping  it  down  by  cutting  it  constantly 
off  at  the  bottom.  I  have  beea  told  this  “  will  only  tend  to  propagate 
it.”  So  far  as  my  experience  with  it  goes  I  am  inclined  to  doubt  tha: 
statement.  Is  it  an  annual  reproduced  by  seed  only,  or  do  the  roots 
survive  more  than  one  season  ?  Any  information  I  shall  be  most 
grateful  for. — Mark  Webster  The  Gardens,  Kelsey  Parle,  Beckenham. 
Tlie  Shrewsbury  Schedule. 
I  can  only  wonder  why  such  an  able  man  as  Mr.  Iggnlden 
undoubtedly  is,  will  persist  in  overlooking  this  important  fact — viz.,  the 
clause  affecting  class  73  in  the  Shrewsbury  schedule,  which  runs,  “  For 
the  purpo-e  of  this  competition  alone,  Canon  Hall  (and  the  others) 
cannot  be  shown  as  distinct  with  Musoat,  of  Alexandria.”  What  more 
does  he  want  ?  If  he  is  a  business  man  I  suppose  he  feels  quite  right 
in  conducing  his  business  in  the  manner  which  he  has  found  to  give  most 
satisfaction  to  those  for  whom  he  caters,  without  meriting  public  dis¬ 
paragements  at  anybody’s  hand.  Why  not  let  the  Shrewsbury  committee 
conduct  their  affairs  in  the  way  they  think  most  satisfactory  ?  They 
know,  as  everybody  else  does,  that  it  is  impossible  to  please  all,  not  even 
if  Mr.  Iggulden  was  on  the  committe  >.  I  think  if  a  consensus  of  opinion 
was  taken,  it  would  be  admitted  that  no  society  in  the  kingdom  does  any 
better.  I  will  say  no  more,  Mr.  Editor,  and  humbly  apologise  for  my 
intrusion,  as  Mr.  Crump  has  no  need  of  my  assistance,  nor  has  che 
Shrewsbury  committee,  and  I  would  help  Mr.  Iggulden  if  I  coull  I 
do  not  write  vindictively,  as  personally  I  know  nothing  at  all  abort 
either  Messrs.  Crump,  Iggulden,  or  the  others.  I  merely  offer  you  the 
opinion  of  one  obscure  member  of  the  gardening  fraternity. — R.  M.  D., 
Northallerton. 
[The  matter  under  dispute  has  now  been  sufficiently  well  aired  ;  both 
sides  have  had  fair  innings.  Tne  discussion  is  now  concluded. — Ed.] 
A  Problem  iij  Heating  Solved. 
“Aqua”  has  so  long  been  “lying  low,”  that  I  was  agreeably 
surprised  to  see  him  *•  bubbling  up  again  ”  (please  excuse  the 
metayhor)  on  page  29.  I  know  not  why  he  has  deferred  his  remarks 
to  this  late  period,  unless  it  be  because  during  the  reoent  “‘rain’  of 
criticism  ”  he  has  received  more  than  his  share  of  his  favourite 
liquid,  and  is  therefore  anxious  that  others  should  enjoy  an  additional 
supply.  In  replying  to  “  Aqua’s  ”  recent  contribution  my  task  is, 
however,  particularly  light,  as  he  brings  forward  neither  new  arguments 
nor  strong  ones,  but  simply  asks  a  few  questions,  and  advances  an 
opinion.  I  have  no  doubt  that  Mr.  Richards  will  be  able  to  answer  the 
questions  put  to  him  in — to  use  a  hackneyed  expression — a  perfectly 
“  satisfactory  manner,”  but  before  I  attempt  to  explain  ‘‘the  things” 
“Aqua”  wants  to  know,  I  cmnot  forbear  from  drawing  attention  to  a 
singularly  illogioal  assertion  he  makes  in  the  following  sentence.  “  It 
is  perhaps  needless  for  me  to  remind  ‘  H.  D.’  that  the  air  taps  have 
nothing  to  do  with  the  circulation,  but  only  serve  to  allow  for  the 
escape  of  accumulated  air.”  Now  if  this  means  anything,  it  means 
that  air  taps  or  air  pipes  are  not  uecessiry  when  heatiag  is  carried  out 
by  means  of  hot  water,  yet  the  merest  novioe  knows  that  whea  air 
accumulates  at  any  point  the  water  at  once  fails  to  circulate  properly. 
This,  then,  shows  that  air  taps  are  of  vital  importance  in  insuring 
circulation,  instead  of  having  nothing  to  do  with  it. 
Why,  asks  “  Aqua,”  do  I  recommend  the  plan  of  dipping  pipes,  when 
I  know  how  often  they  have  failed  to  work  satisfactorily?  Simply 
becanse  I  have  at  last  found  in  Mr.  Marsh’s  plan  definite  conditions 
under  which  dipping  works  satisfactorily,  and  I  was  so  convinced  of  the 
advantages  of  the  system  that  I  made  a  sketch  of  the  arrangement, 
which  the  Editor  of  this  paper,  in  the  interest  of  readers,  reproduced, 
and  I  still  emphatically  assert  that  anyone  who  arranges  pipes  in 
accordance  with  the  plan  given  on  page  378,  will  find  the  circulation  is 
absolutely  perfect.  It  is  not,  I  think,  a  far  cry  from  “  Aqua’s  ”  anode 
to  the  familiar  town  of  Warwick,  and  the  only  way  in  which  he  can 
hope  to  strengthen  his  position  in  this  controversy  is  to  come  and 
discover  some  weak  point  in  the  arrangement.  He  will  then,  perhaps, 
be  able  to  pen  a  note  which  will  gain  adherents  far  more  rapidly  than 
by  predicting  that  the  plan  I  have  outlined  will  not  be  generally 
adopted,  or  by  asserting  that  water  will  never  circulate  freely  “  down 
one  pipe  and  up  another.” — H.  D. 
