February  16,  1899. 
JOURN^AL  OF  HORTICULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER, 
129 
are  *cen  in  varying  stagca  of  excellence,  and  they  meet  with  general 
admiration.  That  they  are  valuable,  nay  indispensable,  in  the  winter  is 
recognised,  and  it  is  only  natural  their  widespread  popularity  should  ever 
increase.  Needless  to  say  Messrs.  Sutton  &  Sons  have  exerted  themselves 
to  enhance  the  beau^  of  this  as  well  as  the  single  section,  and  with 
unqualified  success.  The  flowers  of  their  strains  have  size  without  coarse¬ 
ness,  richness  of  colour  with  refinement,  and  a  constitutional  strength 
that  practically  insures  success  in  growing  them.  The  colours  represented 
are  scarlet,  pink,  blue,  crimson,  white,  and  carnation  flaked.  Each  has 
its  admirers,  and  there  are  many  persons,  who  like  the  writer,  swear 
allegiance  to  the  whole  of  them.  One  of  the  varieties  of  the  future  is 
a  double  prototype  of  Crimson  King,  if  it  maintain  tho  promise  now 
manifested  wh’ch,  must  prove  of  the  greatest  excellence.  But  time  alone 
can  settle  the  point,  and  it  is  one  of  the  many  Primulas  at  Reading 
towards  which  many  ejes  are  turned  in  pleasurable  anticipation. 
To  go  to  Reading 
in  January  to  formulate 
notes  of  the  Primulas 
and  iteglect  the  Cycla¬ 
mens  in  toto  would  be 
an  unpardonable  omis¬ 
sion,  lor  they  are  no 
whit  less  interesting, 
beautiful  or  excellent. 
The  thousandsof  plants 
form  an  object  lesson 
in  Cyclamen  culture 
that  might  be  ad¬ 
vantageously  studied 
by  many  growers, 
though  it  does  not 
follow  that  they  would 
afterwards  be  qualified 
to  attain  to  such  re¬ 
sults.  The  plants  are 
almost  wholly  quite 
young,  and  are  flower¬ 
ing  in  5-inch  pots. 
From  the  corms  of  all 
of  them  rise  stout  foot¬ 
stalks,  carrying  thick, 
handsomely  marbled 
leaves,  and  from  150 
to  200  flowers,  a  few 
plants  having  a  diame¬ 
ter  of  upwards  of  2C  in. 
From  these  figures  the 
practical  reader  can 
imagine  what  a  picture 
was  displayed  tor  tho 
visitor’s  admiring  gaze. 
Not  a  single  stake  for 
the  support  of  flowers 
or  leaves  was  discer. 
nible,  simply  because 
artificial  support  is  not 
requisite  where  the 
inherent  strength  of  the 
plant  was  surticient. 
Obviously  excellence  of 
cultuie  has  great  effect 
on  the  results  achieved, 
and  everyone  must  ad¬ 
mit  that  as  a  cultivator 
as  well  as  a  hybridist 
Mr.  James  Martin  is  a 
man  among  men. 
desired.  Vulcan,  too,  with  its  intense  dark  crimson  flowers  is  a  planb 
that  ought  to  be  found  in  bloom  in  every  garden  in  January,  and  as  much, 
before  and  after  that  time  as  the  skill  of  the  cultivator  will  allow.  White- 
Buttirly  is  exquisitely  beautiful,  as  are  scores  of  others  to  which 
variei  al  names  have  not  been  attached.  But  late  though  it  may  now  be,, 
let  all  who  can  go  at  once  to  Reading  to  see  and  to  admire,  and  to 
menta’ly.  at  any  rate,  corioborate  all  that  has  been  said  in  the  preceding 
notes. — H.  W. 
With  these  as  with 
Primulas  there  are  two 
clearly  defined  sections 
— namely,  C.  persicum 
and  C.  p.  grandidorum. 
Both  classes  are 
worthy  of  a  place  in 
every  establishment,  but  individual  taste  must  decide  which  shall  be  the 
more  extensively  grown.  The  large  leaves  and  bold  upstanding  flowers 
of  the  latter  must  command  admiration  from  all.  There  is  not  in  the 
leafage  that  beautifnl  marbling  that  is  characteristic  of  the  persicum 
section,  and  for  which  alone  the  plant  might  advantageously  be  grown. 
Then  the  smaller  flowers  are  more  freely  produced,  and  are  perhaps  of  a 
more  refined  type.  Be  this  as  it  may,  the  forms  of  grandiflorum  known 
respectively  as  White,  Cherry  Red,  Crimson,  and  Crimson  and  White  are 
magnificent,  and  will  only  be  equalled  in  the  estimation  of  some  observers 
by  Pink,  Rose,  and  Purple.  It  resolves  itself  into  a  mutter  of  individual 
tastc-s,  and  very  fortunately  everyone  does  not  think  alike. 
Fig.  27. — PEiMUL.'i.  Sutton’s  Giant  White. 
In  the  persicum  section  there  are  two  which  stand  far  above  the 
others  from  our  point  of  view,  and  they  are  Salmon  Rose  and  Vulcan. 
Of  the  former  we  should  huuestly  say  that  it  is  the  best  Cyclamen  in 
cultivation,  for  its  qualities  are  such  that  there  remains  nothing  to  be 
NOTES  ON  PEAS. 
Bo.xes  versus  PoTS  FOE  Eaely  Sowing. 
Peehaps  another  method  of  raising  Peas  under  glass  adopted  by  tne 
writer  may  prove  interesting,  in  addition  to  those  given  on  page  89,  It 
consists  of  the  use  of  a. 
primitive  type  of  flower 
pot,  used  largely  in 
some  establishments- 
in  the  north  and  mid¬ 
land  counties,  and 
known  as  “  collars.” 
These  are  made  very 
'  cheaply  by  brick  and 
tile  manufacturers,  and 
are  formed  by  cutting 
an  ordinary  3-inch  clay 
drain  pipe  into  threo 
portions  prior  to  bak¬ 
ing. 
The  collar  is  placed 
perpendicularly  on  a 
firm  bench,  and  a 
square  of  .turf  rammed 
lightly  into  it  to  make 
a  bottom.  A  round 
niece  of  wood  a  little 
smaller  than  the  in¬ 
terior  of  the  pipe  is 
used  for  this  purpose,, 
and  after  placing  a  thin 
layer  of  soil  over  the 
turf,  a  few  peas  aie 
sown,  and  these,  again, 
are  covered  with  soil. 
The  pipes  are  them 
placed  close  together 
on  a  moist  foundation 
in  a  cold  house  or 
frame  until  the  peas, 
germinate  and  the 
hardeningprocess  com¬ 
mences.-  The  roots  by 
planting  lime  have  not 
only  taken  possession 
of  the  soil,  but  have 
also  penetrated  the  turf 
bottom,  and  in  order 
to  remove  the  plants 
without  undue  injury 
a  round  piece  of  wood 
is  again  brought  into 
use  large  enough  in 
circumference  for  the 
pipe  to  slip  over  it. 
Then  by  taking  the 
latter  in  both  hands,, 
and  fixing  the  ejector 
in  a  perpendicular 
position,  the  plants 
may  be  pushed  out  of 
the  collars  with  a  liltlo 
pressure,  and  without 
damage.  The  Ft  as  are 
then  planted  closely 
together  in  the  row.-, 
and  after  results  have  proved  this  to  be  an  economical  and  convenient 
way  of  treating  the  earliest  sowings  of  these  vegetables  made  under 
gla>s.  These  substitutes  for  flower  pots  are  also  used  largely'  for 
bedding  plants  in  the  jpring,  raising  Sweet  Teas  and  other  annuals,  as 
well  as  early'  sown  Greens  and  Onions. — H. 
Foe  years  I  have  adopted  the  plan  of  raising  Peas  under  glass  to 
enable  us  to  gather  pods  earlier  than  was  possible  when  sowing  in  the 
open.  I  have  long  since  come  to  the  conclusion  that  3-inch  pots  are  the 
best  receptacles  for  sowing.  To  obtain  an  early  crop  of  such  varieties  as 
Duke  of  Albany  or  Duchess  for  a  show  in  July  it  is  almost  impossible  to 
Obtain  them  by  ordinary  sowing  in  the  open.  •  •  v 
Much  valuable  time  is  then  gained  by  sowing  five  seeds  in  a  3-incb 
pot  in  a  cool  vinery  or  Peach  house,  and  better  results  will  accrue  it  the 
plants,  without  disturbing  them  separately,  are  shifted  into  5J-incb  pots  in 
tolerably  rich  soil.  Place  a  few  twigyy  stakes  around  the  side  of  the  pot. 
