358 
JOURNAL  OF  HORTICULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER, 
October  18,  1900. 
An  Hour  at  Wem. 
All  wood  horticulturists  who  find  their  way  to  Shrewsbury,  either 
when  the  town  is  en  fUe  for  the  show,  or  when  it  is  living  its 
customary  sleepy  life,  make  a  point  of  running  out  to  Wem,  even  if  it 
be  for  one  hour  only.  Such  was  the  posiiion  of  the  writer  when  in 
Salop  a  few  weeks  back.  Sweet  Peas  were  still  hot  on  his  mind,  and 
he  felt  it  a  duty  to  visit  the  birthplace  of  some  of  the  finest  varieties 
in  cultivation,  and  have  a  chat  with  the  doyen  of  Sweet  Pea  raisers — 
Mr.  Henry  Eckford.  There  had  always  been  a  lingering  impression 
in  my  mind  that  Sweet  Peas,  Wern,  and  Eckford  being  essentially 
synonymous  terms,  there  could  not  possibly  be  anything  else  grown 
there  :  but  of  this  fallacy  I  was  soon  disabused.  There  were  flowers  of 
many  kinds,  not  to  speak  of  a  few  acres  of  culinary  Peas  growing  for 
seeds,  and  all  of  them  came  in  for  at  least  a  cursory  glance  under  the 
guidance  of  Mr.  Henry  Eckford,  who  will  wear"  the  mantle  of  an 
illustrious  father  when  the  inevitable  time  is  come  in  a  thoroughly 
worthy  manner. 
Sweet  Peas. 
The  nurseries  are  conveniently  situated  about  five  or  six  minutes’ 
walk  from  the  st  ition,  and  be  ore  they  are  reached  the  atmosphere 
becomes  laden  with  the  perfume  of  the  Sweet  Pea;  it  is  a  pleasant 
augury  of  what  may  be  seen  at  blossoming  time.  The  visitor  may 
look  for  the  best  amid  the  serried  lines  of  the  named  varieties,  but 
whether  he  will  tind  it  is  extremely  doubtful.  Practically  the  whole 
of  them  are  excellent,  and  each  one  is  for  the  moment  the  essence  of 
everything  that  is  sought  for  in  the  Sweet  Pea;  such  as  these, 
however,  occur  again  and  again  until  the  mind  becomes  bewildered 
amid  tne  plethora  of  beauty,  and  the  task  of  seeking  the  best  where  all 
are  perfect  is  discarded  entirely.  Tnere,  too,  are  the  rows  of  unnamed 
seedlings — here  a  superb  cri  n son-scarlet,  yonder  a  glorious  soft  rose 
and  white  Apple  blussom-like  flower  that  must  rank  with  the  elite. 
No,  the  sensible  man  will  see  and  aimire,  and  instead  of  looking  for 
the  pearl  of  pearls,  will  bring  forth  his  note-book  and  write  name  after 
name,  in  the  certain  knowledge  that  amongst  them  he  will  have 
flowers  which  will  all  be  diamonds,  and  every  one  of  them  pearls, 
according  to  the  varied  tastes  of  the  inspectors  of  his  floral  treasures. 
Briefly  speaking,  none  but  the  most  experienced  would  ever  believe 
that  there  was  such  a  number  of  excellent  Sweet  Peas  gathered 
together  in  one  nursery,  and  of  which  a  large  proportion  of  the  very 
choicest  varieties  had  been  raised  or  introduced  by  the  owner  of  the 
ground  upon  which  they  were  growing.  Go  towards  the  end  of 
summer  in  such  a  season  as  the  present,  and  it  will  be  immediately 
seen  for  what  purpose  the  plants  are  growh.  Seeds  are  the  sole  object 
in  view,  and  the  plants  as  a  consequence  take  on  the  “  sere  and 
yellow”  long  ere  those  in  private  gardens  should  do.  Direct  the 
energies  of  the  plant  towards  the  perpetuation  of  its  species  in  the 
development  and  perfection  of  seeds,  and  the  production  of  flowers 
becomes  at  once  a  purely  secondary  consideration  ;  this  is  the  state  of 
affairs  at  Wem.  Seeds  by  the  busbel  must  be  secured  for  the  tulhlment 
of  the  many  orders,  and  the  seed  pods  are  encouraged  to  form  and  the 
plants  to  mature  them,  and  hence  flowers  become  scarcer  and  scarcer 
until  an  occasional  bloom  is  all  that  greets  the  eyes  and  gladdens  the 
senses  by  a  delicious  fragrance.  Seed  production  may  be  and 
undoubtedly  is  the  sum  and  substance  of  the  plant’s  life,  but  it  is  not 
an  indiscriminate  lunction  common  to  every  plant  on  the  ground.  By 
no  means ;  on  the  contrary,  every  row  is  subjected  to  the  minutest 
scrutiny,  and  when  a  plant  is  found  whose  flowers  show  the  smallest 
signs  of  deterioration,  it  is  instantly  removed.  To  this  “roguing” 
must  be  ascribed  the  purity  and  quality  of  the  Eckford  strains. 
A  Note  on  Cultivation. 
In  one  respect  the  method  of  procedure  adopted  at  Wem  is  similar 
to  that  in  vogue  in  the  best  gardens  where  Sweet  Peas  are 
cherished.  This  is  in  the  preparation  of  the  land  particularly,  and 
subsequently  in  the  careful  staking  and  the  mulching  of  the  surface 
with  strawy  litter  to  conserve  the  soil’s  moisture  for  the  benefit  of 
the  plants.  If  the  plants  are  to  treat  the  grower  well  he  must  first 
deal  generously  by  them.  Afterwards  the  treatment  differs,  for  the 
grower  for  home  use  looks  for  a  multitude  of  flowers,  and  to  this  end 
gathers  them  as  fast  as  they  develop,  his  object  being  to  prevent  seed 
formation.  In  the  case  of  the  Eckfords  of  Wem,  we  find  the  exact 
opposite,  for,  as  has  been  said,  seeds  are  the  chief  requirements.  I  dare 
not  venture  to  enumerate  varieties,  but  shall  leave  their  selection  to 
the  individual  tastes  of  my  readers. 
Culinary  Peas. 
The  prominence  of  the  Sweet  Pea  at  Wem  is  only  equalled  by 
that  of  the  culinary  Pea,  and  the  utilitarian  will  find  himself 
irresistibly  attracted  towards  some  of  the  firm’s  specialties.  From 
what  could  be  gathered  in  a  brief  tramp  amidst  the  plants  du-ring  a 
thunderstorm  with  heavy  rain,  medium  height,  hardness  of  leafage, 
and  Ireedom  of  cropping  are  apparently  the  principal  objects.  They 
generally  ranged  in  height  from  2^  feet  to  4  feet,  and  had  substantial 
stems  producing  very  fine  foliage ;  a  characteristic  of  the  pods  was 
their  size  and  the  squareness  of  the  blunt  ends  allowing  space  for  an 
extra  pea  over  those  that  terminate  sharply.  Eck ford’s  culinary  Peas 
are  known  by  some  cultivators  as  well  as  his  Sweet  Peas,  and  are 
appreciated  quite  as  much,  though  their  merits  are  regarded  from  very 
different  standpoints.  There  can  be  no  doubt,  however,  that  they 
deserve  a  wi  ier  recognition  as  well  from  the  small  as  from  the  large 
grower,  for  with  their  good  properties  of  growth  and  production  they 
possess  that  most  essential  point  of  all  in  culinary  Peas,  and  that  is 
excellence  of  flavour  when  cooked. 
Verbenas  and  a  Pansy. 
Verbenas  at  Wem  differ  very  materially  from  the  Verbenas  grown 
by  the  majority  of  people,  for  the  centre  of  the  plant  forms  a  veritable 
cushion,  whence  radiate  in  all  directions  flower-producing  shoots  that 
completely  cover  the  ground.  The  healthy  plants  producing  richly 
hued  flowers  in  such  abundance  make  a  brilliant  display,  and  if 
everyone  could  insure  similar  results  the  renaissance  of  the  Verbena, 
which  was  written  of  in  the  Journal  some  months  back,  would  quickly 
become  an  actual  fact.  One  other  good  thing  and  we  must  close  our 
notes.  This  is  a  bedding  Pansy  named  Lady  Constance  Bouverie. 
It  is  of  very  dwarf  and  compact  habit,  and  produces  very  large  flowers 
of  varying  eludes  of  varnished  brown  in  extraordinary  quantities. 
Add  to  its  size,  floriferousness,  and  lovely  colour  the  delightful 
perfume  of  the  Violet,  and  you  have  the  sum  total  of  the  merits 
of  Pansy  Lady  Constance  Bouverie. — H.  W. 
- %  t - 
Royal  Horticultural  Society. 
Scientific  Committee. 
The  following  matters  havebaen  received  and  dealtwith  duringthe recess. 
Asparagus  diseased. — Specimens  badly  diseased  were  received  from 
Mr.  G.  Croft  Harris,  IJpton-on-Severn,  and  submitted  to  Dr.  W.  G. 
Smith,  who  reports  as  follows  : — 
“  The  plant  of  Asparagus  received  is  badly  attacked  by  the  Asparagus 
rust  fungus  (Pucoinia  asparagi  D.G.).  The  stems  are  studded  with 
dark  spots,  oval  in  shape,  and  some  as  long  as  one-eighth  of  an  inch. 
Examination  showed  the  characteristic  two-celled  teleutospores  or 
winter-resting  spores,  with  a  thick  dark  brown  coat ;  the  spots  seen  on 
the  stem  are  compact  patches  of  these  spores.  The  fungus  filaments 
live  inside  the  tissues  of  the  Asparagus  plant.  The  life  history  of  this 
Pucoinia  agrees  closely  with  that  of  Mint  rust  (Pucoinia  menthao). 
The  young  shoots  of  Asparagus  in  early  summer  bear  tiny  cups,  from 
which  a  form  of  spore  (seoidiospore)  is  given  off;  later  in  the  season 
brown  spots  on  the  plant  give  off  a  second  form  of  spore  (uredospore)  ; 
in  late  summer  or  autumn  appear  the  dark  brown  patches  of  teleuto¬ 
spores,  as  in  the  plant  sent.  In  considering  remedy  it  is  important  to 
bear  in  mind  that  these  teleutospores  rest  through  the  winter,  and  next 
season  infect  young  plants.  Operations  must  therefore  be  directed 
towards  gathering  and  burning  all  the  old  stems  as  soon  as  possible, 
and  before  the  spores  have  time  to  be  scattered  about.  At  the  same 
time  all  weeds  or  other  matter  likely  to  harbour  the  spores  during 
winter  may  be  gathered  and  burned.  Quicklime  might  also  profitably 
be  dug  into  the  upper  soil  in  as  large  a  quantity  as  may  be  considered 
safe  for  the  crop ;  and  while  the  plants  are  dormant,  spraying  with 
diluted  Bordeaux  mixture  has  been  fairly  successful  as  a  check  to  the 
rust,  but  the  delicate  nature  of  Asparagus  foliage  makes  this  risky,  and 
further  experiments  are  required.” 
Asters  diseased. — Examples  were  sent  by  Mrs.  E.  Daw  of  Nymett 
House,  Nymett  Rowland,  Lapford,  N.  Devon,  observing  that  “  the 
whole  bed  looked  in  splendid  condition,  but  one  after  another  nearly 
every  plant  went  off,  and  in  only  a  very  few  hours  seemed  quite 
withered  and  dead.  Another  garden  in  this  neighbourhood,  has 
suffered  in  the  same  way,*and  Freuch  Marigolds  have  also  been  similarly 
attacked.”  They  appeared  to  be  attacked  by  a  worm  described  by  Mr. 
Hilderic  Friend  (“  Gardeners’  Chronicle,”  August  14th,  1897). 
Willoivs  attached  by  aphis.—Rev.  H.  C.  Brewster  of  South  Kelsey, 
Lincoln,  sent  specimens  of  Willow  shoots  infested  with  aphis.  He 
observes  that  the  Willow  trees  swarm  with  wasps.  Mr.  McLachlan 
reports  that  the  insects  on  the  Willows  were  a  large  species  of  aphid 
known  as  Lachnus  viminalis.  They  secrete  quantities  of  “  sugar,” 
which  attracts  innumerable  wasps.  It  has  actually  been  suggested  in 
former  times  that  this  “sugar”  might  be  utilised  when  the  real 
article  is  scarce. 
Oah  leaf  with  spangles. —  Some  leaves,  extraordinarily  and  thickly 
covered  with  spangles,  were  sent  by  Mr.  Winkworth  of  Haughton  Hall, 
Tarporley.  Mr.  McLachlan  observes  that  nothing  can  be  done,  but 
tomtits  devour  them.  They  are  not  likely  to  cause  any  permanent 
injury.  Pheasants  are  said  to  be  fond  of  them. 
Cystopteris  bulhiferum. — Specimens  of  the  curious  bud-like  structures 
from  the  tips  of  the  fronds  of  this  Fern  were  sent  by  Mrs.  W.  Floyer 
of  4,  Richmond  Road,  Basingstoke.  They  consist  of  two  or  three 
unequal  sized  thick  and  fieshy  scales ;  the  cells  are  green,  but  contain 
immense  quantities  of  starch. 
