30 
JOURNAL  OF  HORTICULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 
January  10,  1901. 
Crowea  saligna  major. 
Croweas,  “  W.  Raby,”  are  by  no  means  new  plants,  they  having 
been  introduced  to  this  country  upwards  of  a  century  ago.  Afewyears 
back  most  good  collections  of  hard  wooded  plants  contained  one  or 
more  specimens,  but  such  is  not  the  case  at  present,  it  being  the 
exception  rather  than  the  rule  to  see  them.  This  is  very  unfortunate, 
as  they  are  most  useful  and  of  the  greatest  floriferousness,  blooms  being 
seen  at  almost  all  times  of  the  year.  One  of  the  finest  varieties  is 
C.  saligna  major.  It  is  a  form  of  C.  saligna,  which  is  a  very  useful, 
free-flowering  and  strong-growing  plant ;  but  the  individual  flowers 
are  not  so  large  as  the  variety  named 
above.  Another  form,  also  with  large 
flowers,  is  named  stricta  ;  but  the  colour 
is  much  lighter,  being  a  pale  delicate 
pink,  while  in  C.  saligna  major  it 
is  a  rich  deep  rose.  The  temperature 
of  an  ordinary  greenhouse  suits  the 
roweas  very  well,  and  they  are  easily 
grown  plants,  succeeding  in  any  fertile 
soil  in  well-drained  pots. 
- - 
Notes  on  Peas. 
To  maintain  a  constant  supply  oi 
this  most  popular  vegetable  requires 
considerable  judgment  on  the  part  oi 
a  gardener,  particularly  as  it  is  seriously 
affected  by  the  caprices  of  climate. 
This  season  we  have  bad  striking  proof 
of  this.  The  protracted  drought  and 
great  heat  of  summer  had  much  in¬ 
fluence  over  the  crop,  inasmuch  as  it 
caused  premature  ripening  of  the  straw 
of  early  Peas  and  brought  the  mid- 
season  and  late  varieties  on  so  quickly 
that  in  some  cases  they  were  all  in  at 
once,  and  the  whole  season  only  lasted 
a  few  weeks.  To  avert  this  as  far  as 
possible  judgment  is  necessary  in  the 
proper  preparation  of  the  soil,  succes¬ 
sive  periods  of  sowing,  and  the  choosing 
of  the  best  varieties. 
The  Peas  mo<t  suitable  for  the  dinner 
table  are  the  beat  for  exhibition,  and 
they  should  be  shown  just  when  they 
are  in  the  proper  condition  for  cooking. 
A  variety  that  is  heavy  cropping,  pro¬ 
duces  large  well  filled  pods  of  good- 
flavoured  peas,  is  the  best  to  grow  for 
supplying  the  kitchen,  and  as  a  Pea 
of  this  character  fills  alt  the  require¬ 
ments  of  the  exhibitor  there  is  no  need 
to  make  any  discrimination  between 
The  treatment  that  gives  the  best  returns  to  the  cultivator  also 
results  in  the  finest  pods  for  show,  so  that  in  following  out  the 
most  accurate  details  of  culture,  with  soil  and  climate  suitable,  the 
advantages  are  mutual. 
Frequent  opportunities  occur  every  season  of  marking  the 
difference  in  crops  of  Peas.  In  some  gardens  the  cropping 
period  was  infinitely  short,  but  in  another  garden  under  exactly 
the  same  conditions  of  soil  and  weather,  the  crop  was  considerably 
heavier  and  lasted  longer.  The  latter  state  of  affairs  may  be  traced 
to  deep  cultivation,  for  no  vegetable  pays  better  for  deep  and  thorough 
working  of  the  soil. 
An  excellent  way  of  preparing  Pea  ground  is  to  dig  out  trenches 
to  a  depth  of  a  couple  of  feet  and  two  spades  wide.  Place 
a  layer  of  manure  in  the  bottom,  and  fill  up  with  alternate 
layers  of  soil  and  manure,  adding  a  little  loam  from  a  pasture 
it  obtainable.  Several  trenches  may  be  prepared  in  this  way 
during  the  early  mouths  of  the  year,  and  the  sowings  take  place  in 
succession. 
The  ambition  of  everyone  who  has  a  kitchen  to  supply  is  to  get 
Peas  as  early  as  possible  in  the  season,  and  keep  this  up  as  long  as 
is  practical.  Artificial  forcing  of  this  vegetable  has  not  taken  the 
attention  of  gardeners  to  any  extent,  but  whether  this  will  be  so  in 
the  future  is  an  open  question.  Au  old  and  common  mode  of  forcing 
is  that  of  sowing  Peas  at  the  end  of  January  or  early  in  February 
in  pots  or  turves,  cut  into  small  squares,  and  placing  them  in  a 
heated  pit  or  hotbed  frame.  They  must  be  kept  close  to  the 
glass  or  they  will  become  drawn  and  weakly,  and  after  being 
gradually  hardened  they  should  be  planted  in  the  permanent  quarters 
in  April,  by  which  means  Peas  may  often  be  gathered  a  week  or 
so  earlier  than  if  sown  in  the  open  ground.  In  some  favourable 
districts  a  little  time  is  gained  by 
sowing  in  November,  but  the  risks 
are  too  great  to  be  generally  recom¬ 
mended. 
A  south  border  having  the  shelter 
of  a  wall  is  the  place  for  early 
Peas,  the  sowing  of  which  may  take 
place  during  favourable  weather  in 
January,  having  previously  made  the 
soil  friable  by  thorough  working  and 
free  use  of  well-decayed  manure.  It  is 
an  open  question  which  is  the  better  to 
sow  for  the  first  crop — an  early  dwarf 
variety  like  Chelsea  Gem  or  English 
Wonder,  or  a  taller  grower  such  as 
William  I.  The  last  named  is  one  of 
the  best  known  Peas  for  early  use,  and 
has  no  superior;  but  if  the  border  be 
a  narrow  one  a  dwarf  grower  will  be 
more  profitable,  as  the  rows  may  be 
2  feet  apart,  and  if  run  parallel  in  a 
slanting  direction,  at  an  angle  of  about 
60°,  a  longer  length  of  row  is  obtained. 
Where  mice  are  troublesome  it  is  a  good 
plan  prior  to  sowing  to  wet  the  Peas 
and  roll  them  in  dry  red  lead.  When 
the  Peas  appear  they  must  be  carefully 
watched  and  dusted  with  soot  to  pre¬ 
vent  slugs,  and  also  guarded  against 
birds.  As  soon  as  they  are  a  few 
inches  above  ground  it  is  an  excellent 
practice  to  draw  up  the  earth  to  the 
row  on  each  side,  as  this  forms  an 
excellent  means  of  protection.  In 
addition  to  those  named,  Daisy,  Ameri¬ 
can  Wonder,  and  William  Hurst  a'e 
useful  varieties. 
For  succession  there  must  be  sow¬ 
ings  at  intervals,  and  if  William  I. 
and  Ringleider  are  sown  about  the 
same  time  as  the  dwarf  varieties 
mentioned  the  whole  will  provide  a 
good  early  supply.  Other  sowings  of 
early  and  midseason  varieties  should 
be  made  in  March,  including  Strata¬ 
gem,  Yeitch’s  Perfection,  and  Sharpe’s 
Queen.  Some  growers  raise  objections 
to  the  tall  growing  later  sorts,  but 
they  are  so  prolific  they  cannot  be 
dispensed  with.  Telephone,  Ne  Plus 
major.  Ultra,  and  Duke  of  Albrny  form  a 
capital  trio,  though  it  must  1  e 
remembered  that  to  obtain  the  best  pods,  fit  either  for  exhibition 
or  table,  abundance  of  room  must  be  given  between  both  rows  and 
plants,  and  stout  stakes  provided,  otherwise  they  become  top-heavy. 
Attacks  of  mildew  among  Peas  during  the  past  season  have  been  very 
common,  in  most  cases  the  result  of  drought. 
As  a  preventive  deep  cultivation  to  begin  with  and  afterwards 
soakings  of  water  or  liquid  manure  are  recommended,  but  after 
water  has  been  given  the  rows  should  be  mulched  with  strawy 
manure,  litter,  or  short  grass  from  the  lawn,  so  as  to  conserve  the 
moisture.  Sulphide  of  potassium  at  the  rate  of  half  an  ounce 
to  a  gallon  of  water,  sprayed  on  affected  parts,  will  destroy  the 
mildew,  but  when  once  Peas  are  badly  attacked  they  rarely  recover 
fully. 
Large  nods  for  show  are  sometimes  obtained  by  stopping  the 
growth  of  the  plant  after  the  pods  are  formed,  and  then  feeding  with 
liquid  or  chemical  manure ;  but  if  plain  practical  methods  of  culture 
are  adopted  pods  quite  capable  of  winning  a  first  prize  may  be  picked 
from  the  row  that  is  supplying  the  kitchen. — G.  J. 
the  two.  Crowea  saljgna 
Some  vegetables  are  subject  to 
special  treatment  at  the  hands  of  exhibitors  in  order  to  get  extra¬ 
ordinary  specimens  for  the  show  table,  but  with  Peas  it  is  not  so. 
