SWEET PEA NOTES.

New Zealand Graphic, Volume XVLI, Issue 13, 27 September 1911, Page 42

SWEET PEA NOTES.

Apart from the annual exhibition of the N.S.P.S.' the most important event in the sweet; pea'world is-the members’, out-' ing to/ilje'trials which are conducted by the National Society. Until) last year these trials were conducted at Reading, but ' with.v'the ■ departure, from-Reading College ,’of Air Charles Foster, the sweet pea trials were removed to Sutton Green, where they were under the care of Mr Foster. As is well known, Air Foster, after a short period at the “Times” Experimental Station, contracted a chill which terminated fatally, and the National Sweet Society not only had to face this disaster, but also had to deal with the numerous samples of sweet pea seed which had been sent for trial. Fortunately, Lord Northeliffe was only too willing to allow the trials to continue at his experimental grounds, and as the late Mr Foster's son, Mr Harry Foster, had previously assisted his father, the N.S.P.S. Committee felt that the trials could be safely conducted under his supervision, and preparations were made for the approaching seasoil as if nothing had hupps ned.

Th l fad that Lady Northeliffe was elected president for the year 1011 tended to increase the interest of Lord Mil Lady Northeliffe, and through their kindness the members were once again enabled to view the (rials, and partake of the hospitality that w is so freely offered them. Aieordiiuil v well over one hundred members journeyed to Wok-ing on July 13. where the partv was met by brakes which conveyed them to the trial grounds, some five miles distant.

It grieves me to state that the trial* of Wil wire the worst that I have ever visited, but this fact waa in -no way due

to anyone in authority. The terrible heat wave ami- the prolonged? drought had sorely tried the plairt’s, so. that at' the time of our visit there was not a. single sample that was in true form. Had at been possible to have visited them a week earlier, we might have seen something to revel in, but, as it happened, wesaw small, short-stemmed flowers, Jacking' in colour and substance, in many vases quite unrecognisable. (Many senders of the seed found great difficulty in picking out their own offspring. The plants themselves were, in most instances, remarkably good for the season, careful treatment having . induced the plants, to run well up the sticks, but nothing in the way of attention could prevent the burning sunshine from sapping the vitality from the plants, with the results already stated. In a. few’ instances the dreaded streak disease had left its mark, whilst the various bicolor and fancy varieties had run so badly that it was impossible to find. a. flower true to character. Pieotee kinds, like Elsie Herbert and Airs C. Breadmore, were either mottled or self-coloured, whilst bicolors, like Arthur Unwin, etc., were any colour but the right one, although when first in bloom the flowers were quite normal. From a novelty point of view it was quite impossible to pick out anything of likely merit, even the varieties that secured awards at the haiiils of the Floral Committee appearing wry mediocre, whilst others that had been exhibited in fine form were bey'ond recognition, either -because they were suh-s'eoi'ched,' or because they were sadly mixed.- It would appear that not all raisers have made a point of fixing their novelties before sending-them for trial, and not a few that have been shown as coming novelties for 11’12 were deplorably mixed, s .. ■ Most of .the seedlings under trial were meant to be SpeHeer-sior ivstved kinds, but one might have gathered quantities of plain flowers.’ 'Sdnie lots labelled as Improved Stocks .of standard varieties were worse than the .originals. A very large number.of the. trial.lots came under the heading of lavender and mauve, and we. may therefore expect an epidemde of tjiese shades - in . the. future.- Some of them will probably prove distinct and valuable, for not a few raisers appear to have worked on to the pink,ish-lilae tint. These are not likely to be’ of any value for garden decorations in very hot weather, as the metallic tinge fades.deplorably. ' .-...- The orange shades again were largely

represented, and unless something pre . vents it we may expect to see not a few varieties possessing the shade seen i a Karl Speneer, whilst the orange s,arlet shade as seen in Edna Unwin, Dazzler etc., is also likely to increase in quantity under various names. Just whether any of theih possess superiority remains to be seen. Suffice to say that one exhibitor at the National Show had a vase of Edna Unwin which for vivid colour was not surpassed by anything in class.

Incidentally it was remarked wonderfully bright all the orange varieties were at the show, whilst at the trials not even the muslin shades prevented loss of colour. It may be nientioned that among thess numerous orange-tinted sorts there are some, that merely bleach in the sun, whilst others go purple. The latter to my mind are things to avoid. Scarlet and crimson shades were strongly represented at the trials, and although Red Star has received an award, we may anticipate something better. Vermillion Brilliant appeared to he very similar, and I may mention that this variety received the first award as a novelty at the American Sweet Pea' Show which was held on June 29 last. Apart from this there was at the trials an unnamed scarlet that possessed greater vigour and bigger and blighter! flowers 'than Red Star, the shade approaching the true scarlet instead of crimson-scarlet, 'as is seen in the latter.

In the way of crimsons there was nothing to surpass Maud Holmes. The sample of The King stood as a warning against its purchase, for 'the flowers web; burnt black.

Several senders appear to have got hold of a similar break as I have been! nursing myself, viz., a Prince Edward of York Spencer, among them being Rosabelle and Emmie Tathaui.

In maroons we need not expect anything better than Nubian at present, although King Mannel is a darker (lower. In the way of pink shades there is not likely to be. any great advance just yet. The delicate salmon tints, like Flossy, Jeffery and Tris, are practically fixed, but they burn badly. In deep pink nothing of merit was apparent, whilst in tlid cream-pink section nothing fresh was observable. The blue shades show no advance, al-

though one blight seedling promised better things than any of its colour, of which Zephyr, Anglian Blue, and others are examples. The dark blue Spencers are not likely to be popular, for they show a great deal of purple. In the marbled class we may expect some great things, providing the public is inclined to take them. Minnie Orst is a true Spencer form of Helen Pierce, Bertie Usher is a Prince Olaf Spencer, and April may be described as a flaked Flora Norton Spencer. Bouquet is an exquisite cream, finely grained with bright rose, but this, together with a graywatered seedling are of the grandiflora type, and run rather small. May Malcolm, the pretty cream -with carmine marblings, will doubtless be popular. In true fancies, of which Sybil Eckford is a type, we may not expect anything now just yet, whilst the same may be said of the pieotees. Possibly an advance will be made with white, as one seedling under test was standing out rather prominently. A more deeply-tinted cream variety will doubtless materialise before long, but in bicolors we are not likely to get anything fresh just yet. This brief summary is all that can be said of the sweet pea trials, owing to their lack of character. —“The Peaman,” in “Amateur Gardening.- ’ It is stated by Mr. George Burt, foreman to Mr. W. J. Unwin, that when on a visit to California he saw a plant of Triumph growing 20 feet high. Mi| W, Pl. Wright, after visiting Messrs. Debbie’s seed grounds in Essex, supplies the following to “The Gardener”:—“Isobel Malcolm was very strong. It is a little paler than Clara Curtis, but exceptionally vigorous and very free blooming. Mrs. Cuthbertson is a white-winged bieoldr and very sweet. Mrs. Heslington, lilac standard and lavender wing, lias a. good stem. Debbie’s cream is a strong grower, and it throws a good proportion of double standards. Lavender Queen ( Debbie's) and Orchard (Malcolm), lilac, are to go out in 11H3 Tlie latter is near Mauve Queen. One who attended the sweet pea trials states that the New’ Zealand-raised Maori Belle was one of the most unfixed varieties shown. Of 25 seetls or thereabouts tlie.re were many distinct varieties or colours. The writer says: ‘ When we hear so much talk about the unfixed stocks that are being sent from England and America - , it is unfortunate that the first one that wt welcome from New Zealand should prove so disastrous.”