THE IMPROVEMENT OF SWEET PEAS.

New Zealand Graphic, Volume XLVII, Issue 13, 27 March 1912, Page 40

THE IMPROVEMENT OF SWEET PEAS.

Tin* publication of the sixth edition of Sydenham's “All About Sweet Peas’ removes one of the greatest difficulties from the path of the perplexed Sweet Pea grower. In it the policy has been adopted of grouping together all those varieties which, in the opinion of the author, are too milch alike. With such a li-t before one. selections of varieties can be made with confidence, knowing that there is no longer the possibility of growing the same sort under two or more dilfercnt names. It is surelv a good omen that this has been published in the same year in which its author becomes president of the National Peal Society. Many of us will hope that the extended opportunities the society's trials oiler will lead him to continue this work and help still further to stem the endless flood of quasi-novelties. Even to those who grow on a large scale. Sydenham’s list may prove something of a revelation. To mention a few colours only: Etta Dyke heads a group of no fewer than twenty-two waved white varieties-. Mrs. (’has Foster, of twenty-six waved lavender; Black Knight Spencer of twenty-one waved maroon: while Clara Curtis already has sixteen waved cream counterparts. It is hard to believe that even the raisers found differences enough in the •’novelties’’ they marketed to war-

rant quite so many in each of these sections. Yet the process of distributing these too-much-alike •‘novelties” will go gaily on this season. The National Sweet Pea Society's trials contained some 250 of them, and with the best will in the world the judges could only find seven worthy of any award. Small ns the proportion

seems, many are. nevertheless, of the opinion that more than one of these favoured sorts is but an old friend under a new name. Such a state of affairs would make one pessimistic as to the possibilities of further improvement. had not one seen here and there a few outstanding varieties. We must, however, look forward to a slower rate of progress in the immediate future, for the waved standard has now been obtained in conjunction with every colour known in Sweet Peas Ix-fore its advent. Further, we can hardly expect much in the wav of distinct colour

“breaks,” for there can be little doubt that the professional and amateur hybridisers have crossed all known colour shades together repeatedly. The fact was impressed on me some three seasons ago, wi. °n no fewer than 180 crosses showing distinct colour combinations failed to produce a solitary shade that could fairly be called new.