SWEET PEA NOTES.

New Zealand Graphic, Volume XLVIII, Issue 17, 23 October 1912, Page 38

SWEET PEA NOTES.

Messrs. Dickson and Sons, the raisers of King White, have decided not to send out seed until the autumn of 1913. Owing to the very severe weather and heavy rains all through August, the crops of all sweet peas in England will be very short. A blizzard, accompanied with heavy rain during the last week in August almost destroyed some of the sweet pea crops. Fortunately, the pods formed during July weathered the storm, but those formed later were destroyed. One grower says: “The wind and rain has destroyed most of my sweet peas, and thousands of unripened seed pods are lying on the ground. The ground is literally strewn with them.” It is reported that the Californian seed will also be short.

Mr. Andrew Ireland, writing to Mr. Walter P. Wright, says: “I think Deal’s Kathleen a topper.” Mr. Wright confirms this statement. Mr. Ireland also thinks highly of White King and Walter P. Wright. He believes that King White will beat Constance Hinton, tin* giant white which aroused so much interest at the trials. Mr. Arthur Hallam considers that one type of Constance Hinton is superior to King White. Scarlet Emperor and Rod Star are still considered the best «»f the scarlets. To get four sweet pea blooms on one stem is usually as much as the ordinary grower can manage. A gentleman in Lancaster sent sprays containing seven ami eight blooms. This was outdone by Mr. Oswald Lopfe. of Malton, who sent a photograph showing no less than nine blooms on a stem.