Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1911-08-02
A BLOSSOM OF HIGH DEGREE.
The Evolution of Mere Wild Flower
Into a World Wide FaVorite.

/ From a mere wild flower there has
been grown in a single generation this
marvel of the foriculturlsts science.
/ Where once il was a little more than a
vegetable blossom. ii has grown and e.
| banded and diversified, until now IL
looms up, grand and gorgeous, in as
many eolors as Joseph's coat.
Besides its intrinsic beauty, it has
many advantages; 1t is cheap; it Is easily
| grown: and the more flowers you pluck
the more you have, because the vitality
of the plant is so great that II keeps put
ting forth crop after crop of buds, in
| the effort to reproduce itself that is one
of natures prime gifts. Again, it is not
only beautiful in itself but 1t is truly
decorative-it lends its attractiveness TO
| its surroundings. on dinner table, its
grace and color give touch that is
hardly added by any other flower.
With all these attributes, or whatever
else one is minded to call them, II is
perhaps natural that the sweet pea is to
inaugurate this spring new movement
in Horticulture in America. That is the
lone flower show" over in Europe such
shows are common, but in this country
they have scarcely been known, except
perhaps as an occasional exhibition or
chrysanthemums.
Also there is a romance, lowly though
it be, in this rise of the sweet pea 10
popularity in two continents. As We
know it today, il is the product of one
mans Ife-the creation of a Scotch gard
ener. who devoted the mature years OF
his career to making it thing of beau
~ and JOY forever"
Like. an unseen gem of ''purest ray Sc
rene" the sweet pea was for several
centuries a modest little flower whose
possibilities were unreeognized, unde-
yeloped. Not until Henry Eckford
brought the blossoms of his imagination
into real being did the general public
wax enthusiastic over the loneliness OF
| the flower.
As early as the nth century-or prob
ably many years before 1.-THE sweet pea
was grown in Italy At any rate. records
Italian monk, sent some of its seed TO
England
The British Isles took 10 il, and IN
show that in 1899 Francisco Cupani, an
creased its culture until up TO few
years ago, they became its leading grow
ers.
Then America blossomed forth with its
cultivation and now California alone ex-
ports large quantities of seed every year.
The climate of the Pacific coast is partic-
ularly we'll suited not only to its grow
ing, but its harvesting. There the crop
can be cut and threshed Immediately in
the open fields, while in Europe the stalks
must be stacked until the weather Is
favorable for threshing. For ms reason
California can furnish England seed at
least as cheap as that of the home grown
varieties
But why all this talk about the sweet
pea. you may ask. Well the interest In
the flower has become so intense that an
exhibition is to be held in Horticultural
Hall. Philadelphia, June % and "A. under
the direction of the ->attonal Sweet Pea
Society of America. This is to be given
at the urgent request of sweet-pea lovers
of all sections of the country, who are
anxious to show their particular types.
1t is novel; indeed, in this country. TO
have whole show for one flower. But
those interested say that the varieties
will be of so many different shapes, sizes
and shades that there viii be no danger
of monotony.
Moreover, the prospects are that TINS
exhibition will prove one of the most sue
eessful flower shows ever held in this
country. There are so many sweet pea
growers that it is believed that great
number of them will exhibit. For that
matter the sweet pea is known as the
poor mans flower as all that is needed
to produce the blossom is a trench. with
plenty of water. sunlight and air. An
other feature is that the oftener the gra-
grant blooms are picked the more pro-
ductive the plant will become.
Sweet-pea shows have been held in Lon
don for the last II years and have been
universally successful. They have also
been influential in producing new types,
for no show passes abroad without some
noticeable improvement in color or form.
And all this because Henry Eckford,
when he took charge of the gardens OF
DR. Sankey, and Sandywell, Gloucester
England. became interested IN the grow
ing of sweet peas. That was in 1879, and
until his death, five years ago, he never
ceased his efforts to perfect the beauu-
full blooms that he had brought into
being.
An honest Scotchman by birth, Eek
ford virtually devoted his life to popu-
larizing his fayorite flower in the Brush
Isles that gave him being. Successful be
yond his most ardent hopes he was be-
cause two continents took up the rad
and he lived to see his creations In we'll
nigh worldwide favor.
AS was Mendel the monk, who opened
the worlds eyes to the laws OF breeding
through his experiments with flowers
Eckford was solely devoted TO his task
| In his minds eye there came visions o.
wonderfully shaped and colored bios
SONS. and he rested not until he mad
! evolved them from the plain, modest Ut
tie sweet peas of the past. From blooms
| that were little more than wild flowers
| he produced many types that might wei
vie with the snowy roses In brilliancy OF
| hue and grace of form.
There was no tarnsh of greed or ava
rice on the work of Eckford He was a
plain man who worked for the love OF II.
He got no fortune for producing new and
wonderful types. He was gardener and
| IL was his business to make things grow.
He did his work and did 1t well. He
deemed it only right and proper that the