NONE of the old-fashioned flowers, as it is the new fashion to call them, can fairly stand before the half-dozen sorts of everlasting peas that may be met with in gardens where fashion is unknown and beauty is pre-eminent. When they have held their ground a few years, and have made great bosses of rampant growth, crowned and crowded with flowers, they are altogether glorious. They are a little too riotous in temper, too exuberant in spreading themselves about, for the very trim garden where straight lines prevail and the knife and shears are kept constantly at work; and yet it must need a curious frame of mind in any one who, having seen a clump of everlasting peas in flower, should after that desire to limit their growth or put them out of the garden altogether.

The rambling botanist who cares not for garden flowers will scarcely turn aside from these, for they will remind him of some of the glorious wildings of the pea tribe he has met with in his wanderings, such as Vicia cracca and Lathyrus sylvestris, which are apt to throw their arms about as if the hedgerows belonged to them, and boundaries and rights had never been heard of in the land. And it is worthy of remark that these splendid wildings may be easily introduced into the garden by simply gathering the ripe seeds (of which the plants produce plenty), and sowing them where they are to remain, taking care, however, to give them a reasonable chance of struggling up into the light in positions similar to those they find for themselves in their vast domain of no-man's-land. As a rule, a sandy soil suits them best, as may be known by their frequency in sandy districts; but they like good living, and starving land will not produce many vetches, whether wild or cultivated. In like manner all our cultivated species of lathyrus, orobus, and astragalus do best on a deep sandy loam. But they are not very particular, provided they have a good soil of some sort, and are left alone for a few years to become well established in it. Indeed, nine-tenths of the best of our hardy flowers only ask to be left alone to find delight in doing their duty. If they are transplanted about from place to place-as it is the way of beginners to treat all their plants-they take the sulks and refuse to flower, or they take themselves off, and so teach a lasting though disagreeable lesson.

The round-leaved pea (Lathyrus rotundifolius) grows to a height of about two feet, and flowers in August. The flowers are produced in long loose clusters of a bright rosy purple colour. It is a native of the Caucasus, and thoroughly hardy. Its low growth precludes its employment to cover arbours and trellises; but it is a good rockery plant, and may with advantage be planted where it can run amongst low shrubs, and find a little support for its delicate stems.

The broad-leaved pea (L. latifolius) is no doubt a variety of our woodland pea (L. sylvestris). It will run to a height of six to eight feet, and flowers somewhat early in the summer, the flowers being of a rich rose colour. It has been found growing wild in several districts far removed from each other; but has always been regarded as an escape from gardens rather than as an indigenous plant.

The white everlasting pea is a variety of the last-named. Its distinguishing characteristic is seen in its pure white flowers, which blossom in prodigal profusion; for the plant produces but few seeds, and thus reserves its energy for display. While other kinds of everlasting peas are easily multiplied by sowing seeds, this must be increased by division of the roots or by striking cuttings. Happily, there is no difficulty in either practice. The proper time to strike cuttings is when the new growth is rising in the spring, when the young shoots, being planted on a moderate hotbed, will make roots in the course of a few days, and soon after begin to grow vigorously.

This fine plant may be employed in a variety of ways in the garden. It is one of the finest of its class to train to the walls of an artificial ruin or about any quaint, rustic edifice that needs the embellishment of delicate but riotous vegetation. And it makes a fine bedding plant, being regularly dotted all over a large bed, and assisted to diffuse its growth by means of light brushwood laid amongst it. The folks who have succeeded in making grand beds of the new varieties of clematis will find the white everlasting pea a fine companion subject for them.

The marsh vetchling (L. palustris) grows two to three feet high, and produces rather small clusters of bluish-purple flowers early in the summer. It is a bog plant, and when planted in the garden, therefore, a damp situation will suit it best.

The large-flowered pea (L. grandiflorus) is a fine plant, with hairy herbage and large rosy flowers, produced in clusters of two or three. It runs about four feet, and requires a warm sandy or light loamy soil. It is a capital plant for the front of a rockery.

The Californian pea (L. Californicus) runs about four feet; the flowers are light purple and white, extremely pleasing. This also is a good rockery plant, being allowed to fall over and make festoons in its own way.

The tuberous pea (L. tuberosa) is of low growth, rarely running more than three feet, and generally less. The flowers appear early, and are of a pleasing rose colour. It is a good rock and border plant. The tuberous root is edible, and has been sometimes spoken of as a likely substitute for the potato. But there is no substitute for the potato, unless it be bread-which is like saying the best substitute for silver is gold.