220 Agricultural ExrERiMEXT Station, Ithaca, N. Y. 



soil, early and rather deep planting, picking of the pods as soon as 

 they form, and the judicious selecting of seed and varieties. 



There is some inquiry as to the forcing of sweet peas. Our ex» 

 perience in this matter is very limited. It is generally thought to 

 be best to sow the peas early in winter in a cool house amongst 

 other things — as carnations — and let them take their time for 

 growing. When the sunny days come in March and April, they 

 may be expected to bloom. 



The Yarieties of Sweet Peas. 



All the foregoing reqairements are easy enough to meet save the 

 last — the selection of varieties. The kinds are now so numerous 

 and so various that the amateur may be perplexed in the choice^ 

 Of course much depends upon the taste of the grower. One should 

 always be sure, also, to have enough. The beauty of flowers lies 

 largely in the generosity and profusion of them. 



The grower should also have a good variety in color and shape, 

 and this is best obtained by purchasing the best named varieties, 

 and making the mixture to suit. If I were confined to six varie- 

 ties, I think that I should choose the Improved Painted Lady or 

 a pure type of Blanche Ferry, Apple Blossom, Emily Henderson, 

 Mrs. Gladstone, Butterfly and Countess of Eadnor. But there are 

 twenty varieties winch even the average flower-lover may grow with 

 great satisfaction. F. Schuyler Mathews, in his " Beautiful Flower 

 Garden" (1894), speaks as follows of his method of growing sweet 

 peas and his choice of varieties, I am glad to transcribe his ac- 

 count, because Mr, Mathews regards the subject from the artist's 

 standpoint. ''My own metlKul of arranging 'sweet pea vines is 

 confined to a fence or hedge row, which I create out of chicken- 

 yard wire and rustic posts. This fence serves the double purpose 

 of a thing of beauty, and a barrier against the roaming cow, who 

 by the way, frequentl}^ takes toll in the shape of a fine bunch of 

 my favorite Boreattons. The varieties which are most attractive in 

 color are : 



Boreatton, red-purple and violet. 



Mrs. Sankv, white. 



Lottie Eckford, white, blue-edged. 



Orange Prince, scarlet pink and rose pink. 



Blanche Ferry, pink and white. 



