142 EXPERIMENTAL iARMS. 



64 VICTORIA, A. 1901 



during the summer. The following are those which will be likely to give the greatest 

 satisfaction : — 



Sweet Pea. — The sweet pea is one of our most popular flowers, and justly so. 

 For variety of colour, delightful perfume and continuity of bloom it is difficult to 

 surpass. Unfortunately, there are many who do not grow this beautiful flower who 

 might if they would. The chief requisites to successful sweet pea culture are early 

 planting, plenty of moisture and good drainage. These are all nearly equally impor- 

 tant. Sweet pease should be planted as soon as the ground is dry enough in the 

 epring, as this will give the plants a chance to root properly before warm weather sets 

 in, and also give the roots an opportunity of getting down into the moist, cool soil. 

 A week or two of delay in planting will result, as a rule, in much poorer flowers. A 

 site should be chosen where the vines will get full sunlight most of the day. This is 

 important. Well rotted manure should be dug in and well mixed with the soil the 

 previous autumn. This will usually give better results than manuring the soil in the 

 spring, as there is danger of making the ground too loose and dry. A trench should 

 be made about five or six inches wide and four inches deep. The pease should then be 

 gown rather thinly along the bottom of it. An ounce of seed to a row thirty feet long 

 is considered a fair amount. The seed should now be covered with about two inches 

 of fine soil. If much more is put on, the plants will not come up as readily. After 

 they are about six inches high the trench may be filled level with the soil, the object 

 being to get the roots well down, but if there is danger of the ground drying out, the 

 trench and each side of it may be covered with hay, straw or leaves, which will act as 

 a mulch and help to keep the soil cool and moist, and the rain will be caught in it. 

 The brush or trellis should now be put down. If this is delayed the vines will be 

 injured when attempting to train them. 



The surface soil should be kept loose with a hoe during the summer, as this will 

 encourage growth and help to retain the moisture in the ground. It is well worth the 

 trouble to water sweet pease if the soil is not naturally moist, as the flowers will be 

 larger and there will be more of them. Sweet pease should begin to flower during the 

 first week in July, and there should be a continuous succession of bloom until severe 

 frost in the autumn. To keep them bloo'ning, however, it is very necessary to pre- 

 vent the flowers from going to seed and to keep the soil moist. If- all the flowers are 

 not desired or cannot be disposed of, those not wanted should be nipped off. 



There are a great many varieties of sweet pease offered for sale, and it is puzzling 

 to many to know which to choose. Most people, however, buy mixed seed, not know- 

 ing what varieties they are getting. These are not as satisfactory as named 

 varieties. The following eighteen sorts, which give a good variety of colour, are recom- 

 mended as being among the best: — 



Blanche Burpee, Countess of Powis, Lottie Hutchins, Lady Mary Currie, Prima 

 Donna, Prince of Wales, Improved Salopian, Lady Grisel Hamilton, ISTavy Blue, 

 Triumph, Edward of York, Stanley, Golden Gleam, Coquette, Aurora, Ramona, Maid 

 of Honour, Mrs. J. Chamberlain. 



Nasturtium. — Next to Sweet Pease, ISTasturtiums are the most satisfactory 

 annual climbers that furnish flowers for cutting. Like Sweet Pease, a continuous 

 succession of brilliantly coloured flowers may be kept up from early summer until 

 late autumn. The soil in which Nasturtiums are planted should not be very rich or the 

 plants will run to vine rather tha^n flowers, and this is not desirable. A site should be 

 chosen where the vines will be exposed to full sunlight most of the day, as Nasturtiums 

 Tiloom better so situated. The seeds should not be sown as early as Sweet Pease, as 

 they are liable to rot when the ground is cold. It should be planned to have th'? young 

 plants coming up about the third week of May. If they appear earlier, there is dan- 

 ger of their being injured by frost. The soil should be well prepared by diggim? and 

 raking, and the seed sown about 2 inches apart and from 1 to 2 inches deep. After 

 the young plants are well established, they should be thinned to from 5 to 6 inches 



