Culture of the Sweet Pea 703 



Sweet peas should be sown just as early in the spring as the soil is dry 

 enough to work, even though it be certain that heavy frosts may follow. 



The writer thinks that one reason why even the most inexperienced 

 amateur usually has so good average results with sweet peas, is that 

 when this individual gets his annual "violent attack of gardening fever" 

 in early spring, he begins his operations at just the right time for sweet 

 peas to go into the ground. 



An essential requirem.ent in growing sweet peas is to plant early, while 

 the atmospheric conditions are such as to prevent top growth until the 

 plant has started a vigorous root development. The result is that, when 

 warmer weather comes, the top grows strong and heavy, the plant branches 

 out, and throughout the season this increased vigor is seen. Experiments 

 made by sowing seeds every ten days from the earliest practicable date 

 until the end of May show this result conclusively. 



Depth. — If the preparation of the soil has been made in the fall, it 

 is best only to smooth the surface of the trench and plant in this. When 

 the preparation has been made in the spring the soil must not be left 

 too loose — a condition that may easily occur if a deep trench is made 

 and only loosely filled with soil and manure. 



One method recommended is to hollow out a broad trench, twenty- 

 four to thirty inches wide and two inches deep, and then sow the seed 

 one inch deep in single or double rows. The trench should be kept open 

 for six weeks in order to retain the water. This system is very good in 

 a garden where all cultivation is given by hand ; but where many rows are 

 grown and cultivation is done with a horse and cultivator, it is mani- 

 festly impossible to make or to maintain such a trench. Furthermore, 

 when horse cultivation is to be used there would be difficulty in keeping 

 the young plants, if planted below the surface, from being covered during 

 the early cultivations. Therefore, planting on the level is necessary in 

 field culture. It is advisable, however, in garden culture, to plant so 

 that when covered the row will be two inches below the ordinary level. 



Shall the planting be in single drills, broad drills, or double rows or 

 drills? It matters little, pro\dded siifficient room is allowed for the grow- 

 ing plants. 



Amount of seed. — The latest American book advises sowing one ounce 

 of seed to a fifteen-foot row, and later thinning the plants to six inches 

 apart. Now let us see what this means. Since an ounce of seed contains 

 three hundred to three hundred and sixty seeds, if in a single drill the 

 seeds will be three fifths to one half inch apart. If only seventy-five 

 per cent of the seed grew (which is a very low estimate) , one hundred and 

 ninety-five to two hundred and forty of the seedlings must be removed 

 in thinning to the distance given. In other words, the author of the 



