February 3, 1917 



HORTICULTURE 



137 



Sweet Peas in California and Massachusetts 



Editor HORTICULTDEE. 



Referring to Eureka Giant Sweet Peas as shown in 

 your cover illustration last week, seeing that my name 

 was brought into the matter by our good friend Mr. 

 Ward when lie asks if I or any English grower can beat 

 it (some conceit isn't it?) I would say candidly that 

 equally as good lias and are being grown around Boston. 

 Upon close examination of the picture we see quantities 

 of petals on the ground near ]\Ir. Ward's feet whicli 

 shows that the blooms had been allowed to accumulaTi' 

 for some time; the number of such pods and half wilted 

 blossoms in sight indicates the same thing. However, 

 it is the best picture of sweet peas growing in Californi;i 

 1 have seen and great credit is due Mr. Ward for show- 

 ing the people on the Coast what well grown sweet peas 

 look like. 



In California, ideal conditions exist for the full de- 

 velopment of the sweet pea. In the East we are greatly 

 handicapped in that respect. The variety Illuminator, 

 which is represented in the picture, belongs to the lafe- 

 flowering class which, owing to the length of time re- 

 quired to bring them into bloom, makes them unprofit- 

 able for the grower and they are only grown as an out- 

 door proposition. If Mr. Ward is going to give us some- 

 thing worth while in a new race of sweet peas they must 

 belong to the early flowering class. This type will pro- 

 duce, I should say, at least six to one to the class in 

 which Illuminator belongs. Mr. Ward states that the\- 

 have been in bearing for three months which goes te 

 show tliat climatic conditions are ideal. I am enclosing 

 photograph in courtesy to Mr. Ward, (even if it is from 

 Boston) of a row, or hedge as he calls it, of the type of 

 sweet pea we wisli. This photo shows the vines in theii- 

 third month of bearing, but the blossoms shown had all 

 matured on the three days previous to the taking of the 

 picture. Had they been allowed three days longer to 

 remain on the vines there would have l>een at least twice 

 the quantity of blooms shown. Owing to the space 

 allotted for them it was hard to make a good photo. 

 Because of the close proximity of the side of the green - 

 liouse we could not show the height of the vines but they 

 are 12 feet liigh. The variety is Zvolanek"s Venus. It 

 is hard to get the loose effect which Mr. Ward's picture 

 shows owing to the fact that the side shoots have to be 

 stnmg closely to the row to assure straight stem.*. Take 



Sweet Pea Zvolanek's Vends. 

 As Grown by William Sim. 



it all in all our friend has done well for a start. Try 

 again, my friend, trv again ! 



^V''C^iyCCCCk^^i^ ^uJ->^ 



Clijtondalc Mass. 



SWEET PEA BUDS DROPPING. 



Will 8ome one kindly tell me the reasuu 

 for my sweet pea buds dropping off liki- 

 enclosed specimens? I bave been picking 

 flowers since before Christmas and up un- 

 til now they have been very good, but this 

 last week I have noticed them falling away. 

 The vines look very healthy. I have not 

 given them any feeding in over a month, 

 but when I do it is sheep manure I use ami 

 a small quantity at a time, and I keep the 

 temperature at night from 45 to 50 and 

 from 50 to 60 degrees during the day, or as 

 near to tliat as I possibly can. 



New York. " A J M 



In reply to yours regarding the with- 

 ering of the buds of sweet peas, would 

 say that in my opinion the plants were 

 perhaps heavily watered and then the 

 temperature was allowed to get too 

 low or the house over-charged with 

 moisture which was allowed to get 

 cold and clammy. At this season 

 when watering is done enough steam 

 should be kept up to keep the atmos- 



phere of the house sweet and buoy- 

 ant. The day temperature should be 

 allowed to reach, with the sun out, 58 

 to 60; if cloudy 67 and drop to night 

 temperature with steam and a little 

 ventilation on. I think your corres- 

 pondent is keeping the night tempera- 

 ture all right but not high enough 

 through the day. 



William Sim. 



