190 



HORTICULTURE 



February 7, 1914 



will require six tiundred plants to 

 space the plants six inches apart, 

 which is quite thick enough. At any 

 rate, if we start to raise six hundred, 

 the chances are that from one cause 

 or another a few will succumb be- 

 tween germination and planting out 

 time, it they do we can plant eight 

 inches apart and this will fill up the 

 rows and possibly give better flowers 

 than if planted six inches apart. To 

 raise our six hundred plants we must 

 put in about nine hundred seeds, esti- 

 mating a seventy percent germination 

 which is about what we may reason- 

 ably expect. At the outside it will 

 only require three ounces, as each 

 ounce contains more than three hun- 

 dred seeds. 



This immediately brings up the 

 question of what is the best time to 

 sow? While personally convinced by 

 reasoning that the autumn is the ideal 

 time to sow in pots or flats, carrying 

 the plants through the winter in 

 frames or a very cool greenhouse, and 

 planting out as late, in spring, and 

 while I am following this method 

 this winter, still I do not feel that I 

 have given it a sufiicient trial to ad- 

 vocate it conscientiously. 



The system I have followed for 

 several years is to sow in small pots 

 about the middle of February or the 

 beginning of March. Before sowing 

 we treat the seed with cultures of the 

 nitrifying bacteria, believing for the 

 small expense and trouble involved in 

 this operation, that the possible re- 

 sults make it well worth while, but 

 I will not enter into the details of 

 nitrocultures, as full directions al- 

 ways accompany each purchase, any 

 more than to say its application is 

 very simple. 



The seed being sown, we prefer to 

 germinate at a temperature not less 

 than fifty, because at lower tempera- 

 tures the whites and creams espec- 

 ially are very liable to rot. Some ad- 

 vocate the filing or chipping of the 

 seed coat, and others soaking in tepid 

 water to promote more rapid germina- 

 tion, but at the temperature mentioned 

 and with plenty of water, we have 

 never found these aids necessary. As 

 soon as germination has taken place 

 and the gi-owing points are above the 

 soil, a temperature of forty-five or 

 even lower at night will suit. During 

 the day a free circulation of air is 

 always desirable as it the plants are 

 in any way coddled natural resistance 

 to disease will be impared and instead 

 of a thrifty, hardy plant, we shall have 

 nothing but weaklings. As soon as 

 weather permits, remove the plants to 

 a cold frame as the sooner they get 

 away from artificial heat the better, 

 and on every favorable occasion re- 

 move the sash completely so that the 

 air may have full freedom to play 

 around the plants. Needless to say 

 they must never be allowed to suffer 

 from lack of water, or to become 

 starved for the want of repotting. Ac- 

 cording to locality the plants may gen- 

 erally be planted out in their per 



manent quarters from the tenth of 

 April to May 1. 



Planting Out. 

 Still cloudy weather is the ideal con- 

 dition for planting, as on such a day 

 the injury to the plant from tem- 

 porary exposure of its roots will be a 

 minimum. The trenches should have 

 been moderately firmed by walking 

 over them and then raked over finely, 

 do not fear to open the ball and spread 

 out the roots, even at the risk of 

 breaking a few rootlets, as the advan- 

 tages gained by doing so will more 

 than offset any little damage. In plant- 

 ing be sure to press the soil into in- 

 timate contract with all the roots and 

 it the soil be on the dry side, follow 

 the planting with a good watering 

 and then hoe the ground thoroughly. 

 Let not those who have no facilities 

 to do all these things despair because 

 much might be accomplished where 

 the interest is great, and even if we 

 are obliged to sow directly outside, 

 providing we thoroughly prepare the 

 soil in some such manner as here ad- 

 vised, and if our subsequent treatment 

 is of the right kind, very gratifying 

 results may follow. If we must sow 

 in the open, let us make drills about 

 two or three inches deep on top of 

 the prepared trenches and sow just 

 as early as possible, putting the seeds 

 about an inch apart, so as to allow for 

 losses, then it they come up fairly 

 thick, take out enough to leave the 

 plants from six to eight inches apart. 

 Supports. 

 Going back to our plants which we 

 left just planted out, it is advisable to 

 place all around them some bushy 

 brush about a foot or so high, as it 

 will afford some slight protection 

 from cold biting winds, which may be 

 expected at this early season and will 

 give the plants the comforting feel- 

 ing of having something at hand to 

 cling to as soon as they feel the 

 need of it. For permanent supports 

 for sweet peas, there is nothing bet- 

 ter than good brush six to eight feet 

 tall set firmly in the ground, but as 

 this is sometimes rather difficult to 

 obtain, a fairly good substitute will 

 be found in large meshed poultry 

 wire nailed to posts. 



Having provided good supports for 

 the plants, the routine work will be 

 to keep the ground hoed as frequently 

 as possible and to prevent overcrowd- 

 ing. A little judicious thinning will 

 occasionally have to be practiced bv 

 cutting away superfiuous shoots. If 

 flower buds should appear before the 

 plants have reached about three feet 

 in height, it will be a good plan to 

 disbud them, as too early flowering 

 will militate against the future well- 

 being of the plant, but when the plants 

 have acquired the requisite height 

 and strength and flowering begins in 

 earnest, you must be sure to keep all 

 flowers picked clean as if any go to 

 seed the plants will soon cease grow- 

 ing, and your season will come to an 

 abrupt end. 



Feeding. 



After the plants have been flower- 

 ing for some length of time, the care- 

 ful grower may note that the flower 

 stems are getting shorter and that 

 there is a slackening of growth gen- 

 erally. Here at this time is where 

 some quick acting manure, well 

 watered, will give the required stimu- 

 lation and in a few days growth will 

 be back to the normal and may be 

 kept there by repetition of some such 

 methods as have just been suggested. 



Fertilizers. 



The question might well be asked 

 here, what shall we use to feed and 

 stimulate our plants into growth? I 

 do not believe there is any one thing 

 very much better than another, as long 

 as good judgment is used in the ap- 

 plication, but I would especially urge 

 beginners to err on the short, side, 

 rather than over-do it. I have found 

 that after the plants have been flower- 

 ing for a week or two they will gen- 

 erally stand a light feeding once a 

 week and by the application of two 

 pounds of nitrate of potash dis- 

 solved in fifty gallons of water and 

 this amount applied to each fifty foot 

 row every two weeks, alternating the 

 week between with about five pounds 

 of superphosphate sprinkled along 

 each row, will keep the plants tuned 

 up to their work at all times. If weak 

 liquid manure is available an occa- 

 sional dose will be beneficial or a 

 sprinkling of soot well watered in will 

 do good not only as food, but as a 

 tonic, which seems to brighten and 

 intensify the colors immensely. 

 Mulching. 

 Mulching forms an important part 

 in the treatment of the sweet pea 

 during our hot dry summers, but care 

 must be exercised here, as elsewhere. 

 The two danger points to avoid, are 

 getting it on too early and using too 

 close material. Wait until the grouiid 

 has thoroughly warmed up, which will 

 not be till nearly the first of July, and 

 conserve the moisture in the mean- 

 time by frequent hoeings. If a mulch 

 is put on too early in the season the 

 ground is kept cold by the exclusion 

 of the sun's rays, and the bacterial 

 flora which inhabits the soil (and 

 upon which all plants must depend in 

 a large measure for their sustenance) 

 are retarded in their development, 

 and because this bacterial flora must 

 have a free supply of air. the mulch 

 should be of a loose nature, straw 

 litter or dried leaves. 

 Shading. 

 Unfortunately some of the finest 

 kinds of orange, salmon, scarlet and 

 crimson shades must be protected 

 from the sun if we would have them 

 at their best and so to facilitate the 

 application of shade these varieties 

 should be planted together. Light 

 cheesecloth is sometimes used to 

 stretch over these kinds that bum, as 

 it is quite inexpensive, but a more sat- 

 isfactory shade is made by erecting a 



The Service B.ureau 



OF THE 



National Association Of 

 Gardeners 



Is maintained for the purpose of providing opponunities for eflicieut 

 and ambitious men engaged In the profession of gardening 

 This department of the Association is at , the disposal »' '^ose wh<) 

 may require the services of capable superintendents, gardeners or as- 

 sistant gardeners without cliari.'p. .\ddress 



M. C. EBEL, Secretary - - - Madison, N. J. 



NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF GARDENERS 



