54 



IRISH GARDENING 



it is an rasv niatt<M-, in handling ihcni, t»» hrcnk the 

 leaves, which not only cnusos disfipnrpmout, but 

 iileoiling. Thero is sufii a thing as iii<lit'idualizi>ni 

 ach phmt. and so endeavour to liave thiMU robust. 



hJTiMriaXTS. — .Many ^-niwers of plants for winter 

 oiooraing attaeh gn>at imitorlancc to stimulants, but 

 ilicso arc of little us*', and indeed are not required 

 xirfil J'rininlas jiave made most of tlie use of the 

 constituents of tlie soil in which they were finally 

 potted. Then, and not until, .should they be 

 administered. There are numerous excollont stimu- 

 lants on the market to-day which feed as well as 

 stimulato, but one ought not to lose sight of the 

 common tETngs like soot in an old state — a tonic to 

 many jilants, producing that deep green in the 

 foliage which is the hall mark of good culture and 

 perfect health. Over-stimulating is a mistake. It 

 i> easy to surfeit soft-wooded plants like Trimulas. 



Housing toe rL.\NTS. — One cannot with any 

 degree of certainty fix upon a specific date when 

 Primulas should be moved to the greenhouse. It 

 depends on several things : the mildness of the 

 autumn or otherwise, luit care must be taken after 

 the middle of September to cover the frames at night 

 Avith mats should it be found necessary. It is 

 hardly conceivable, however, after one has expended 

 months of attention over the plants that any neglect 

 can be permitted; rather house a week earlier than 

 run any risk. 



PosiTiox. — The place for Primulas in a grcen- 

 Ijouse ought to be one where light can reach them 

 easily, and where they will not be subject to 

 " drips " from other plants, as if this is allowed 

 it will be found that " damp collars " will ruin tbe 

 best of them. 



Promisn'g Trusses.— Don't encourage any and 

 every truss that appears; pinch out the weakliest, 

 retaining only the robust and promising. Frimulas 

 flower for months, and if they come from the frame 

 in a healthy condition they will be found a good 

 investment. If some of the plants are more back- 

 ward than others in showing buds so much longer 

 will the display be. One need have no fear, as the 

 blossoms wull certainly come. It is a matter of 

 selecting i\\e fittest. 



Temper.vtuiie. — One pleasing feature about the 

 culture of Primulas is that a temperature which 

 meets the requirements of other winter flowering 

 fiubjects : Cinerarias, Cyclamens, Chrysanthenmms, 

 &c., will suit. In fact if anyone can give thcin an 

 equable, genial atmosphere in which to grow 

 Primulas will bloom more or less from October to 

 March. 



W. I.IN-DERS Lea. 



Work among Sweet Peas. 



Ey E. T. Ellis, Wectwood, Ecclesall, Sheffield. 



It may be that some of your readers have tried the 

 new method of growing Sweet Peas — the Single 

 Stem Method — for the first time this year. Perhaps 

 ■a few notes on the management of these plants 

 during the summer will bo useful. 



If you are growing the plants up bamboo canes 

 vertically, only one or at the most two stems should 

 be left. Those who grow the plants up bamboo or 

 other poles at an angle of 45 degrees may leave 



more than one or two stems on, and spread the»o 

 out on t<i adjacenF poles above or below the maiu 

 stem. Jhit J think the vertical system tuUos up 

 least room and bids fair in our district tci give some 

 good results. 



Thus you have to harden your heart a bit. The 

 laterals and side shoots hud better be reinoTed at 

 one*', and as they appear, for if these are permitted 

 t.) grow to the length of one inch, much less sIk, 

 an equivaliMit amount of (>nergy will be taken from 

 the i)lants. So uij) or cut them mit at once as sonu 

 as they appear. 



This operati<in <lo<.'S not include the ruthless re- 

 moval of the chief flower buds, ])erhaps not lialf 

 open. These should be left, and cut wlien tlio 

 blooms are out; do not leave them to sc<'d or you 

 will soon play havoc, with your idejis that the plants 

 shall reach the top of the sticks. So cut the flowers 

 liberally as soon as open, for yon are then qinte 

 certain to get more. 



Attention to the removal of laterals should J>o 

 given at frequeiit intervals dining the A\ce.k. Wo 

 amateur gardeners and smallholders have not time 

 to give attention to ,the Sweet Peas evt-ryday. I 

 have ni}' other plants to look to, and you liave your 

 fowls and other stock to look after as well. Still, 

 very frequent examination is needed, and the laterals 

 must be unmercifully cut away. 



A word of care is now needed. Those laterals all 

 grow from a joint, and^ just above the leaves, or the 

 leafv stem of a Sweet Pea plant. To go out with a 

 knife and chop them off ruthlessly is a first-rate 

 Avay to damage the plants for the whole season. You 

 should look at your work and cut off the laterals 

 carefully, not damaging the rest of the hulm of the 

 peas. Cut off as close to the joint as you safely 

 can, however, and cut clean, leaving no jagged .stem 

 or other traces of A\hat you have done. Go care- 

 fully round your plants one by one on the days 

 appointed, and be careful not to leave a single 

 lateral, for it will soon groM" and use up the strength 

 conserved for the main stem. ]3y the systematic 

 rim^oval of these side shoots, &c., with other care, 

 now to be described, some of our exhibition blooms, 

 if not indeed many of them, may be obtained. 



The systematic tying up of the Sweet Peas is an 

 c])eration whicli cannot be neglected at this season 

 Vv-ithout disastrous consequences if the plants are 

 i^rown on the single stem principal. It will in many 

 cases be found needful to tie up after every leaf 

 joint. The tying up of the plants had most certainly 

 better be done with due care, and, while firmness 

 and security are essential, do not tie up too tight. 

 Eemember that the stems have yet to swell a good 

 deal, so leave room. Keej) the stems as straight as 

 possible and tie in no leaves, flowers, or laterals. 



Thus it will be seen that the tendrils of the Sweet 

 Peas are not needful, and indeed if the y)lants are 

 grown close to other plants, which they have to be 

 in certain cases, the tendrils arc not only mmeeded 

 but highly vmdesirable, as they are apt to stretch 

 out and entwine themselves to other plants. The 

 t'iiidrils may, with due care, be removed, and re- 

 moved without scruples, for no harm but good can 

 result. Any little conservation of strength which 

 we can afford the plants should be taken advantage 

 of to the full, but take care to neither remove or 

 in any May damage the leaves l)elnnd the tendrils. 



