S Oct.. 1907.] Garden Notes. 607 



America. The kinds grown here and known as everlasting peas are 

 Lathvnts latlfoliiis — a native of Britain — and its varieties. As the plants 

 are of herbaceous growth and rest in winter, the flowers of this species 

 are produced in the summer months. Some improved forms of this pea 

 ha\-e also been raised ; the flowers are rose, white, and pink in colour and 

 are much larger than the sweet peas. The plants are very hardy and are 

 valuable for supplying cut blooms during the hot summer months. There 

 are several species of Lathyrus, in addition to latifolius, that are worthy 

 of a place in our gardens; one of the finest lately distributed in Australia 

 is Lathyrus fubescens, a native of Chili and Ecuador. This is an ever- 

 green perennial climber of very rapid growth, that produces masses of 

 beautiful blooms of a lavender shade of blue, the flowers resembling a 

 well grown lupin rather than a pea. Plants of this pea growing in Mr. 

 J. V. Smith's garden, Bundoora, near Melbourne, have covered a large 

 break-wind trellis during their second season of growth; one plant has 

 completely overgrown a space of eight feet in height and fifteen feet in 

 width and is flowering splendidly. Most of the flowers of this kind are 

 produced in spring but there are occasional blooms at most seasons of the 

 year. This pea is one of the best of recent plant introductions. 



Cultivation. 



The most suitable soil for the production of plants of the annual 

 sweet pea that will bloom freely for a long period is a well enriched 

 loam. The plants will grow under severe conditions, but as soon as the 

 plant food and moisture are exhausted will cease to produce growth and 

 to bloom freely. Soil for the reception of sweet peas should be prepared 

 •during summer, a liberal dressing ot stable manure deeply worked into 

 the soil being necessary. A light dressing of superphosphate of lime 

 worked into the surface soil, or sown with the seeds, will assist materiallv 

 in promoting a vigorous growth. 



Sweet peas are true annuals, pniducing flower and seed and d\ ing in 

 one season, and are propagated exclusively from seeds. The seeds will 

 produce plants bearing flowers identical with the parent varietv unless 

 artificially cross-fertilized, or bv the agencv of insects, the latter an 

 unlikely contingency as the organs of reproduction are enclosed in the 

 •calyx or keel of the flower. Varieties that have been grown in Victoria 

 for years have never varied from the original type although grown among 

 other varieties. Seeds should be sown during autumn to produce strong 

 plants before the winter season arrives, when they will resist any weather 

 •conditions that occur in the greater portion of the State. In very cold 

 districts the sowing may be deferred until spring if it is found that the 

 plants will not endure the winter weather. In the neighbourhood of 

 Melbourne April is the best month to sow sweet peas. The most common 

 •cause of failure to produce satisfactory plants is the sowing of seeds too 

 thickly. Sweet peas may be sown in clumps or in roAvs at a depth of 

 ■one inch and six inches of space should be allowed between each plant. 



The young plants need training on small sticks, when thev attain a 

 height of six inches, afterwards being trained on taller stakes, trellis, or 

 wire supports. To increase the size and number of flowers the plants 

 ■should receive a liberal supply of water during dry spring weather, and 

 will benefit largely by an occasional watering with liquid manure. The 

 flowers should be cut regularly or the season of blooming will be con- 

 siderably reduced, the production of seed being the signal of cessation of 



