278 ANNUAL EEPOET 



this too must have a rich soil and plenty of moisture. Then comes 

 the ten weeks stock or "gilliflower," and scabiosus or "mourning 

 bride," and also the gailardia, of brilliant hues, also requiring a rich 

 soil and moisiure. And right here, speaking of plants which require 

 moisture, let us remark that many do not know how to water plants^ 

 They sprinkle them. Now this is wrong. Sprinkling as it is gen- 

 generally done with a hose or sprinkler, generally wets only the sur- 

 face of the ground, which causes the plants to send out many little 

 surface roots, which are soon burned or dried up by the sun. When 

 you water most plants the soil should be thoroughly drenched or satu- 

 rated. One good drenching of the soil in which the water thoroughly 

 saturates the ground, is worth half a dozen ordinary sprinklings. 



There is no more fragrant flower in the garden than the sweet pea; 

 and no bunch of flowers gives more beauty than an immense 

 mass of sweet peas, whether it be on the sideboard as a bouquet or 

 worn as a corsage flower. Many fail in raising sweet peas, and yet 

 they are easily grown in great abundance. First of all they should be 

 sown just as soon as the frost is out of the ground, — as soon as the 

 soil can be worked. Don't wait for pleasant weather or be afraid of 

 frosts, but put them in as soon as the soil can be worked. The richer 

 the soil the better. The rule as given in the books is to plant them 

 four inches deep, but experience has demonstrated a better way, as 

 they often rot or fail to come up when under four inches of heavy 

 spring soil. 



They should be planted in double rows, the rows being about six 

 inches apart, and the peas about an inch apart in each row. If they 

 are at the outset planted four inches deep many will not come up, so 

 I believe a better way is to dig a trench or hollow space about five 

 inches deep, and then sow the peas and cover to the depth of an inch 

 or so. Then as the peas grow gradually *' hoe in " from time to time, 

 until the hollow or trench has become even with the soil. In this 

 way the roots which form from the germination of the pea will be four 

 or five inches below the surface. As soon as the peas are up two or 

 three inches, put up your frames for them to run upon. Their fu- 

 ture success depends upon their being furnished with an early sup- 

 port. 



Hollyhocks are again coming into fashion. Many of the double 

 ones are equal to dahlias. When once in a garden they will seed 

 themselves, and a clump of them gives a rustic beauty to any garden 

 or lawn. 



But I find my time is passing, and I have not yet alluded to that 



