Growing Flowers 135 



Sweet peas require soil well supplied with plant 

 food. Ten inches of rich garden loam, in the bot- 

 tom of which has been worked in three or four 

 inches of compost, and over that two inches of 

 fine top soil, will produce wonderful results. A 

 coarse top soil of sand is very important. The 

 soil should not be too rich and a balance is some- 

 times difficult to strike, but when once struck, 

 sweet peas no longer will be hard to grow. 



In the South sweet peas should be sown in the fall 

 in order that they may get an early start before 

 the weather becomes too warm. In the North, 

 all preparatory work should be done in the autumn 

 that the seed may be planted as early in March as 

 practicable. 



Sweet peas should be thinned out in order that the 

 roots may have branching space. A vine every 

 six inches will produce better results in growth and 

 blossom than plants only two inches apart. They 

 should be cultivated frequently. 



When sweet peas are to be transplanted, they 

 should be started in small paper cups, or dirt bands, 

 and transplanted by setting the cup in the soil. 

 The paper should be torn away gently in order not 

 to disturb the young roots. 



