CULTURE OF SWEET PEAS 37 



provide the necessary drainage, otherwise the plants will 

 not succeed very well. 



Both pots and tubs should be crocked with the greatest 

 care as a proper system of drainage is essential to their 

 well being. Fairly large pieces of broken pots or broken 

 slates, or anything of this nature should be used to cover 

 the holes in the bottom of these receptacles ; the larger 

 pieces being covered in turn with smaller pieces of pot- 

 sherd ; these latter being covered with any rough material, 

 such as fairly long manure, or anything of this nature 

 to make good drainage. Good, lasting soil, of course, 

 is absolutely necessary, as without this it is impossible to 

 produce Sweet Peas that will flower well and produce 

 blossoms of good quality. And after all, what is more 

 delightful during the summer months than to gaze upon 

 the plants from the windows at the rear of the house, 

 where their dainty flowers seldom fail to gladden the 

 hearts of those who grow them. They never fail to 

 create a pleasing floral picture to reward the grower for 

 his labour of love, and also compensate him for the 

 disappointment of being without a garden worthy of the 

 name. 



To grow Sweet Peas in tubs, etc., the compost should 

 comprise the following : loam, two parts, well-decayed 

 manure, one part, and one part made up of an equal 

 portion of leaf soil and sand or road grit. These in- 

 gredients should be thoroughly well mixed, and if there 

 can be added thereto a five-inch pot-full of bone meal to 

 every bushel of soil, we are quite certain sufficient plant 

 food will be present in the soil to last the plants through 

 their flowering period. Fill in the soil almost to the 

 level of the receptacle used, making this fairly firm ; all 

 will then be in readiness for sowing the seeds. This 

 work should be done in good time. All too often the 

 sowing of Sweet Pea seed is left until too late in the 

 season. By beginning in good time we may have the 



