8o THE BOOK OF THE SWEET PEA 



direction. By sound practical gardeners, this was 

 considered a sensible and good rule to follow, but in 

 later days, growers of exhibition blooms somewhat 

 taboo the system, as it tends to lessen the height of the 

 sticks, which growers seldom find long enough for their 

 purpose. Still, for rows of Sweet Peas in very open 

 and exposed situations, this method of staking has 

 advantages. The opposite adjustment of the stakes on 

 either side of the row has the effect of locking them 

 and making such a strong arrangement, that the most 

 boisterous winds seldom succeed in shifting them. 



For Sweet Peas in rows in less windy quarters or in 

 nicely sheltered gardens, we prefer to insert the stakes 

 in quite an upright position. The strain upon them is 

 not so great, therefore they need no locking together in 

 any way, to ensure their being maintained in this 

 position. Assuming the plants were staked with small 

 twiggy stakes when first planted out, the Sweet Peas 

 will obtain all the support they need from this source 

 until the growths are tall enough to attach themselves 

 to the longer stakes just referred to. The upright 

 position of the latter will ensure the growths making 

 headway unhindered, as the branching character of the 

 stakes will encourage a free course. Were the stakes 

 turned inwards bringing the two lines forming the row 

 to a point at their apex, the growths would quickly 

 throttle one another and become a tangled mass. This 

 would probably bring the display of blossoms to a 

 premature conclusion, as growth from this point would 

 be so very unsatisfactory, only a few of the strongest 

 leaders making headway. For this reason, we would 

 either insert the stakes in an upright position or adjust 

 them in such a fashion that their branches are turned 

 outwards. This treatment with long stakes, assuming 

 all other details of culture be properly observed, ensures 

 a long-continued period of flowering. 



