9 o THE BOOK OF THE SWEET PEA 



erect a framework of battens placed a yard apart, on 

 which a large roller, tiffany blind, or a series of smaller 

 roller blinds may be drawn across or drawn back at will, or 

 else strain a number of lengths of galvanised wire across 

 the quarters, to which tiffany or other material may be 

 affixed. Either of these methods are commendable, but 

 we are disposed to support the latter one. Stout poles 

 should be securely fixed at either end of the rows or 

 series of clumps, and after being secured by a strut, 

 the strained wires may be fixed in position. Stout 

 hemp-twine or rope may be made to answer the same 

 purpose, but these materials invariably sag when the air 

 is dry in the daytime, and this is just when they are 

 needed. They are taut enough at night and early 

 morning and also in moist weather. 



Tiffany is the best and cleanest material to use for 

 shading purposes, and this should be of a somewhat 

 stouter texture than is generally used for this purpose. 

 When of too flimsy a nature, hardly sufficient protection 

 is afforded against the scorching rays of the sun in the 

 hottest weather. We find it is a good plan to sew a 

 number of brass rings on the selvedge edge of the tiffany, 

 equi-distant, observing a space between them of two to 

 three feet. If when fixing the galvanised wire already 

 alluded to, the wire rings be threaded thereon, the 

 shading material may be drawn backwards and forwards 

 at will and the shading of the flowers in this way become 

 quite an easy matter. It will be necessary to secure the 

 tiffany at each end of the row to keep this material taut. 

 Tiffany should be thus fixed on wires, and adjusted on 

 both sides of the rows or series of clumps, and that the 

 Sweet Peas may obtain full advantage of the cooler con- 

 ditions prevailing at night and preserve their natural 

 character, growers would be well advised to draw back 

 the shading material on each evening. Shading carried 

 out between 8 A.M. and 6 P.M. generally suffices ; this is 



