Sweet Peas 



place, after which the danger is past. Out of 

 doors, if mice are about, the best safeguard is to 

 coat the seeds with red-lead before sowing. Then 

 neither mice nor birds will take them. The best 

 way to apply the red lead is to wet the seed and 

 then roll it among dry red-lead in a saucer or basin. 



Birds of several kinds attack the young plants 

 in spring, and pinch out the growing buds. They 

 can be kept off by stretching several strands 

 of black thread or thin dark coloured twine along 

 the rows. Snails and slugs are fond of the soft 

 young growths and in moist weather in spring 

 feed on them with avidity. Dustings of soot and 

 lime are temporary preventives ; the only 

 effective one being to catch the depredators at 

 night with the aid of a lantern. In a wholesale 

 way many may be killed by dusting the ground 

 with freshly slaked lime on a mild night after 

 dark, when the slugs are out feeding. 



There is a tendency on the part of some writers 

 to magnify troubles the troubles that afflict 

 Sweet Peas as well as other things, but I hope 

 no one will be influenced against taking up the 

 culture of the most charming of all annual flowers 

 on that account. To me, and to my friends, the 

 culture of the Sweet Pea has presented fewer 

 difficulties than many another flower, and I am 



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