32 



SWEET PEAS 



illustrated, a little soil should be drawn up to both sides of the row, 

 or to the plants in the clump, as the case may be. This is commonly 

 known as " earthing up," and is an invaluable bit of work. In the 

 sketch A A shows the soil drawn up from B B. Some of this will fall 

 amongst the young plants, and will do good rather than harm. 

 C C shows where the sticks must be driven in, and indicates also that 

 part of the ground which is well manured and broken up to a depth 

 of about three feet. 



Staking the Plants. Coarse meshed wire netting is now 

 largely used for supporting Sweet Peas, and most serviceable it is too. 

 But the majority of growers use sticks. These should be put in in 

 good time. When the young plants are only an inch or two high 



EARTHING UP THE 

 SEEDLINGS. 



STAKING, FIRST WITH SMALL 



TWIGS, AFTERWARDS WITH 



TALL HAZEL STICKS. 



small twiggy sticks are placed to them, and in the case of seedlings 

 planted out from pots, the necessary sticks are put in directly 

 the planting and earthing-up are completed. The accompanying 

 sketch shows how to put in the sticks. The small branching pieces 

 are first placed to the rows as shown at A, and in a few weeks' time 

 the tall ones B, must be driven in quite eight or ten inches deep. It 

 is a wise plan to fix a few stronger sticks, or rather stakes, in at 

 every nine feet of row ; then one can fasten all securely by strands 

 of string or wire on each side. The tops of the tall sticks ought 

 to be about one foot apart, and not meet closely together. Hazel 

 sticks are the best. 



Pinching or Stopping Young Plants. Autumn-raised 



