70 SWEET PEAS 



But in the latter case there is no doubt that digging alone does not 

 send them up to such a height. There is a layer of well-rotted 

 manure some eighteen inches or so below the surface, and when the 

 roots get well hold of this and the three feet of cultivated soil 

 it is little wonder that they rise ! 



Deep digging, early sowing, careful watering in spring, thorough 

 watering in summer, and the removal of all incipient seed pods, are 

 the chief items to be taken note of and practised by the suburban 

 grower, by every grower in fact who would be successful, but above 

 all by the suburban grower. Some varieties I can thoroughly re- 

 commend for the garden in the suburbs are King Edward VII., 

 Helen Pierce, Jeannie Gordon, Mrs. Walter Wright, Queen Alex- 

 andra, and Dorothy Eckford, all vigorous free-blooming sorts. 



Sweet Feas in Tubs and Boxes. No one can plead lack 

 of space as an apology for neglecting to grow Sweet Peas, since they 

 will succeed even in window-boxes. I do not go so far as to say 

 that prize flowers may be had from the plants thus grown, but, at 

 any rate if kept well watered (that is to say, if the soil is always 

 kept moist) and all blossoms are picked off as they fade, there 

 will be quite a fair display. But in tubs and boxes when the plants 

 have, say, twelve inches depth of soil in which to root, really first- 

 rate plants can be had, plants that will give, at any rate, three 

 blooms on a stem, and with careful attention will blossom from 

 July until October. Ornamental tubs, such as are made for shrubs 

 look the best, but an excellent substitute is found in the disused 

 butter tubs which may be had very cheaply from the grocer. 

 All they need to make them look quite presentable is a coat or two of 

 dark green paint. They will last at least two seasons, and to make 

 them efficient as plant growers a few holes are bored in the base by 

 means of a red-hot poker. The holes are covered with a piece 

 of flower-pot, some rough material such as pieces of turf, or dead 

 leaves, or rough manure is placed in the bottom, and the tub is 

 ready for filling with the prepared soil mixture. 



Filling the Tubs. This should consist chiefly of turfy loam, 

 turves pulled into pieces about the size of a pigeon's egg and 

 above all things it must be made firm by ramming with a flat- 

 bottomed wooden rammer. In mixing the soil well decayed 

 manure may be added at the rate of one-fourth of the latter to 

 three-fourths of the former. Sweet Peas cannot be grown success- 

 fully in tubs unless the soil is made firm. The tubs are filled to 

 within an inch or less of the rim, for the soil will sink quite an inch 



