100 SWEET PEAS 



find with chrysanthemums, carnations, roses, etc. All the pros 

 and cons of this question originate with the difference of opinion as 

 regards the definition of the word " sport." Whatever these winter- 

 flowering Sweet Peas are, at present they are certainly not what they 

 might be, at least in the winter. Some of them are very good in 

 the spring, and if sown in January, planted in a cool, light, and airy 

 house, they will give some very good blooms about April. They can 

 also certainly be had in flower throughout the winter, if sown in 

 August or September, but owing to the lack of light the blooms are 

 small and open badly in midwinter. No doubt in Algiers, or under 

 glass in the States, where there is bright sun, even if the temperature 

 outdoors is low, these winter-flowering varieties can be brought to 

 perfection, and have doubtless a distinct commercial value. Here, 

 however, they are hardly likely to be of great use to the man who 

 grows for profit. 



Cupid Sweet Peas. Opinion as to the merits of these 

 appears somewhat divided, but a writer in The Gardener who has 

 cultivated them since their introduction in 1895, declares them to 

 be a " worthy race," and gives the following hints concerning them : 

 They are of little use for cutting, owing to their short stems, but 

 seeing that the tall type will give a constant supply of cut bloom, one 

 can well afford to use Cupids purely for garden decoration. The 

 great trouble is that the buds drop off before they open. After 

 repeated tests I consider much of this to be due to position. It 

 must be remembered that Cupid White first originated as a sport 

 from Emily Henderson, in California, and it is generally supposed 

 that the climate caused the break. Cupid Sweet Peas will thrive on 

 a dry soil quite unsuitable to the tall sorts. To plant Cupids on a 

 heavy soil in the ordinary fashion is to court failure, for the plants 

 will not stand excessive moisture. If planted on the level in such 

 soil the first rain will cause the buds to drop wholesale, although the 

 plants will grow vigorously. To succeed with them on a heavy soil 

 it is necessary to plant on a raised bed or bank. The water is 

 then carried off quickly. Rain naturally lowers the temperature, 

 and the dense foliage of this type prevents evaporation. 



The greatest success we ever achieved with Cupids was when we 

 grew them on a bank. The soil was extremely poor. The foundation 

 of the bank was made with old raspberry roots, crowfoot weed and 

 the like, the whole being well trampled. The base was solid and 

 no attempt vras made to break it up owing to the network of tree 

 roots. Cupid Sweet Peas in small pots were pricked out 2 inches 



