294 THE PRINCIPLES OF FLORICULTURE 



growers, however, prefer liquid manures. Care should 

 be taken not to stimulate a soft leaf growth by the use of 

 strong, nitrogeneous manures. Superphosphate and bone 

 meal tend to give the necessary firmness to the tissue 

 and cause the plants to produce an abundance of flowers. 



412. Outdoor culture of sweet peas. An open, sunny 

 location should be chosen for sweet pea culture, as light 

 arid air in abundance are needed for a strong, healthy 

 growth. Plants grown in too shady a location are weak 

 and splindling and produce few flowers. 



413. Soil. Any garden soil is suited for sweet peas 

 if it is well drained and dries out early in the spring. 

 The sweet pea is naturally a deep-rooted plant, and to 

 guard against the effects of drought, the preparation of 

 the soil should be deep and thorough. Whenever practi- 

 cable, it is well to trench the soil in the autumn. If this 

 is not done, a trench at least fifteen inches wide and fifteen 

 inches deep should be dug at the time of planting. The 

 soil should be composted thoroughly with coarse, well- 

 rotted stable manure which is quickly available as plant 

 food. 



414. Seed. Some white and yellow varieties have 

 white or light colored seeds. The white seeds often 

 decay in the soil, especially when it is cold, and their 

 germinating power is thus weakened. Consequently, 

 it is advisable to sow the white-seeded varieties more 

 thickly than black-seeded. 



415. Planting. As soon as the frost is out of the 

 ground, the soil should be prepared for the planting, 

 as the sweet pea is a cool crop. A strong, vigorous root 

 development starts in the early spring, and the growth of 

 the top is short-jointed and sturdy. If the preparation 

 of the soil has been made in the fall, it is best to smooth 



