86 PEAS AND PEA CULTURE 



and well-rotted stable manure. The trailing type 

 of sweet pea is best adapted to indoor culture. Oc- 

 casionally, there is bother about buds dropping, es- 

 pecially if plants are overfertilized. This is not 

 likely to continue beyond a few days when plants 

 will assume the proper balance, and blossoms will 

 appear as desired. Sweet pea seed germinates 

 slowly. Therefore, the grower should not be in too 

 big a hurry to dig out the seed or condemn it. 



Enemies of the Sweet Pea. Red spider and green 

 aphis must be watched. They multiply rapidly and 

 sap a tremendous amount of nourishment from the 

 growing plants. Spraying with whale-oil soap, or 

 a weak solution of kerosene oil, will be effective. 

 Cutworms are occasionally destructive, especially 

 if land has not been worked for two or three years. 

 Trap crops, such as peas, lettuce, etc., have been 

 used to protect the peas, also a dusting of tobacco 

 powder about the plants. However, the poisoned 

 bait, such as a little paris green mixed with bran 

 or a few sprigs of clover dipped in paris green and 

 placed for the cut worms to eat, is perhaps best of 

 all. The blight occasionally appears and causes 

 trouble, usually during dry seasons and when plants 

 are cultivated shallow. The remedy is to plant the 

 seed deeper and use every means to keep the vines 

 growing vigorously. 



Trellising. Except in the dwarf and recumbent 

 types, some means of support should be provided 

 for the rapidly growing vines. The simplest method 

 in vogue is brush. In other cases, various types of 

 framework are provided. It is possible to drive 

 posts and string wires or strings every few inches, 

 beginning at the bottom and working up to the top 



