378 SATURDAY IN MY GARDEN 



wood ashes saved from the autumn bonfire, and a few handfuls 

 of soot. 



After the soil has been allowed to settle for a few days it is a good 

 plan in dry weather to tread it'down lightly, and it will then be 

 ready for sowing. Thick sowing should be avoided. If the seeds 

 are placed from four to six inches apart they will be quite close 

 enough. They need not be covered with more than two inches of 

 soil, which for the surface dressing should be fine and friable, and 

 so arranged that the top of the trench is two inches lower than the 

 surrouning soil. The trenches should not be less than five feet 

 apart for tall-growing varieties. 



The aim of the cultivator of peas, if he have room, should be to 

 secure a succession of crops. If he sow early varieties in February, 

 such as Mayflower, he will have peas by the end of May ; Edwin 

 Beckett sown early hi March will yield full pods by June ; Carter's 

 Early Morn sown hi April will also yield in June, while for other 

 sowings in April may be mentioned Quite Content (a magnificent 

 variety), Dreadnought (one of the largest blunt-podded peas in 

 cultivation), and Model Telephone. For a later sowing, from the 

 end of May until the middle of June, Michaelmas is a heavy cropper. 

 These varieties, if sown in succession in the order named, will pro- 

 vide crops from June to November. 



There are two natural enemies that the cultivator of peas will 

 require to guard against during the early stages of their growth. 

 These are slugs and birds. In the event of very damp weather 

 following immediately upon the appearance of the tiny green 

 shoots above the surface of the soil slugs may prove very destruc- 

 tive. If a mixture of lime and soot be dusted along the trenches at 

 the time of sowing and a further dusting be given along the surface 

 a fortnight later the enemy may be kept in check, but he will need 

 to be carefully watched and at the first sign of a renewed attack 

 the application of soot and lime must be repeated. 



The attacks of birds can be warded off more easily. A reference 

 to Diagram 65 will show the simple methods commonly in use. 



At Figures 2, 3 and 4 are depicted various contrivances, which 

 can easily be made at home the only utensils required being a 



