152 GARDENING WITH BRAINS 1? 



earliest possible chance (this cannot be over- 

 emphasized), so that the roots may get far down 

 before the hot days come; frequent cultivation; 

 a thorough watering (way down to the lowest 

 roots) whenever the soil dries out; and mulching 

 a foot wide on each side of the row of plants 

 with old manure, dead leaves, lawn clippings, 

 or anything that will keep the surface of the 

 soil cool while not excluding rain water. The 

 essential thing is that the roots must always be 

 cool and moist — not wet, for that excludes the 

 air, which roots need as much as leaves do. 



A THOUSAND NEW VARIETIES 



Is it worth while to go to all this trouble 

 when there are plenty of other flowers which are 

 not so exacting? I should answer, "Yes," even 

 if sweet peas were no better now than they 

 were sixty years ago (when they had only nine 

 known varieties), for think of the thrilling 

 fragrance! But since that time more than a 

 thousand new varieties have been added, mak- 

 ing this a blossom so gorgeously and subtly 

 varied that no amount of work is too great for 

 the privilege of enjoying it. 



Progress in beautifying the sweet pea has 

 been made at an increasingly rapid pace, and 

 just at present we are in the midst of the most 

 important of all developments, which will make 

 it possible — has, indeed, already made it pos- 

 sible — for any grower of this fragrant flower to 



