ANNUALS AND THEIR CULTIVATION. 127 



Pompon. — White, white and carmine, rose, crimson, crimson 

 and white, and violet. 



The above I think include the desirable colors of each class, but 

 there seem to be certain colors which are especially consonant to 

 each class. Thus my best Perfection Asters have been either 

 crimson or purple violet ; my best Pompons, crimson or white and 

 carmine ; and my best Victorias white or rose. Why this is so I 

 cannot say, but so they have grown with me. 



The Sweet Pea. — I think that I can say without differing in 

 opinion from any one present that the Sweet Pea is the most desi- 

 rable annual in cultivation. Its delicate fragrance, beautiful form, 

 and variety of coloring make it a favorite with the florist ; while 

 its easy culture and long continuance of blooming secure its cul- 

 tivation in ever}' flower garden. 



Sweet peas must be planted as early in the spring as the ground 

 can be worked ; the seed should be sown in drills, and covered at 

 least six inches deep. This may be done in two ways. Having 

 prepared the ground and made the drills of the desired depth, we 

 ma}' drop the seed and draw into the drill earth enough to cover 

 the seed two inches deep ; as soon as the plants appear through 

 this covering, draw into the drill two inches more earth ; and so 

 on until the drill has been filled up even with the surface of the 

 ground. Or, secondly, the seed may be dropped and covered in 

 the usual manner, at a single operation. 



The surface of the ground sometimes becomes hard just as the 

 young plants are about to appear ; especially so after a shower 

 followed by a hot sun. Unless some means is taken to prevent 

 this, a great many of the young plants will fail to break througli 

 the soil, and no more will be seen of them than if the seed had 

 not germinated at all; and those annoying ''gaps" will appear 

 in the rows. A slight raking just as the plants are breaking 

 ground will prevent this, and also kill an}' small weeds that may 

 have started. 



The most laborious task in the cultivation of sweet peas is bush- 

 ing them ; and bushed they must be almost as soon as they are 

 well up. Having an unlimited supply of white birch at hand I use 

 birch brush for bushing the sweet pea, the same as for tall grow- 

 ing garden varieties. Wire hen netting makes a very desirable 

 trellis for them to run upon, and is very neat. Whatever they are 

 trained upon must be very firmly secured in position, as the vines 



