1911.1 PUBLIC DOCUMENT — No. 31. 145 



SWEET PEA TROUBLES. 



BY G. E. STONE. 



One of the most unsatisfactory types of troul)les with wliieli 

 the pathologist has to deal is that having no specific organism 

 as its primary cause. It is especially difficult to diagnose such 

 diseases where the conditions of growing the plants are almost 

 entirely unknown, and this is the case with most of the miser- 

 able, sickly looking sweet pea jilants sent into the laboratory 

 for diagnosis. There may be well-defined troubles associated 

 with sweet peas, but from 90 to 100 per cent, of them may be 

 ])revented if the grower has even an elementary knowledge (»f 

 the conditions required by this plant. 



When sweet peas are planted in poor soil, without care or 

 preparation, unfavorable results may be looked for. That such 

 is too often the case is evident from an examination of the ma- 

 terial which is sent in for examination. To obtain a good cro]) 

 of sweet peas unusual care should be given to preparation. A 

 light soil is better than a heavy, compact soil. It is impossible 

 to grow this crop without a good depth of garden loam, and, if 

 this is not available, it must be secured by deep trenching and 

 heavy manuring. Most skillful gardeners maintaiji that the best 

 results are obtained by having a soil which the sweet pea roots 

 can penetrate deeply, and in which they can develop luxuriantly. 



A trench lVi> to 2 feet deep and the same width, filled with 

 manure and loam, is usmilly sufficient. If a good depth of root 

 development is desired, it is best to sow the seeds in trenches 

 4 to n inches below^ the surface, and as the ]dants mature the 

 soil can be gradually hoed around the stems. The many speci- 

 mens which we recei^'e from growers testify to the poor condi- 

 tions in which the plants have been grown, there being little root 

 or stem development, and often tubercles on the roots are lack- 

 ing. Proper conditions count very much in gi'owing sweet peas, 

 and when these are given, many so-called " diseases " peculiar 

 1o this plant disappear. 



