30 



THB: CANADIAN HORTICULTUHI 



ST 



February, 1908 



run north and south. An objection has 

 been offered to this position of the rows, 

 on the ground that when gathering 

 flowers in the morning, the eastern sun- 

 light is directly in the eyes, and in the 

 afternoon, the western sunlight will be 

 just as troublesome. But when we con- 

 sider that vines growing in rows run- 

 ning east and west are drawn more to- 

 ward the sun, and the work of training 

 and supporting them is consequently 

 greater, we can look with favor upon the 

 rows running north and south, even if 

 we have to wear colored glasses when 

 gathering the flowers 



If planting on a large scale, the rows 

 should be at least four feet apart. But 

 I am writing more particularly to those 

 who have only small grounds and grow 

 sweet peas for their own immediate 

 pleasure. It may be that you have a 

 small city garden and are compelled to 

 grow sweet peas near the fence. If so, 

 make the rows eighteen inches away 

 from the fence, and construct a frame 

 support, which will enable you to use 

 string. I have always used string, and 

 heartily disapprove of wire. With 

 string, you can make a much neater 

 support, and will have no trouble to 

 reach through when gathering flowers. 

 Painting your fence and woodwork green 

 makes a very pleasing effect. Keeping 

 the support eighteen inches from the 

 fence from top to bottom will permit air 

 to pass about the peas, and prevent 

 them drying out or burning. 



KIND AND TREATMENT OF SOU. 



The soil most suitable for sweet peas 

 is a clayey loam. My soil was originally 

 heavy clay. I dug out a part of it and 

 mixed sharp sand with what was left, 

 until now it breaks up very easily. 

 Last fall I added a large quantity of 

 sandy loam and worked it in with well- 

 rotted cow manure, digging it over per- 

 haps a dozen times before the frost 

 set in. I always turn my soil over many 

 times during the fall. This allows it to 

 come to the open air and sweeten. It 

 is also a good plan to cover with good 

 hardwood ashes just before the fall 

 rains begin, so that potash may leach 

 in. I have noticed that when I used 

 ashes in this way, mixed with about 

 equal quantities of air-slacked lime, the 

 earth is freed from cut-worms. If your 

 soil is light and sandy, add equal parts 

 of clayey loam and plenty of well-rotted 

 cow manure. 



A very wet soil is not good for sweet 

 peas. It has a tendency to sour, and 

 nothing will grow in it. If you care to 

 test your soil to discover if it is sour or 

 not, take a handful of it and put it into 

 a tin of water. Mix it up thoroughly, 

 and let stand for about an hour. Then 

 take a piece of blue litmus paper, which 

 any drviggist will supply you, and place 

 it in the mixture. If it turns pink, your 

 earth is sour and air-slacked lime should 



be added to neutralize it. Sweet peas 

 require an abundance of water, but they 

 do not like "wet feet," that is to say, 

 water must never be allowed to stand 

 about the roots in little pools; this will 

 cause them to rot, or "damp off." 



Sweet peas should never be planted 

 two successive years in the same soil. 

 You can plant in the same locality, but 

 to get the best results you should change 

 the soil. I have tried several methods 

 of planting, but have found a trench 

 system the most satisfactory. I dig a 

 trtnch ten inches deep, the width of a 

 spade, removing the earth as I would 

 for a drain. Then I cover the bottom 

 of the trench with about four inches of 

 well-rotted horse manure (purposely 

 avoiding cow manure) and tramp it 

 down well. On this, I place two inches 

 of finely-pulverized earth, upon which 

 I sow my seed in two rows, three inches 

 apart, and the seeds placed alternately 

 three inches apart, thus — . ' . ' . • 



This method will give 

 plenty of room for each 

 root, and enable you to 

 place your strings be- 

 tween the two rows. I 

 always use a line stretch- 

 ed along the trench, as 

 a guide to keep the seed 

 rows straight when 

 planting. Now cover 

 the seeds with one inch 

 of finely pulverized soil, 

 and over this put one 

 inch of pulverized sheep 

 manure, if you can get 

 it, or well-rotted horse 

 manure, if nothing 

 better can be obtained, 

 or a thin covering of fine bone meal. 



Fill in the trench until a Uttle higher 

 than the walls, so that during heavy 

 showers, water will not stand upon it. 

 The seeds will now be four inches deep, 

 thus insuring coolness and plenty of 

 moisture. Planting time should be as 

 early as you can possibly work the soil. 

 With seeds so deep, there will be no 

 danger of frost blighting them. The 

 roots strike down and provide for strong 

 healthy growths. From this method, 

 last year, I had King Edward VII nearly 

 eleven feet high. They were planted 

 on April 18, began blooming on July 

 15, and continued to throw fine, large 

 flowers until October 23, when the 

 frost killed them. I never raised more 

 thrifty sweet peas, and I shall plant thus 

 until I learn a better method. 



I have made a practice of giving sweet 

 peas a mulch of grass cuttings to keep 

 the roots cool and moist. When this is 

 done it is not necessary to water so 

 often. But I usually spray my vines 

 every evening for a few minutes, after 

 they begin to bloom, to keep off the red 

 spider. I also make a practice of treat- 

 ing them to a good soaking of liquid 



manure once a week. I do not put this 

 directly upon the vines, but make a 

 small gutter at the side of the row and 

 pour the liquid manure into it. This 

 soaks in about the roots and is more 

 effectual than if put directly upon the 

 row. Always replace the grass mulch 

 after each application of the liquid 

 manure. 



INSECTS AND DISEASES 



The only insects that trouble sweet 

 peas are the red spider and the green 

 aphis or "pea louse." These can be 

 kept off by spraying with a strong solu- 

 tion of salt, say a good handful in about 

 a gallon of water. The sweet pea blight 

 is a disease which causes the vines to 

 turn yellow and die. This is due to 

 dampness. Too much moisture in the 

 soil should be carefully avoided. When 

 vines turn yellow, stop watering, and 

 remove^the grass mulch for a while. A 

 sprinkling of wood ashes is often a very 

 good treatment in such cases. 



Effect of Fertilizers on Primulas 



See next page 



F'lowers should be gathered in the 

 morning, and placed in water as soon as 

 possible. Keep the vines clear of faded 

 flowers and let none go to seed, except 

 on a few vines that you have specially 

 selected. Cutting vines back is also a 

 good method of improving the bloom. 

 A careful observation every morning 

 will teach more lessons than articles of 

 this kind, and will afford you greater 

 pleasure and success. 



An easy bulb to handle is the Chinese 

 sacred lily, either in water or in soil. 

 It will bloom in six weeks. 



Achillea Ptarmica.— The achilleas or 

 yarrows are plants of easy culture. 

 They are ornamental both in flower 

 and foliage. Variety "The Pearl" is 

 the best for a display in the garden 

 and for cutting. This variety con- 

 tinues blooming all summer and fall 

 if planted on a damp piece of groimd. 

 Flowers are pure white and double, 

 and are produced in the greatest pro- 

 fusion, growing to about three feet 

 high, — Roderick Cameron, Queen Vic- 

 toria Park, Niagara Falls, Ont. 



