240 BEAUTIFUL FLOWERS 



Clumps look charming when established in selected positions 

 in gardens. They may be placed on lawns, in herbaceous borders, 

 or at fixed intervals beside garden paths. The simplest way of 

 getting a clump is to plant in a circle, which may be from three 

 to nine feet across, according to the space available. The plants 

 can be supported with sticks or galvanised wire frames. A very 

 good plan of supporting clumps is to fix a tall, strong bamboo 

 cane upright as a centre-piece, set the sticks in a circle round it, 

 and tie their tips to the bamboo. This has a neat and finished 

 appearance. 



The enemies of Sweet Peas make themselves felt from the 

 very first stage. Birds and mice may attack the seeds when sown 

 out of doors, and as a preventive the seeds should be moistened 

 with linseed oil and then rolled in red lead. Wireworm is very 

 fond of the seeds, and will sometimes find them out even when 

 they are sown in pots and put in a frame, working up through 

 the earth and entering the pots by means of the drainage hole. 

 Wireworm is the most troublesome in land from which turf has 

 been cut. It may be reduced by vigorous autumn cultivation, 

 and dressing with kainit at the rate of seven pounds per square 

 rod ; and in spring with a dressing of Vaporite at the same rate. 

 If it is found that the young plants go off when very small, slugs 

 may be suspected. As already mentioned, lime checks them, and 

 they can be reduced in numbers by placing traps in the form of 

 heaps of brewers' grains near the plants. Birds sometimes attack 

 the young plants. Twiggy shoots from the upper part of the 

 sticks check them if placed among the plants. In cases of serious 

 trouble from this source black thread must be strung just above 

 the plants. 



Moles are sometimes very troublesome, not in making direct 

 attacks upon the plants, but in disturbing them by throwing up 

 mounds while burrowing in pursuit of worms, on which the mole 

 feeds. In this case the best plan is to buy a steel mole-trap from 



