THE SWEET PEA. 59 



then have imprisoned them at the tenderest age down four inches 

 below the sunny surface of the ground, and suffocated tliem still 

 more by filling in the earth before they were at all hardened. 

 Hence the blight. I have in preparing directions for other people 

 kept in mind those who have a more or less light loam in their 

 gardens. For all others who have a clay loam I feel but little 

 sympathy, because they ought to have line Sweet Peas with only 

 half trying. But Ave had better all of us be shy of the trench 

 method. I have a soft spongy soil well enriched. I had it 

 turned up with a plough last fall, running the plough twice 

 through each furrow. I shall simply hollow out about two 

 inches where my rows come, treading the soil down if I find it 

 soft. I shall in these shallow hollows just scratch out lines an 

 inch deep for my seed, and cover only an inch, and roll the soil 

 above and along the sides. If you have clay loam it will settle 

 enough ; only do not make any soft bed underneath your seed. I 

 believe in thorough spading in the fall for the purpose of mix- 

 ing, but I should let the frost be my plough for the spring. I 

 believe this firming of the ground, avoiding the other things 

 that have smothered our tender vines, will stop the blight. I 

 am greatly annoyed with ground moles, and shall resort again to 

 tar paper, setting pieces one by two feet in size into the ground 

 every few feet to prevent their running lengthwise of the rows 

 — and catch 'em if you can ! Of course you all plant your Sweet 

 Peas as early as possible. If the Sweet Pea gave us no other 

 pleasure, it bids us hail with delight that first premature spring 

 day, after the frost is out of the warmest part of our garden, for 

 that is the foreordained time to plant this seed, unless you con- 

 tinue to set apart Fast Day for this purpose. You know by 

 experience that you must plant seed liberally enough to allow for 

 various losses. I adhere to the plan of planting in double rows, 

 sowing at the rate of an ounce to ten feet. You ought to use 

 more than that if it is cheap mixed seed. But after all losses 

 the plants should not stand nearer than three inches apart. 



Now for the cutworm. Some of the devils that did not go 

 into the swine went into this grievous garden pest. If I open 

 my mouth to boast that I don't have many of them I shall surely 

 have my pride humbled soon. I say in good faith that in so 

 beautiful a thing as a row of Sweet Peas it is a disgrace not to 

 come out ahead of this foe. I believe first in going at him in the 



