9 o PRESENT-DAY GARDENING 



by members of one firm, or possibly the clerks in one office ; 

 there are scores of these competitions held in London 

 alone. It is this class of exhibitor that the present chapter 

 may benefit more than any other, for such growers are 

 always anxious to improve their knowledge whereby they 

 can gain a point or two at future exhibitions. 



In order to be successful in exhibiting Sweet Peas, as in 

 all other things, a certain amount of time and thought is 

 absolutely necessary, and nothing from start to finish must be 

 performed in a perfunctory manner. Method, hard work, 

 and attention to the smallest detail must be practised by every 

 one who would attempt to follow in the footsteps of such 

 men as Jones, Malcolm, Cole, Hopkins, and Usher. These 

 giants would tell you that their plants are given daily, yes 

 hourly, attention from the day the seeds are sown to the time 

 the haulm is pulled up and burnt after harvesting the seeds. 



Seed Sowing. There are various dates and methods 

 recommended for sowing the seed of Sweet Peas, some 

 favouring one time and some another. Many exhibitors 

 sow out-of-doors in autumn, and in gardens where the 

 soil is of a light nature and exceptionally well drained 

 this method succeeds admirably. Others sow in pots in 

 autumn, and winter the young plants in cold frames ; while 

 still others sow the seeds in spring, either in pots or in the 

 open ground. By each method success may be obtained. 

 Before deciding which system is best to adopt there are 



