Gardening for Amateurs 



531 



Sweet Peas are unsurpassed for decorative use. 



Sweet Peas 



WE are all familiar with the old 

 adage, " Well begun is half done," 

 and in dealing with Sweet Pea 

 cultivation there can be no two opinions 

 as to the truth of it. Soil preparation 

 need not be carried out on rule-of -thumb 

 lines previously thought to be absolutely 

 necessary. As a general rule, it is safe 

 to say that, no matter what sort of soil 

 one has to deal with, the earlier the 

 work of preparation is taken in hand the 

 better, whether the ground be light or 

 heavy, or if the object of the grower is to 

 obtain a long succession of bloom for home 

 use or an occasional display at an exhibition. 

 Preparing the Ground. Although Sweet 

 Peas will give fairly good returns on a semi- 

 shady border, plants growing there lack the 

 vigour and their flowers the substance 

 characteristic of others in the open garden. 



Therefore choose a position as far away from 

 the shade of trees or the roots of rigorous 

 plants as H conveniently ]>ossible ; even in 

 a mixed border, the roots of other plants 

 are not slow to take advantage of the better 

 soil prepared expressly for the Peas. The 

 question as to which is the most advantageous 

 method of growing Sweet Peas, in circles i>r 

 in rows, is one upon which growers fail to 

 agree, but we certainly advise those \\ho 

 grow only a do/.en or so varieties to adopt 

 the circle or clump plan, planting only one 

 or perhaps two varieties in each clump. 

 Even when Peas are grown in clumps it n 

 far preferable to have the whole plot of 

 ground dug deeply than merely to dig holes 

 where the clumps are to l>e placed. The 

 question of manure used must be governed 

 by the soil one is dealing with and the 

 resources of the grower. 



