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SWEET PEAS FOR 



SUMMER SALES 



Winter-flowering siveet peas, grown under glass, constitute one of the 

 standard and most profitable florists' crops. Their season is past, however, 

 when the June brides and graduates call strongly for these flowers. How the 

 demand may be met with the later type is the message of this article. 



XCEPTING the orchid it- 

 self, no modern flower can 

 surpass the sweet pea in 

 exquisite beauty, richness 

 of coloring and sweetness 

 of fragrance. During 

 March, April and May, 

 winter-flowering peas at- 

 tain their highest state of 

 excellence and at this time 

 the demand seems unlimited — and some- 

 times, also, the supply. But after early 

 June, greenhouse peas live largely on 

 their reputation. For brides and gradu- 

 ates, however, the demand for good 

 sweet peas is active even to the last day 

 of June. To meet this late demand, as 

 well as the less insistent demand in 

 July, the writer has 

 for some years been 

 growing an outdoor 

 crop of what is popu- 

 larly known as sum- 

 mer or late-flowering 

 Spencers. As the time 

 is approaching for 

 getting this crop un- 

 der way, a few re- 

 marks on our system 

 of growing may be 

 timely. 



It should be borne 

 in mind that the data 

 given apply to the 

 climatic conditions of 

 Chicago. Seed is sown 

 in the greenhouse 

 February 1. The seed- 

 lings are potted about 

 a month later, four in 

 a 4-inch pot or three 

 in a 3-inch pot, and 

 are placed in the cool- 

 est house we have, or 

 in a coldframe with 

 enough steam pipes to 

 keep out frost. The 

 latter method is the 

 best and least expen- 

 sive way to grow on 

 this young stock. 



About April 1, or 

 after the seedlings 

 are well started, the 

 top of each plant 

 should be pinched to 

 encourage the later- 

 als, which become the 

 real body of the 

 plants. A fall-plowed, 

 well manured and 

 limed piece of land 

 should be selected. It 

 is also important that 

 the land have a slight 

 slope, preferably to 



By GEORGE J. BALL. 



the south. The slope insures the all-im- 

 portant matter of drainage, besides leav- 

 ing the soil in workable condition as 

 early as the frost is drawn out of it. 

 This slight slope is also a necessary fea- 

 ture of irrigation, though a fall of 

 twelve inches in 100 feet is ample. 



Before transferring the stock to the 

 field, a thorough fumigation or spraying 

 for green fly is necessary. Lack of at- 

 tention to this precaution leads to a 

 serious handicap, for when the weather 

 becomes warm these pests sometimes 

 spread over the plants in a ruinous way. 

 In fact, this crop seems to afford a real 

 heaven for them. If allowed to develop. 



George J. Ball. 



they reach the winged stage and then 

 are immune to an application of nico- 

 tine that easily destroys the small ones. 

 By the middle of April we have large, 

 bushy plants that have filled 3-inch or 4- 

 inch pots with white roots, and, if these 

 are well hardened, a light frost will tone 

 them up rather than harm them. At this 

 early date we risk putting a few in the 

 field, being prepared, however, to protect 

 them from a freeze. It should be kept 

 in mind that the earlier they can be 

 planted in the field, the finer will be the 

 results; so it pays to take a chance with 

 as many as can be cared for should the 

 temperature drop too low. Deep rooting 

 before warm weather drives up the 

 growth is the secret, if we may call it 

 that, of fine, long- 

 stemmed outdoorpeas. 

 We plant them in 

 rows three feet apart 

 and 4-inch pot plants 

 are spaced eight to 

 ten inches apart in 

 the row. To growers 

 farther north, or 

 where climatic condi- 

 tions allow fuller de- 

 velopment, this spac- 

 ing may seem too 

 close, but with us the 

 heat of July cuts the 

 life of the plants by 

 half. As in the case 

 of winter peas, we de- 

 pend on the terminal 

 growths for most of 

 our flowers. Ordi- 

 narily our plants de- 

 velop a height of 

 about five feet and 

 the three feet be- 

 tween the rows leaves 

 ample room to attend 

 to necessary details. 

 It is assumed that 

 The Review's readers 

 know the importance 

 of giving their plants 

 every chance for de- 

 velopment by keeping 

 down the weeds, and 

 the importance, also, 

 of aerating the soil 

 by cultivation. So let 

 us pass on to the con- 

 sideration of sup- 

 ports. At intervals of 

 twenty-five feet in 

 the row, 6-foot lengths 

 of 2x2 are driven into 

 the ground. To these 

 are stapled horizontal- 

 ly No. 18 galvanized 

 wires, six to eight 



