86 LITTLE GARDENS 
the most important thing about the preparation of the tubs is to 
make the soil firm. If it is at all loose the Sweet Peas will be 
_ thoroughly unsatisfactory. They will make poor, weak growth, and 
their season of blossoming will be short. 
«The chief things to make a note of are: 1, to have the tubs 
al 
SWEET PEA BOBBIE K. (APPLE BLOSSOM COLOUR). 
efficiently drained; 2, to use 3 parts of rough turfy soil and 
1 part of manure; 3, to make the soil firm though not hard ; 
and 4, to sow the seeds not later than the middle of February. 
Rough wooden boxes do just as well as tubs if the latter, which are 
certainly more ornamental, cannot be had. I make a practice of sow- 
ing the seeds about 1} inches deep and 2 inches apart, subsequently 
