SWEET PEA 



SWEET PEA 



iir^ii 



tiir 



diHora 

 i^ it i.Trtaiiil\' is 

 Tlir rlr.wfr. The 

 Swret Pt^a takes 

 vrr {<• Tlir lu-st i^raiidi- 

 adiliUL; Im The liuinbur 

 'I oVf,l Swi'irT I'ra liuw 

 -I'lllr ixlriit. and rvni 



primrose-oream, iMitt'-i'iHann. UvilT-pink. various shades 

 of light piuk. rit'sh-piuk, rose-pink, ^e\ ei'al sha<lev (d" 

 bright rose, searlet, criuisi.u-M-arh-r. n.di ld'M.<[-rr,l , 

 light lihie. iiuaive-bhio. ilark lilin'. Ia\eiider, saliiion- 

 pink and also light rose, with mere or li-s.s rich infiisi.ni 

 ot orange, purple, mageuta. inatuiiu wiili ltronz\- ea-^t ur 

 rich velvety ellect. and shades ,>l' \ iuiet. All of llie^e 

 are found in (>a->aldy -u'hI ::-eliV and also in eniitrasted 

 and Mrnded >*(d.nN. and all ihese eMh,rs are n^^w I'miukI 

 iu stripe^ and i"lakes. In IS'J:; the hrst dv,arf Swrei Tea 

 called *.'npid \\a- f.mnd in (.'al i I'.prnia, lln- white lir^I aii- 

 pearinu', and n^-w prar[ieally all enhirs ha\i' linni fiiuiul 

 in this ilindnniix'e fL'nn. in thi^ fi)rni «.if ^purling the 

 plant totally ahandons its vine halnt. iiiakinu- a nnit of 

 dwarf foliage, the bh-sscnis being <d' the usual size, but 

 ■with very short stems. 



The best canon of jud.^nneut uives i 

 to the s.i-calleil "double" Sweet l'r;i 

 single form being the ajiproved t\ ]ie. 

 the nu^st graceful and best ada]neii t. 

 hierhest form of development wliirh tb( 

 is tirst in bringing the siiii^ie rlowrr t. 

 flora size and form, and then, ii 

 of tiowers on the stem. The in 

 takes oTi 4 bhissMiiis t'.> a stem ti 

 5 blossoms t" a true simple stem are ni.^t tmknown, Tlie 

 length anil diameter of the stem are also impnrtant 

 in determinin:: merit. Stems ]4 in. b..nL;- are occasion- 

 ally exhihited. and the tlower cannot In- said to have 

 high culture unless the --tems are wrjl ^n to\var<ls 10 

 inches in length. The t^no^^t granditinra \\]n- of lilos>oiu 

 has a standard which whi'n pressed (nit will be noarly 

 circular and will eovrr a <ilviT <lo]Jar. The linest 

 exhibition stork will now show s-.nue blossoms that 

 measure P4 in. across. 



Now that this dower is gr^.'wn for tho lushest com- 

 petitive test of skill, the rules for judgini;- an exhibit 

 are of importance. Although no scale of points has 

 received general rec<ic:nition, yet. allowing that each 

 variety must be judged according to the correct indi- 

 vidual type under which it was introduced, size of 

 blossom, color, form, substance, number of blossoms <.m 

 the stem and size of 

 stem, are the essential 

 points. The retrt.igrade 

 vi sti.Mjk is i-asilv shown 

 by the loss of full 

 rounded o\nline, retlexed 

 standard and deterior- 

 ated substance. De- 

 seriptive terms have 

 been adopted by the 

 growers to some extent, 

 e. g., blossoms take the 

 old common form, or are 

 semi -expanded, Inddly 

 expanded, h o o d r .1 . 

 notched, shell-shaiM-d, or 

 i,^randitie.ra. Position of 

 blossoms cm the stem is 

 also a point aimed at by 

 the specialist. 



A good degree of suc- 

 cess is now reported fr^m 

 ordinary gardens every- 

 ■\vlo-re in the grc-wiioj; of 

 this f-lr.wer. Yet sinc<- it 

 has been lirouirljt t(. its 

 lo-i-sent hi-'blv hvln-id- 

 izod an<l developed 

 stai:-e s<Mne of its hanly 

 h ab its that fonnrrly 

 made it '/asy to jjtow 

 ha\'o beeit r e <1 u c e d . 

 Closer attention must 

 now lie paid to surli rules 

 of (.'nlture as ha\'o bcTi 

 found necessary. Tolerably rich soil incdinirjg to a clay 

 loam is best. Over-enriching will be likely to eanse an 

 excess of vine growth at the expense of bloom. In all 

 light soil, firming the ground by treadinir or I'oHinir it 

 will be found a preventive of the early MiLrbt. The time 

 for planting is as early as possible, the uround having 



been prepared in the fall, and tho seed : 

 as rile frt.ist is out . 'idiisiirst planting- s] 

 one imdi. the jdaia- where the ro\v i-.nnc^ 

 onr about three inches to Indd moisinro 

 ing needs to be covered wilh (hree iorhi 



A lain- plani- 

 ■s ol' soil. Slow 



2i42. Gaiety Sweet Fea. 



2443. Red Ridine Hood Sweet Pea. 



germination an.l almost a standstill condition tlirouirh 

 the month of IMay is better than any forcin;;- process. 

 (.)nly the thinnest top-soil should lie disturbed in hoeiu^^ 

 and no soil filled in earlier than June, if at all. Cut- 

 worms must be shown no quarter. A light mulch is 

 excellent for shadiuL: the --round. ^Vhatever support is 

 given the vines nnnst be strou:^^ and six feet high, A 

 wire trellis answers W(dl, Init i;nod bindies give the 

 vines a chance to randde and they an- cooler and nmre 

 airy. Kows should run north an.l south. All the 

 strength of the vines should be conserved by keepinir 

 the pods removed. i^y -p IIutchins 



C'ALIFCiKNIA'i^ CoXTRIBrThiXS To THE SWEET PeA.— 



The pink and white Sweet Tea. or, as it was popularly 

 known, the "Painted Lady." is an old-tinn- ganbn 

 favorite which was greatly estee]ne<l by flower lovers 

 for its beautiful coloring ami delightful fragrance. 

 This ty]ie, with the old st\ le white-th.wered kind and a 

 few sniall-lifiwerod sorts i.if dull and unattractive cohir- 

 ing. ci'iistituted for many years the entire assortment 

 of varieties known to gardeners. A\dn.'n any one spoke 

 of the Sweet Pea the Painti-d Lady was understood, in 

 the same way that in speakimr of a lea rose tin- favorite 

 Safrauo \\"as the variety alw ays referred to. In tlie pa^t 

 twelve years all tiiis has been clmnged by the wonderful 

 improvements made by specialists in the flevelopun^nt 

 of tljjs flower and its conseipient ]io]iu]arity. C)\iv list 

 cif varieties <.<f the tall-Lrrowing or running t\"pe now 

 numbers over ]S(i varieties. 



This great imiM-i>vemen1 is due piinuirilv to the work 

 of Henrv Eckford. of Eii::-|arnl. who has impr.ived 

 the Sweet Pea m.-nnly by selection. The Laxi-ns aNo 

 sent out a ]iumbrr of cr^svos, wlpjdi were ^"er^" ilistinct 

 in coloring but of small size, and tlmimii the cidors 

 were rich they wi'ro \i->[ attra.d i \'e. (.iwing t*:' tin.-' 

 cjinnitic cmiditions under \\ hi'di he "worked and his 

 greater interest in the ininro\-cnii'iit of the di^wer. ^Ir. 

 Eckford has not produmd seed in sufiicient quantities 

 to Lrreatly cheapen Ihe iirici-. and tliis element of popu- 

 larity ha^ been --upplied \>y our own wrmilerland of 

 do\vers-r;ilifoniia. In ("'al ifomia . tin.dy rii'ened s,.,.,] 

 can be iinxlnced in such large iittaiitities that in l w.,i 



