74 FEEDING AND FERTILIZERS 



seize upon and so set up disease, and in any case decay 

 may set in and ruin what would otherwise be a good flower- 

 ing shoot. When the Peas have started well into growth, 

 six or eight lateral shoots may forge ahead. These should 

 be thinned out to three (or sometimes to one main stem), 

 and if the side growths are kept removed as these latter 

 appear, it will throw vigor into the stem and lead to the 

 production of finer flowers with long stalks. The illus- 

 tration of the branching of the garden (or Summer) and 

 the Winter-flowering types shows their character. 



FEEDING 



It is important, also, in order to maintain length of 

 stem, amplitude of foliage and beauty and size of bloom, 

 to keep the plants well nourished. A very thin, light 

 mulch of pulverized sheep or cow manure is sometimes 

 applied, while other growers rely upon applications of 

 these manures in a liquid state, at the rate of one part 

 diluted with ten of water, every twelve or fourteen days; 

 and this can be alternated with superphosphate, one-half 

 ounce dissolved in a gallon of water. Although it is 

 not advisable to be too generous in the use of nitrogenous 

 manures, which tend to cause rank, sappy, leafy growth, 

 still there are times when they are of value, as, for in- 

 stance, toward the end of the growing season, when the 

 plants require a fresh stimulus. They then may be watered 

 every twelve or fourteen days with sulphate of ammonia, 

 at the rate of half an ounce to each gallon of water. Scotch 

 soot, or soot got from chimneys where soft coal is burned, 

 is likewise an excellent fertilizer, containing some ammonia. 

 It has also a slightly beneficial mechanical effect on the 

 soil, particularly heavy and colder soils. Its effect on the 

 plants is to assist them in the production of growth and 



