90 SWEET PEAS IN THE SOUTH 



TENNESSEE 



It cannot be said that there are many Sweet Pea growers 

 in this State, and, indeed, the only one to cultivate a surplus 

 has been Addison J. McNutt, who has been able to ship blooms 

 to the Kansas City and Cincinnati markets. This grower is 

 now testing the Orchid or Spencer varieties for the first 

 time and is devoting a house 120 ft. by 20 ft. to them. 



The earliest sowing is made about August 15th, which 

 is found, all things considered, to be an excellent period. 

 Christmas Pink and similar free-flowering, sturdy varieties 

 have hitherto been employed almost exclusively. Of 

 course, plenty of head room has been given, and plants of 

 good height and flowering over a period of many weeks have 

 resulted. The rows are usually planted the length of the 

 house, running north and south, these being 3 ft. to 4 ft. 

 apart, and the plants 3 in. from one another in the row. 



Hitherto the Sweet Pea crop has not been thought of so 

 carefully as to necessitate the keeping of exact records of the 

 yield, but there is a feeling among the growers that since 

 the finer varieties are being offered it will be necessary to 

 do this, just as it has in the case of Carnations, so that the 

 least worthy kinds can be discarded and be replaced by 

 others that prove good. 



The ruling price for the older varieties, such as the 

 Christmas Pink, is $1 a hundred during December and 

 January, the price falling to 50c. a hundred in February, 

 March and April. It is found that the main cost of pro- 

 duction is in preparing the beds. These are turned 1Y2 ft- 

 deep and 6 in. of rotted manure is placed in the bottom, 

 and about 3 in. of similar material worked on the top. 

 It also pays to use about 4 lbs. of muriate of potash to 100 

 sq. ft. of ground bed. 



