26 



THE GARDEN MAGAZINE 



February, 1918 



cannot be had. When the trench is finished 

 give it a dusting of powdered lime (freshly 

 slaked lime), raking it into the surface. Two 

 to three ounces per yard will be sufficient. 



Because this work is best done in the fall, 

 the soil settling during winter, it is essential 

 in spring preparation to thoroughly consoli- 

 date the trench by treading previous to plant- 

 ing, otherwise it will dry out quickly. 



Seed Sowing Under Glass 



"yOU will have better, stronger and taller 

 A vines and a much longer flowering 

 season, while the plants will begin to bloom 

 two to three weeks earlier, by starting the 

 seed under glass. Sow during this month 



Outdoors in April the lavender and blue flowered kinds, 

 and all white seeds are best sown in a shallow furrow of 

 pure clean sand 



(February) and as early as possible. That 

 will give sturdy, well rooted plants ready for 

 setting out during April. 



A cool greenhouse, mild hotbed, or even a 

 coldframe, is necessary for modern Sweet Pea 

 culture. When using wooden flats, fill 

 two thirds with a medium compost, i. e., 

 soil neither too light nor yet very heavy. On 

 top of this put one inch of coarse sand, in 

 which the seed is sown. Mark out little 

 furrows two thirds of an inch deep and two 

 to three inches apart. After soaking the 

 seed for twenty-four hours in warm water, 

 sow the individuals two inches apart. Cover 

 and press firmly. The seed is thus sown 

 no deeper than two thirds of an inch. 



Training Up the Young Plants 



I3E CAREFUL not to over-water until the 

 ■* J seed has made a good start. Indeed, 

 if a coldframe is used to house the flats, it 

 may not be necessary to give any water at all 

 until seedlings are well through the soil. 

 When watering, always apply in the morn- 

 ing while the days are short and the nights 

 apt to be cold and frosty. During such 

 weather cover the frames at night with burlap 

 or old sacks. When the plants are two to 

 three inches high give air on fine days. The 

 Sweet Pea is a hardy fellow and very im- 

 patient of coddling; therefore see to it that 

 the sashes are freely opened during bright or 

 mild weather. When the plants are four 

 inches high, pinch out the tip of the shoot to 

 encourage side growths, which will appear 

 from near the base. 



As the weather becomes milder, the sash 

 may be removed entirely during the day, and 

 early in April, unless during severe frost, 

 kept off" entirely night and day. 



Usually around the second week in April 

 (latitude of Philadelphia) it is time to 

 plant out, and if the ground is then ready for 

 them get the plants transplanted without 

 delay. In transplanting remove one end of 

 the flat as this will allow you to handle the 

 plants more easily and eliminate the danger of 

 breaking the roots. Plant six inches apart in 

 the row, and make sure that the roots are not 

 twisted in planting, making the hole suf- 

 ficiently deep to take care of the longest. 

 They should now have a period of six weeks 

 of cool and (usually) moist weather to store 

 up sufficient strength to give a bountiful 

 harvest of bloom from early June onward. 



Sowing in the -Open 



TT IS seldom that soil and weather con- 

 ■*■ ditions will allow us to sow before the 

 first week in April. When we can manage it, 

 we prefer to sow toward the end of March. 

 When sowing in the spring, cover the seed not 

 more than two inches. To make sure of a 

 perfect stand of the white seeded and lavender 

 varieties, which have very tender seed coats, 

 they should be sown in sand. Make the 

 furrows for these varieties a little deeper, 

 say three inches, fill with pure coarse sand, 

 and sow therein, two inches deep, not more. 



To eliminate the danger of seed rotting 

 and ensure perfect germination, soak all 

 varieties in warm water as recommended 

 above. When two inches high, thin out the 

 seedlings to stand jour to six inches apart. 



Varieties to be Depended Upon 



TX7"HERE the flowers are wanted primarily 

 * * for cutting in quantity, a few of the new 

 Early-flowering Spencers must be grown as 

 they will prolong the blooming season. This 

 type naturally begins to flower at least two 

 weeks ahead of the regular or summer flower- 

 ing Spencers, and, when no seed pods are 

 allowed to form, continues blooming freely 

 throughout the season. Their great value 

 for cutting is readily apparent, and I have 

 proved that full dependence can be placed 

 upon the following: 



EARLY FLOWERING SPENCERS 



Early Enchantress, a charming rose-pink with deeper 

 edges. 



Early Primrose Beauty, rich primrose flushed rose. 

 Yarrawa, a very large rose-pink with cream base. 

 Early Snowstorm, pure white. 

 Early Pine. Eeauty, soft pink self. 

 Early King, bright crimson self. 



Early Lavender King, a beautiful clear lavender self. 

 Early Rosy Morn, rich rose with crimson standard. 

 Early Sankey, a large black-seeded white self. 



SUMMER FLOWERING SPENCERS 



Constance Hinton and King White, the best whites. 

 Floradale Fairy, cream self, gives many double flowers. 

 Margaret Atlee,Mrs.Routzahn, Lilian, and Dor is Usher 

 form a quartet of the best cream pinks and all quite distinct. 

 Elfrida Pearson, light pink, a beauty. 

 Hercules, the best deep rose-pink. 

 Illuminator, salmon-cerise. 

 Fiery Cross, fire-red self. 

 The President, orange scarlet self. 

 King Edward Spencer, rich crimson. 

 Orchid, a rich true lavender. 

 Margaret Madison, light blue. 

 King Manuel, deep shining maroon. 

 Royal Purple, a true purple self. 

 Cherub, cream edged rose. 



Snapdragons for Bedding and as House Plants 



*TPHE Antirrhinum is surely coming into its 

 ■*■ own as the great value of this fine old 

 plant is being universally recognized. Specially 

 selected strains are grown in large quantities 

 under glass for winter and spring flowering. 



It is, however, its value as a bedding plant 

 or where it is grown for cutting in the open that 

 will appeal to the average flower lover. Since 

 the war began it is now taking the place of 

 the Ten Week Stock (seed of which used to 

 be imported from Germany), for bedding 

 purposes, in the gardens and parks of the 

 British Isles. 



Thanks to the good work of the seed 

 growers the Snapdragons now offered may be 

 relied upon to come practically true to color 

 from seed, and many fine and distinct varieties 

 have been evolved. 



Antirrhinums are classified as tall, medium 

 or intermediate, and dwarf or Tom Thumb. 

 The heights of the sections are relative and 

 will somewhat differ with different soils and 

 locations. The tall section usually attains a 

 height of about thirty inches; the interme- 

 diate section, eighteen inches; and the dwarf 

 section nine to twelve inches. These heights 

 are taken to include the top of the flower spike. 

 The intermediate section is undoubtedly the 

 most useful, and includes the best varieties 

 and greatest range of color. It will run to. 

 three feet under glass. 



As the Antirrhinum is readily cross- 

 fertilized by insects, the various colors' must 

 be well isolated when grown for seed to ensure 

 fixity of stocks. 



Treating the Plant as an Annual 



nPHE Antirrhinum is a perennial, but best 

 •"■ results are obtained by treating it as an 

 annual, sowing the seed in February or early 

 March and placing the seed flats in heat. 



Shallow wooden flats three to four inches 

 deep as suggested for Sweet Peas, filled with 

 a fairly light compost, are the best means 

 of sowing the seed. The soil should be well 

 watered about an hour previous to sowing. 

 As the seed is quite small — minute indeed — 

 it must not be covered deeply, but only just 

 covered to a depth of one sixteenth of an inch. 



No, not "Somewhere in France," but merely the proper 

 way to prepare your garden "Everywhere in America" for 

 Sweet Peas. Three feet deep, two feet wide, and properly 

 enriched with manure, bone, lime, etc. 



