Page 26 



BETTER FRUIT 



May 



SOME ADVICE ON THE G 



BY RALPH R. ROUTLEDGE, ROUTLEDGE 



THE conditions in the vicinity of 

 Portland are ideal for sweet peas, 

 and the finest flowers in the world can 

 be grown here without any trouble, other 

 than good cultivation and the proper 

 preparation of the soil. 



The soil for sweet peas should be rich 

 and deep. A good rich loam, with plenty 

 of well rotted manure in it is the best 

 soil for raising good plants that will pro- 

 duce an abundance of blooms of large 

 size with long stems. Soils that are at 

 all heavy should be turned over in the 

 autumn, and during the winter months 

 given a good dressing of sand, hardwood 

 ashes or air-slaked lime. The ideal bed 



ROWING OF SWEET PEAS 



SEED AND FLORAL COMPANY, PORTLAND 



is made by digging a trench eighteen 

 inches deep and filling it about two- 

 thirds full of well rotted cow manure, 

 tramped down and covered with very 

 good soil. 



Sweet peas do best in a position 

 exposed to sunlight, at least part of the 

 day, although a partial shade during the 

 hottest part of the day is very essential 

 to secure the best color in the orange 

 and lavender shades. 



Much depends on the state of the 

 weather as to when the seed may be 

 sown out-of-doors; but they should be 

 sown as early in the season as the ground 

 can be worked. For very early flowers 



late fall planting is advisable, but the 

 ground must be well drained or the 

 seeds will rot. Whether you have pre- 

 pared a special bed or not it is best to 

 plant the seed in a furrow about six 

 inches deep. Sow the ordinary seed 

 thickly, and the "Spencers" more spar- 

 ingly, for the new "-Spencers'" are robust 

 growers and do best if not crowded. 

 Cover the seed with about an inch of 

 soil, pressing it down lightly. As soon 

 as they are above ground two or three 

 inches thin out to two inches apart 

 ("Spencer" varieties four to six inches); 

 if they are closer than this they do not 

 usually attain their full development. As 

 soon as the plants are about a foot high 

 the rest of the soil may be filled in the 

 trench. 



SPENCER SWEET PE.\ 



ETTA DYKE SWEET PE.A 



