-7- 



of moisture will be kept at close hand. Cover up 

 the little seeds with an inch thick blanket of earth, 

 after pressing them down firmly, and let them alone, 

 merely raking over the surface now and then. The 

 ground should be shaded if possible. A light sprinkling 

 of straw or leaves over the rows may serve this purpose. 

 This beautiful vine likes a very cool bed and often dis- 

 appoints the gardener by shriveling up when hot weather 

 comes if the ground is not protected from extreme heat in 

 some way. Where the tall sweet pea refuses to grow be- 

 cause of the heat, the bush sweet pea may take its place, 

 for it has so many fibrous roots that it can find nourish- 

 ment long after the tall sweet pea will die of thirst. The 

 dainty bright little faces of the Cupid sweet peas first 

 peeped out in the light of California sunshine. These 

 dwarfs are never more than five or six inches high and 

 have flower stems a trifle too short for the ordinary vase, 

 but they are very beautiful for borders or window boxes, 

 with a mat of foliage that keeps the ground moist. In a 

 very damp climate this very mat of foliage that is such a 

 protection in a dry soil, may hold too much moisture and 

 mildew. 



As with most annual plants, care must be taken not 

 to let seeds develop too early or the blooming of your 

 sweet peas will soon be at an end. When a plant begins 

 its work of maturing seed for another generation of 

 plants, it gives up the labor of producing new flower buds. 



Long before the flower seeds are planted — say about 

 the middle of March — tomato seeds should be sown in 

 fine soil in a wooden box which is three or four inches 

 deep, to be kept on the window sill in the schoolroom. 

 The small plants should be thinned out soon after they 

 germinate, otherwise they will crowd each other and 

 spindling plants will result. After they have made their 

 second leaves you must again thin them or transplant 

 some into another box. In May they may be set in their 

 own place in the garden. Care must be taken in trans- 

 planting. As large a ball of earth as is possible should 

 be taken up with the plant. They should be set out late 



