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FERRY & GO'S DESCRIPTIVE CATALOGUE. 



SWEET PEAS 



(Lathyrus odoratus) No garden is too small for a row of 

 fail to include many varieties of this most popular flower, 

 very liot dry weather and no other climber 

 equals it for cutting, either for use in bou- 

 quets or for table decoration. 



Hundreds of varieties have been offered 

 for sale by seedsmen but owing to recent 

 marked improvements many sorts are de- 

 cidedly inferior and have been dropped from 

 our list. 



In describing varieties, by "standard" is 

 meant the wide petal at the top of the flower; 

 the "wings''' are the two petals below. 



Extra Early Blanche Ferry and Earliest 

 White, being the earliest known varieties, 

 are excellent for growing indoors. 



For Outdoor Planting there are two 

 general classes. Tlie more generally known 

 is the Qrandiflora or large flowering division. 

 This class, owing to its vigor of growth, its 

 freedom of blooming and extremely ^\ide 

 range of colors, is best suited for most con- 

 ditions of growth and location. 



The Spencers are of exceptionally large 

 size, the standard and wings waved or frilled 

 and tlie general effect remarkably graceful 

 and attractive. The Spencers are decidedly 

 shy seeders, hence the price will doubtless 

 always be higher than for the older types. 



In addition to these two classes for out- 

 door planting which are generally recognized, 

 thei'e is also a third subdivision or class, called 

 the Unwin type, in which the blossoms are 

 wa^ied like the Spencers but are usually not 

 quite so large, although distinctly larger than 

 those of the Grand ittora type. Tlie Unwins 

 are frequently of heavier texture than the 

 Spencers and are sometimes more depend- 

 able for growing under adverse conditions. 

 They seed more freely, hence are usually 

 cheaper in price than the Spencers, but are 

 dearer than the Grandifloras. The larger 

 Unwin varieties whicli we hst -will be found 

 in the Spencer division. 



CuSture. Early in spring; malve a trench 

 three to four inches deep in rich, mellow soil, 

 so arranged that no water can stand in it and 

 plant tlie seed in the bottom, covering at 

 first only one inch deep. Sweet Peas, particu- 

 larly the white seeded sorts, are often a little 

 difficult to start. If the soil is too dry they 

 will remain a long time without germinating, 

 if it is too wet and cold they will not sprout 

 at all. In soils at all heavy, or composed 

 largely of clay, put about one inch of sand 

 in the bottom of the trench and sow the seed 

 on this, covering with more sand. Cover the 

 row with a board to shed the rain and protect 

 the soil from the hot sun but remove this as 

 soon as the young plants appear. 



When the plants are two inches high, 

 cultivate and as they grow gradually fill up 

 the trench. When the plants are about five 

 inches high it is desirable to fvirnish some 

 support for the vines to run upon, preferably 

 a wire netting firmly supported by stakes to 

 prevent sagging, but strings or brush are 

 often used with satisfactory results. 



Where plantings are made as early as 

 possible, deep spading or plowing, the plac- 

 ing of manure deeply in the soil to draw the 

 roots downward, a sunny situation with the 

 rows running where possible north and south, 

 the removal in the early stages of growth of 

 all but two brandies and the thinning of the 

 plants eight to twelve inches apart — these 

 conditions are usually essential for the largest 

 and most finely formed blossoms. 



The roots should not be allowed to become 

 too dry. Water applied thoroughly once or 

 twice a week, preferably early in the morning 

 or in the evening, is usually better than light 

 sprinkling more frequently. 



For the aphis or plant louse, spraying 

 with solutions of some tobacco extract or 

 whale-oil soap is usually effective: and for 

 the Red Spider, which also causes trouble at 

 times, spraying with pure water is usually 

 sufficient. A frequent change of location has 

 also been found important. 



A better growth of the vines and earlier 

 blooming often result from planting seed 

 late in the fall instead of eai-ly in the spring. 



The blooms should be picked before they 

 form pods or the plants will soon stop 

 flowering. 



Sweet Peas and no estate, however extensive or ma^ 

 Its long blooming season usually extends from earl 



nificent, should 

 y summer until 



Sweet Peas, King White 



