Davin HERR ii COr DETROM, Mier: 87 
SWEET PEAS 
(Lathyrus odoratus) No garden is too small for a row of Sweet Peas and no estate, however extensive or magnificent, should 
fail to include many varieties of this most popular flower. Its long blooming season usually extends from early summer 
until very hot dry weather and no other climber equals it for cutting, either for use in bouquets or for table decoration. 
In describing floral structure, by the term ‘‘standard’’ is meant the wide petal at the top of the flower; the ‘‘wings”’ are the 
two petals below. 
The Grandiflora or large flowering type, owing to its vigor of growth, its freedom of blooming and extremely wide range 
of colors is well suited for most conditions of growth and location. 
The Spencers are of exceptionally large size, the standard and wings waved or frilled and the general effect remarkably 
graceful and attractive. The plants are of vigorous growth and remain in bloom for a longer time than the Grandiflora sorts. 
The Spencers are decidedly shy seeders, hence the price will doubtless always be higher than for the older types. 
Culture. Early in spring make a trench three to four inches deep in rich, mellow soil, so arranged that no water can stand 
in it and plant the seed in the bottom, covering at first only one inch deep. One ounce of seed is sufficient to plant a single row 
of 50 feet. Sweet Peas, particularly the white seeded sorts, are often a little difficult to start. Ifthe soilis 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 furnish somesupport 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. 
The essentials for the largest and most finely formed flowers are as follows: 
Planting as early in spring as possible, deep 
spading or plowing; the placing of manure in the 
bottom of the trenches to draw the roots downward; 
a sunny situation with the rows where possible 
running north and south, the removal in the early 
stages of growth of all but two branches and 
thinning the plants to not less than eight inches 
apart in the rows. 
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. ; 
If the flower stems become shortened, an appli- 
eation of manure water will aid materially in keeping 
them long. This should follow a rain or thorough 
watering. If applied when ground is hot and dry, 
burning or serious injury will usually result. 
The blooms should be picked before they form pods 
or the plants will soon stop flowering. 
Fall Planting. A better growth of vines and 
earlier blooming often result from planting seed in the 
fall instead of early spring. If a well drained sandy 
soil is selected this method may usually be depended 
upon to give satisfactory results even in the Northern 
states. 
Preparation of the soil is the same as that for 
spring planting. The seeds should be sown about an 
inch or two apart in rows about three inches deep, and 
firmly covered with soil which should be somewhat 
ridged above the rows to improved drainage. The most 
important point in fall planting of Sweet Peas is to 
plant late enough so that plants will not appear above 
the surface of the soil before freezing weather sets in. 
Plantings are usually made in the latitude of Detroit 
from the 1st to the 15th of November. After the ground 
freezes the rows should be covered with a mulch of 
litter or manure. Upon approach of warm weather in 
the spring the rows should be examined and if plants 
have started the mulch may be removed either wholly 
or in part, leaving it between the rows or near at hand 
so that it may be replaced in case of a cold wave or 
sudden change of temperature. 
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. 
Especial attention is directed to the desirability of 
the Spring Flowering Spencers for early outdoor plant- 
ing. In localities where the hot sun of early summer 
make it difficult to obtain satisfactory results with the 
Late Spencers, it will prove of advantage to plant the 
Spring Flowering sorts. The flowering date of this class 
is so much earlier that they wiil produce an abundance 
of good blooms before being checked by the heat. 
A full assortment of colors is now available in this 
class, either through the selection of the named varieties 
we offer or in the use of our Early Flowering Spencers 
Mixed. If the results you have had with the later sorts 
have been disappointing, we suggest that you givethese 
a trial. Spencer Sweet Peas 
