D. M. FEPkRY & CO., DETROIT, MICH. 



87 



Sweet Pea Trials at Our Experimental Gardens 



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 varieties, by "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. 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 furnish 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. 



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 application 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 goon 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 improve 

 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. 



