January 27, 1912. 



THE GARDENERS' MAGAZINE, 



71 



SOIL PREPARATION FOR 



SWEET PEAS. 



Xo one will doubt that the proper pre- 

 ])aration of the soil is the foundation of 

 -access in the cultivation of sweet peas. 

 Last season provided many object-lessons 

 as to the suitability or otherwise of cer- 

 tain soils for the successful growth of this 

 tavourite flower, and of the importance of 

 d*'op cultivation. Excepting a deep friable 

 i(iain, a heavy retentive soil is the best 

 medium for the roots we could wish, pro- 

 \ ided it is properly prepared. The flowers 

 rolour well when the plants are growing in 

 tich a soil, and they possess much sub- 

 :ance in both stem and petal, both of 

 liich are important, especially when the 

 winning of j^rizes is the chief aim of the 

 cultivator. Sweet peas, when groAving in 

 iiff .voil, make stout haulm, which is most 



have the 



^lowth too sturdy. Large, thick^ leathery 

 i.'aves of a dense green colour are a sure 

 indication of what the flower crop will be, 

 prDvided, of course, all necessary details 



;i re i-arried out. 



rsirable, it being difficult to 



Deep Cultivation. 



What is needed to ensure success is a deep, 

 well-prepared, rich rooting medium, and 

 as the roots of sweet peas go to a great 

 depth when the medium will allow them 

 to do so, deeply stirred soil is necessary. 

 This is a brief summary of the require- 

 ments ; how it shall be prepared is, of 

 course, a matter of opinion, ea.ch cultivator 

 has his own method, and, as I have always 

 said, there is no one ]-oad only to success. 



While trenching is such a boon in lieavy 

 soil, it is not such an essential detail in 

 that which is sandy. Why are heavy soils 

 trenched is a question that might well be 

 asked, and it is one deserving an answer, 

 as this, when properly given, should be 

 of assistance to the inexperienced. Apart 

 from the facility of root penetration, the 

 deep stirring of the soil well down into 

 the hard subsoil admits of a quick pas- 

 sage of water after heavy rains, and thus 

 a void s stag na n t water a bo u t the roots . 

 This is important, as it ensures the free, 

 uninterrupted growth which is so de- 

 sirable for all plant life. Fispecially is 

 checking injurious to plants tliat havi^ to 



3ft. deep after the bottom is broken up^ 

 a quanity of half-decn^^ed stable manure. 

 Cover this with a few inches of lighter soil 

 and a good dressing of superphosphate of 

 lime. In using this artificial manure it is 

 well to empW a high grade as less in quan- 

 tity is required, A good sample should 

 contain 30 per cent, of soluble phosphate. 

 The superphosphate should be mixed with 

 the soil at tlie rat<* of loz. to every square 

 foot superficial. Mix the manure with the 

 soil as the trenching goes on^ adding the 

 superphospate regularly, but do not plae 

 thick layers of manure by itself, rather 

 thorougldy mix with the soil, 

 occa^iionally a liandful of bone-meal. The 

 f a rmyia rd m a n u re sh ou Id not be nea rer 

 than nine inches of the surface, but con- 

 tinue the superphosphate. 



Whether the sweet peas are to be grown 

 in lines or clumps the metliod of trenching 

 is the same. Jn carrying out tliis opera- 

 tion tlie soil should be broken up to the 

 desired depth, have tlie requisite quantity 

 of manure incorporatf^l with it. without 

 any of the c^iy or otlxu- unsuitable material 

 being brought to the surface. Where tlie 



adding 



Soils and Sites. 



Sweet peas are impatient of a lack of 

 oisture at the roots, and in a heavy soil 

 hen properly prepared, this is not nearly 

 ><> likely to be a source of trouble as when 

 ilie soil is light in texture. It must be 

 t'lnembered that the better the prepara- 

 ion of the soil the more effectually is the 

 moisture conserved, and also that there 

 I- as much art in conserving moisture in 

 -oil as there is in applying it, and the 

 <-<mserved moisture is distinctly of greater 

 benefit to the plants. Last season there were 

 many excellent crops of flowers upon plants 

 with but a minimum of labour expended 

 in the supply of water by artificial means. 

 I allude to stiff sails in low-lying districts 

 ^\here capdlary attraction was indeed a 

 oon last year. 



Sandy soil^ or that which is light, with a 

 LM-avel subsoil, is the least desirable for 

 Mveet peas^ at least where the best pos- 

 -ble results are aimed at. In such soil 

 e rarely find that luxuriance of haulm 

 tiat is so pleasing, neither do we obtain 

 continuous supply of flowers extendino- 



For 



"A 



ordinary garden 

 blossom can be 



1 



llio ojio^vth is not so vicorous w4ion 



^ er a long ppriod. 



'•(•oration, full crops of oiossom can „ 



litamed, but I hare in my mind in writ 



ig these notes, a higher standard of 

 iiahty. 



A change of site, or I should say soil 

 i> distmct gain, for sweet peas resent being 

 ■■irmvn m the same soil in two consecutive 

 .^'•■ars. - ... ^ 



•''"T otTupy the same site ^vear after 



without changing the soif, wliich in 

 «r<linary way is too muc-li trouble. As 

 ',r back as 1895 I had distinct experience 

 ' this. Then, and some years jirevious 

 grew sweet peas in clumps beside ])atlis 

 n the kitchen garden for convenience in 

 t tending them, and for effect, and soon 

 ' ^^^^ growth became shorter each 

 • ai. ihe ordinary grower for exhibition 



'u]-ll T """"^ trouble to con- 



m with ; he does not arrange his plants 



effect in groups, but he usually grows 



kitrT '■''T^ ^^'"^ quarters in the 



K t hen garden. In this manner no trouble^ 



",'^•^'1 be experienced 

 '■lianged at will 



as the site can be 



Not so tin 



who 



the 



n 



this 



' — - person 

 •■xpected to produce an effect in 

 part ot the garden vear after veai 



nnuallyT';,/' ''T^'^"^'^ T'"'"-^ 

 <*'iy is the only ivmvd 



'"'te practicable. 



'S"re;u"tT ^ ^'^y' ^'^'-^ 



y, and this is 

 i practise tliis method 



853 



- . - , V. 



SWEET PEA COUXTESS SPENCER. 

 A fine pink sweet pea, the original of the waved section. 



make so much progress in a limited perio^l 



as in the case of the sweet pea. In deepiy- 



stirrod sod a much greater quantity 



liquid stimulant can be given to tlie plants 



without fear of iniurv to the roots or 



will 



e: r 0 w t h be c a u s e 



injury 



the surplus 



liquid 



soil quickly pass away. 



Manuring: and Trenching. 



In applying the manure as the trenchin; 

 proceeds, put at the bottom of the trench 



soil is heavy near tlie surface, more nearly 

 apprf)acliing clay tlian loam, and not more 

 than tw(^lvc or ciizbttMMi in thickness, it 

 appears to n\v tt> be tolly to tnMich in the 

 ordinary way to a <le])th of about three 

 feet, ami thereby hury tlie upper liyer 

 about two foot below the surface by 

 means of tin' clay subsoil. What lias to be 

 d:me is to open out the trench in the usual 

 wav, but instead of turning the top spit 

 of the second trench into the bottom of the 



