THE GARDENERS- CHRONICLE OF AMERICA 
373 
FALL SOWING OF SWEET PEAS 
T AM a firm believer in Fall sowing in this, section, the 
results being immeasurably superior to Spring sow- 
ing, writes Geo. W. Karr, of Philadelphia, in American 
Sweet Pea Bulletin. Of course I refer to sowing the 
seed directly in the open ground. There are two methods 
of Fall sowing, one being a certainty, the other depend- 
ing much on the weather immediately following the 
sowing, and whether the Winter should be a severe one 
or fairly mild. 
The "perfect method," whereby success is practically 
assured, is to use what I term a "Sweet Pea frame." This 
consists of using boards six to nine inches wide, placing 
them on their edge, lengthways, eight or nine inches 
apart on either side of the row of Sweet Peas. Make 
the ends close with a piece of board to fit, and they may 
be braced with pegs driven into the ground. 
In this section I advocate sowing by this method early 
in October. In two or three weeks the seedlings will be 
well up, but as the weather as this season is comparatively 
cool, they grow very slowly. No cover is given them 
until severe weather sets in, when g'ass is laid along the 
top, this being fastened with ' broad-headed tacks or 
string attached to nails. Under these conditions the 
plants will stand zero weather. The glass should be 
removed during the first mild days of Spring, and in the 
course of a week or two the boards also. 
Mv other method of Fall sowing is to sow the seed 
about the middle of November, this sowing being made 
three inches deep, the idea being to sow just so late in 
the season that the seed will germinate in the soil but not 
make sufficient growth to come above the ground, for 
should the seedlings do so it is a certainty that unless 
covered with some framework they will perish. 
When the ground freezes hard the rows are given a 
heavy mulch of rough litter, removing it quite early in 
the Spring. I find that the white seeded, and many of 
the wrinkled varieties, are apt to go off during the 
Winter, but the pinks, reds, and in fact all dark, plump 
seeded varieties usually come through the Winter safely. 
The above dates refer, of course, to my section (Phila- 
delphia). South and north they would require to be 
altered according to local conditions. 
From seed sown in the Fall the plants will bloom two 
or three weeks earlier than from Spring sowings, and 
due to their deeper and stronger root growth, the plants 
are more vigorous, therefore better able to withstand the 
heat and drought of late Spring and early Summer, with 
the result that they will continue blooming for a much 
longer period than if sown in the Spring. 
In the extreme South the ideal time to sow is the last 
week in September, and if the new early flowering Spen- 
cer varieties are used they will begin to bloom about the 
middle of December and continue flowering until ex- 
treme heat sets in, say in INIay or early June. The regular 
Summer flowering varieties sown at the same time will 
not flower until April 1. 
LILIUM FORMOSUM 
By Thomas Wilson, New York. 
npHIS Lilv, to my idea, the best for early spring 
and Easter forcing. Coming, as it does, irregular 
in height and time of flowering makes it very useful 
for decorative purposes. Good lilies can always be used to 
advantage. Lilium Formosum generally arrives from 
Japan about the last week in August or early in Septem- 
ber, and should be potted as soon as bulbs arrive, as no 
lily improves by being allowed to lie around the potting 
shed or cellar. Pots should be used according to the 
size of the bulb ; nine to eleven should be put into seven- 
inch pots, larger sizes into eight-inch pots, which are 
Group of Lilium Formosum, Gro'wii by Thos. Ji'ilsoii, Jl'inning first Price of 
the New York 1917 Flower Show. 
quite large enough for any Lilium. Rather than re- 
potting from one size to the other I have found it is 
Ijetter to just half fill the pot with soil, keeping the top of 
the bulb level with the soil. After they have filled the 
soil with roots a top dressing can be given of a good 
strong comport of soil and cow manure, as they will root 
very readily from the base of the stem and will act as a 
good feeder till the buds are set. When the bulbs are 
first potted they ought to be stored in a deep frame and 
kept dark until they start to grow, when they should be 
given all the light they can get to keep them from getting 
drawn. The longer they can be kept in the cool frame 
with safety from frost the Ijetter, as this Lilium delights 
in a cool temperature. When taken 
from the frame they should be put 
into a house about 43° to 50° night 
temperature, never at any time 
giving them more than 52° at night 
till the buds are set, when they 
can be shifted into a house with a tem- 
perature of 60° at night, allowing about 
six weeks from the time the buds are 
set till they come into flower. As 
Formosums come irregular into flower 
they can be brought into the hotter 
house in batches as they set their buds. 
Light feeding can be given twice or 
three times a week with manure water, 
giving it weak and often. The feeding 
will develop the foliage which this va- 
riety is noted for as well as the flower. 
iM-om 13- to 14-inch bulbs I have had 
as many as 23 buds to a stem. No other 
variety will give you as good a percent- 
age of flowers and good clean plants as 
h'ormosum, and with careful manipula- 
tion of temperature the most of the 
flowers can be ready at a given date. 
