86 
D. M. FERRY & CO'S DESCRIPTIVE CATALOGUE. 
SWEET PEAS 
(Lathyrua 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 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. The more generally known 
is the (irandiflora or large flowering division. 
This class, owing to its vigor of growth, its 
freedom of blooming and extremely wide 
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 the 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, 
there is also a third subdivision or class, called 
the Unwin type, in which the blossoms are 
waved like the Spencers but are usually not 
quite so large, although distinctly larger than 
those of the (irandiflora type. The 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 Urandi floras. The larger 
Unwin varieties which we list will be found 
in the Spencer division. 
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. Sweet l’eas, particu¬ 
larly the white seeded sorts, are often a little 
difficult to start. If the soil is too dry they 
will remain a longtime 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. 
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 branches 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- 
witli solutions of some tobacco extract or 
whale-oil soap is usually effective; and for 
the lied 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 early in the spring. 
The blooms should be picked before they 
form pods or the plants will soon stop 
flowering. Sweet Peas, King White 
