April 22, 1905. 
THE GARDEN/HQ WORLD, 
327 
The Enemies of the Sweet Fea. 
Before 1 discuss the various enemies of the Sweet Pea and 
the means which must be taken to guard against them, it must 
be fully understood that although from that which I may say 
the enemies may appear to be very numerous, yet at the same 
■ time a little judicious care will enable anyone to be successful 
in the culture of this, the most lovely and the most popular of 
all annuals. The enemies of the Sweet Pea certainly are 
numerous, for the veiy seeds are liable to be devoured before 
they germinate. When the seedlings appear above the ground 
their enemies multiply, and throughout their existence they 
are open to the attacks of various foes, but yet they are so 
easily guarded against that the cultivation of the Pea is really 
within the ability of even the most inexperienced. 
The mouse is the first foe in the field, for it often destroys 
the seeds almost directly they are sown. It can, however, lie 
easily guarded against. A cat, if properly trained, is useful 
to keep mice away, and traps can be baited and placed on the 
ground near the seeds. Another method is to soak the seeds 
in paraffin; but. the best of all methods is to coat them with 
red lead. To do. this, damp the seeds with water, and then 
sprinkle with the red lead; if rolled about they will soon be 
thinly coated with this substance, and will then be mouse^proof. 
The sparrow is the most energetic of all the foes of the Sweet 
Pea. I have never known it to dig the seeds out of the 
ground, but directly the young shoots appear above the surface 
of the soil they are in great danger of its attacks. Indeed, 
protection from the sparrow is absolutely necessary, for if 
precautions are not taken early, a whole row of seedlings may 
be destroyed before they are an inch high. As one would 
imagine, the danger front sparrows is greater in some districts 
than it is in others ; it also, varies veiy much according to the 
season of the year. In winter and early spring there is veiy 
little food for the birds, and consequently it is then that they 
are most to be feared. Cotton, preferably black, if stretched 
a few inches above the seedlings will do much to keep the 
sparrows away. The ordinary galvanised iron wire pea- 
guards, sold by most ironmongers and horticultural suppliers, 
are even better, but I think that the best protection of all is 
afforded by tanned netting. This material can be bought very 
cheaply ; it is chiefly to be recommended, however, because the 
plants can be protected by it when they have grown far too 
tall to be able to receive protection from the ordinary Pea- 
guards. This is a great advantage, for although the birds are 
supposed not to touch the plants after they have grown 6 in. 
high, yet I have found that seedlings which have been raised 
veiy early are liable to. have their tender shoots and leaves 
bitten off when they are considerably higher than this. 
Indeed, even during the summer and autumn, sparrows occa¬ 
sionally attack the flower-buds. It is hardly necessary, how¬ 
ever, to attempt to protect the plants after they have grown 
a foot high. Let me briefly describe how to use the netting. 
By means of stakes placed about 2 yards apart, stout twine 
should be stretched a foot above the ground on both sides of 
the row which it is desired to protect. The stakes should be 
about 18 in. long, and should be placed one-third of their depth 
in the ground, about 6 in. from the row of plants. When this 
framework has been securely erected, the netting should be 
stretched over it. It is advisable to- secure the material by 
means of small pegs driven into the ground. This method may 
also be used to protect Sweet Peas when grown in clumps. I 
need not, however, tire my reader by giving details of the pro¬ 
cedure, for he will be able to supply them himself. Although 
the sparrow has been named as the chief of bird offenders, 
other birds also are liable to give trouble. The methods of 
protection I have given, however, will prove equally efficient 
against any feathered foe. 
Slugs and snails are always a nuisance to the gardener, and 
for Peas they seem to have a special liking. If the ground has 
been limed before planting, some may have been destroyed, but 
many will remain. Again lime should be used. It should be 
sprinkled alone: the rows or round the clumps about 3 in. 
distant from the plants. As a further protection, sect should 
be sprinkled over the foliage of the seedlings, and both the soot 
and the lime should he renewed every fortnight. These sul)- 
stances should not, however, lie allowed to come in contact 
with each other. If a moist evening is chosen, many slugs 
and snails can often lie caught in the very act of devouring 
the plants. The raider should he equipped with a lantern, and 
should be armed with a vessel containing salt water. Ho 
should also carry some instrument to handle the victims with. 
If these raids cannot he made, the pests may be caught on 
muky Lettuce or bran, or on any of their favourite foods placed 
near to the rows or clumps. If these traps are covered by in¬ 
verted flower-pots or by boxes, they will prove more efficient. 
Like the birds, the slugs and snails prefer the young and tender 
shoots, and after the plants are two months old there will he 
much less to fear from them. 
(To be continued.j 
The Perversity of Things. 
I really think a gardener has more reason to make use of 
strong language than any other worker, for things are con¬ 
stantly going wrong through nothing but sheer peiwersity. I 
have had a deal of insight respecting various trades, and 
can honestly say that the majority of workmen have only to 
use their tools correctly, and all' goes well. But the poor 
gardener seems ever at a loss to account for things going awry. 
Take seed-sowing for an example. The seed is sown ; tem¬ 
perature, moisture and soil are right. A patch of seed in one 
corner of the box comes up ; the remainder is either two or 
three weeks/ later' or fails altogether. A second sowing from 
the same packet brings good results. Why is it? 
The early Teas are sown and come up well. The second lot 
appear and are eaten by birds. Why % 
The seedling Greens come up grandly. Along come the 
finches pulling them up, nets notwithstanding. 
The Crocuses and Primroses get in full bloom. The spar¬ 
rows pick them to pieces. The finches and tits pick the 
Apple and Gooseberry buds to atoms, and strew them over 
the ground. 
A number of greenhouse cuttings are inserted in exactly 
the same fashion as of yore. They fail. 
One puts in some selected cuttings of Currants and Apples. 
They fail. The spring primings are used as pegs for netting; 
they root. Wffiyl 
One makes a fence out of two-inch stumps from Apple 
trees, Elders or Sycamores. They are not required for 
any other purpose, and are hammered in 18 inches. They 
commence to grow at once. One takes up a ten-yeai-old tiee 
and replants. It dies. A forty-year-old Plum is cut close to 
the ground, and the clean 9 ft. trunk used as an ornament. It 
begins to grow. Why ? 
The moles suddenly appear in the garden and make straight 
for the Onion bed. Why? 
The choicest novelties in Sweet Peas and other things get 
danced upon by cats, or wolfed up by slugs, while the common 
sorts are unharmed. 
One waits patiently for a shower before planting. It never 
comes. It is specially desired that fine weather should 
prevail. It rains in torrents. Why, Oh why l 
[igh-prioed Onions. —For some time past Onions have been 
incr at three rimes the usual price, and again the supply was 
ked out, with the prospect of still higher prices for the re¬ 
nder. At last a ship for some time promised arrived at Mu - 
1 Docks where many men were standing with wet eyes waiting 
her arrival. We are not told whether the wet eyes were 
sed by the well-known odour of the Onions, but we are told 
t the men could smell them. As soon as a portion of the 
,o was landed it sold at the rate of 15s. to 17s for a bag o 
’lbs., the usual price being 5s That ship when unloaded 
ved to contain 9,100 sacks, and we presume theie will be 
ly wet eyes before they are consumed ! 
