208 
THB GARDENING WORLD. 
Sweet Peas 
Work for March. 
The frost, snow, and wet that have pre¬ 
vailed during the few weeks preceding 
the writing of these notes have not been 
favourable to early sowing out of doors, 
and consequently the work still remains 
to be done. Probably the next week or 
so will bring an improvement in the 
weather. Readers who have not, by the 
time this meets their eyes, sown their 
seeds, are advised to do so on the first oc¬ 
casion that the soil is in suitable condi¬ 
tion. A delay of a month does not make 
a month's difference in the time of flower¬ 
ing, but the early plants generally have 
the advantage of a laetter hold on the soil 
before the coming of May and June forces 
them into rapid growth. 
Plants Raised Under Glass. 
Steps must now be taken to prepare 
plants raised under glass for planting out. 
By the end of this month they should be 
in cold frames standing on beds of ashes, 
and light and air should be given in 
abundance. The lights may be left off ex¬ 
cept during cold and wet weather, and the 
plants should be gradually brought into 
that condition that they feel no change 
of climate when they are planted out into 
the open ground. While in the cold 
frames there are three things to be re¬ 
membered : (i) That slugs are to be 
reckoned with ; (2) that birds are very fond 
of expensive Sweet Peas ; and (3) that if 
the plants are growing tall it may be 
necessary to give them some little twiggy 
supports. 
There are many ways of dealing with 
slugs, and one of the best is to hunt for 
them with a lantern. The birds are best 
thwarted by covering the frames with 
tanned netting or some similar material. 
Planting Out. 
The actual date of planting out must 
depend (like almost every other garden 
operation) upon the state of the soil. The 
first half of April should afford some suit¬ 
able occasion, but in the event of very un¬ 
favourable weather it may be necessary 
to defer the operation. If this be so, care 
must be exercised that the plants are not 
out-growing their pots. Rather than re¬ 
ceive a check they should be re-potted. 
Where several plants are raised in one 
pot and it is desired to separate them— 
and the plants suffer hardly anything 
from the process—the soil should be 
allowed to become partially dry, and the 
roots will come apart more easily. 
The distance to be allowed between the 
plants is of importance, although I sup¬ 
pose most readers know the futility of at¬ 
tempting to grow Sweet Peas-in the old 
Mustard and Cress fashion. Six inches 
between the plants may be enough where 
the plants are not very well grown, but 
with good culture and under favourable 
circumstances the plants will fill up the 
rows when planted eighteen inches or even 
more apart. Sweet Pea plants should be 
treated as individuals and not as rows. 
To Pinch or Not to Pinch. 
Some good growers pinch the tops off 
their plants before they are more than an 
inch or two high, thus causing fresh 
breaks from the base. Personally I have 
found no advantage following this pinch¬ 
ing, and as a matter of fact, it sometimes 
happens that the original shoot ceases to 
grow, and gives place to younger shoots 
without any pinching at all, but there is 
room for readers to experiment in this 
method of culture. Weakly or spindly 
plants are the most likely to benefit, but 
it must be remembered that the pinching 
is designed to cause fresh strong growths, 
not to make the plants bushy. Mr. Jones, 
of Lewisham, who grows many plants 
under glass, tells me that he always 
pinches the young plants, and Mr. 
Horace Wright also recommends it. 
Almost any time now, genial and sunny 
weather may arrive, and in this case it 
will be wise to keep the Dutch hoe at 
work, not only to destroy weeds, but to 
keep the surface of the soil open and in 
good condition. 
A Yellow Sweet Pea. 
One is often asked whether there is any 
likelihood of our ever obtaining yellow 
Sweet Peas To read seed catalogues one 
would certainly imagine that we were pro¬ 
gressing towards that desideratum, but as 
a matter of fact, the yellow Sweet Pea 
seems as far off as ever. Cream varieties 
we have, and have had for a long time, 
but they are very far removed from yel¬ 
low. It is impossible to say with cer¬ 
tainty what will happen in the future, but 
it seems very unlikely that we shall ever 
have Sweet Peas of this colour, for at pre¬ 
sent there seems to be no yellow pigment 
in the flower. 
Although we sometimes hear of those 
who are working for Peas of the coveted 
colour, I am afraid that our lack of know¬ 
ledge leaves us totally unable to tell in 
what direction to experiment, and if a 
yellow variety does appear it will be 
purely a case of good-fortune. If it does 
come, not only shall we be able to enjoy 
that colour itself, but we shall be able to 
obtain by cross fertilisation many brilliant 
oranges and other colours. 
G. F. Drayson. 
- ¥*+ - 
Radishes and Lettuces Grown by the French 
System. 
On the qth inst. Messrs. Sutton and 
Sons, Reading, had an interesting exhibit 
of the above at the meeting of the R.H.S. 
The hotbeds were made up and sown with 
Radishes and Carrots in December. At 
the same time Lettuces were transplanted 
into the beds from sowings made under 
cloches in October. The frames were 
banked up with extra manure and covered 
with mats so' that no harm whatever was 
done during the repeated snowstorms 
and frost since Christmas last. Some of 
March 27, 1909. 
the Radishes were fit to pull in February, 
including Sutton’s Earliest of All and 
Red Market. Of the Lettuces, Sutton’s 
Commodore Nutt and Sutton’s Improved 
Tom Thumb proved earlier than the 
varieties grown at Paris by the same sys¬ 
tem. The Lettuces were quite fit for use, 
but the Carrots were not ready then. 
“ Sweet Peas and How to Grow Them.” 
While Sweet Peas continue to be so 
popular as they are, the last ivord will not 
have been said about them. Mr. H. H. 
Thomas begins with a brief history of the 
subject under the title of the ‘‘Story of 
the Sweet Pea.” In successive chapters 
he deals with cultivation, showing how to 
protect them from birds, and so forth. 
Numerous drawings and photographs serve 
to illustrate his remarks. The early cul¬ 
ture of Sweet Peas in pots, and the plant¬ 
ing of them afterwards in the open 
ground, are illustrated, and the distance 
he allows between every two plants would 
not have been tolerated by our forbears 
in the garden. The very fact that it has 
become popular leads to good cultivation, 
as it does also to bad cultural treatment 
by over-feeding to secure the largest 
flowers possible. “ Trials and Troubles " 
deal with the plant from this point of 
view. He also says that Sweet Peas may 
be rooted from cuttings, though this prac¬ 
tice is scarcely likely to become greatiy 
extended. Those who peruse the book 
will find much useful information. It is 
published by Messrs. Cassell and Co., 
Ludgate Hill, London, at is. in paper 
covers, or is. 6d. in cloth, 
-- 
A Fine Winter Flower. 
o 
Primula kewensis. 
A cross between P. floribunda and P. 
verticillata, this beautiful yellow Primula 
is of great value during the winter and 
early spring months. It is of fairly easy 
culture, except in the earlier stages, when 
the seedlings are rather given to damping 
off. While this is so, and special care 
is required, from the time the seed ger¬ 
minates until the little plants are ready 
for pricking off, still seedlings give finer 
and more robust plants than it is possible 
to raise by division, as is sometimes prac¬ 
tised. The seed should be sown during 
March in very gritty, but well sifted soil, 
and the covering should be of sand, using 
it rather sparingly. Place in moderate 
heat and never allow the soil in the seed 
pans to become dry, although, of course, 
too much moisture has also to be guarded 
against. 
After the seedlings are pricked off there 
is seldom much trouble with damping, 
and only a very moderate temperature 
must be given after the plants are grow¬ 
ing freely. Like most of the Primrose 
family, P. kewensis dislikes direct sun¬ 
shine, so shade must be afforded the 
plants during summer. Fine plants can 
ire grown in 5 inch pots, but the strongest 
may have a size larger. Very weak liquid 
manure may be given when the pots be¬ 
come full of roots. The earlier flowers 
should lie picked off. 
C. Blair. 
Preston House, Linlithgow. 
