18 
The Blue Book of Gardening 
Winsel-Gibbs Selected Sweet Peas 
The Ideal Flower for Garden and Cutting 
Several hundred varieties of Sweet Peas are offered by the different growers and seedmen in the United States 
and Europe. Every year we try out a number of these varieties and also keep a record of the experiment made by 
the main growers of these beautiful flowers. From the result of these experiments, our list is carefully revised each 
year, with the view of keeping on this list only the most deserving varieties. In looking over our list, you will 
notice that some of the older varieties have been dropped off to make room for more improved and newer ones. 
Sweet Peas are divided into three classes. First, the Early Spencer, which are generally planted in September or 
the first of October for Christmas or New Year’s flowers. Next are the Orchid flowering or waved varieties, which 
comprise the Spencer and Unwin Sweet Peas. The Spencer are considered the best of the two on account of the flowers 
being larger. The third class is the Standard or Grandiflora type, which consists of the varieties generally used by 
florists for cut flowers. They are strong growers and free bloomers, and of these we have only the very best in the list 
that follows. The Spencer and Standard Sweet Peas are sown as early as possible in the spring, and will produce 
flowers up to the time that the Christmas varieties begin to bloom in the fall. 
SWEET PEA CULTURE 
We find that our customers frequently have 
trouble in raising Sweet Peas, and especially 
in making the seed germinate. We find that 
the main cause of this failure is due to the 
fact that the seed has been sown too deep. 
For Christmas flowering, the seed is sown 
in August or September, and for early spring 
blooming, the seed is sown in November, and 
it is in sowing these last ones that the great¬ 
est trouble is experienced. About November 
the ground begins to cool off, and if the seed 
is sown too deep they will not come through, 
especially the white flowering varieties. 
Sweet Peas are generally sown in rows, fur¬ 
rows or trenches as they might be called. 
These trenches should be four inches deep, 
but this does not mean that the seed should 
be covered with four inches of soil at first. 
After digging this four-inch trench, place the 
seed in the bottom and then rake down from 
the sides of the trench just enough soil to 
cover them, but this should never be more 
than half an inch. Never sprinkle Sweet Peas, 
but run the water right into this trench over 
them. When they are up two or three inches, 
begin to hill them in a little until the trench 
is filled and level with the surface of the 
ground. Then a little irrigating ditch is made 
on each side of the seedlings. Once a week 
will be sufficient irrigation in ordinary soil, 
and then the day after irrigation, or perhaps 
the second day after, or just as soon as the 
earth can be easily worked, these ditches are 
filled in, and the ground in them thoroughly 
cultivated and pulverized with a cultivator. 
The ditches are dug anew for each irrigation, 
and are filled in and cultivated each time in 
the same manner. It must be remembered 
that Sweet Peas must not be sprinkled as this 
and the heavy fogs is the cause of mildew 
which is so often found on Sweet Peas. Both 
bone meal and sheep manure are great ferti¬ 
lizers for Sweet Peas. Do not use fresh 
manure by any means. 
Use Nitrigin to innoculate the Sweet Peas. 
25c can. 
SPENCER SWEET PEAS. A grand new 
class of Sweet Peas, having large, round, 
open flowers of extraordinary size, often 
2 inches across, with wavy standard and 
wide spreading wings, a large number of 
the flowers coming four on a stem. 
Apple Blossom Spencer. Rose and blush 
White. Package, 10c; oz., 30c. 
Asta Ohn Spencer. Lavender shaded with 
mauve. Package, 10c; oz., 30c. 
Countess Spencer. Clear pink, deepening 
somewhat towards the edge. A very large 
flowered variety. Package, 10c; oz., 25c. 
Dobbies Cream. Cream color. Package, 
10c; oz., 30c. 
Elfreda Pearson. Blush pink, deepening 
towards the edges. Package, 10c; oz., 30c. 
Florence Morse Spencer. Delicate blush, 
with pink margin. Package, 10c ; oz., 30c. 
George Herbert Very large, rose crimson 
suffused with magenta. Package, 10c; 
oz., 30c. 
10c; oz., 30c. 
Helen Lewis. Orange salmon. Package, 
Spencer Type Sweet Peas 
King Edward Spencer. A magnificent 
flower, bright crimson scarlet. Said to be 
the largest Sweet Pea grown. Package, 
10c; oz., 30c. 
King White. New, very large, the finest 
white variety. Package, 10c; oz., 35c. 
Margaret Atlee. Immense flowers, cream 
ground color overlaid with salmon pink. 
Package, 10c; oz., 35c. 
Mirian Beaver. Salmon pink on cream 
ground. Package, 10c; oz., 35c. 
Nubian. Deep maroon. Package, 10c; oz., 
35c. 
Old Rose. Beautiful old rose. Package, 
10c; oz., 40c. 
Primrose Spencer. Primrose. Package, 
10c; oz., 35c. 
Vermillion Brilliant Scarlet. Package, 10c; 
oz., 35c. 
Wedgewood. Light blue, extra fine. Pack¬ 
age, 10c; oz., 35c. 
White Spencer. Flowers of immense, size, 
pure white. Package, 10c; oz., 30c. 
Spencer Mixed. Package, 10c; oz., 25c; % 
lb., 75c. 
NEW WINTER FLOWERING OR LONG 
SEASON SPENCER SWEET PEAS. A 
new race of Sweet Pea, having the large 
waved flowers of the Spencer type, but 
flowering fully two months earlier, they 
also continue in flower for a much longer 
period. For Christmas flowering sow in 
September, later sowing may be made up 
until March. 
Fordhook Pink. Pink suffused with laven¬ 
der. A distinct shade, particularly pleas¬ 
ing under artificial light. Package, 25c; 
oz., 60c. 
Melody. A deeper shade of pink than Song¬ 
bird. Flowers borne on long stems, gen¬ 
erally four large, wavy blossoms to each 
stem. Package, 25c; oz., 60c. 
Songbird. A beautiful light pink, about tne 
color of Florence Morse Spencer. Pack¬ 
age, 25c; oz., 60c. 
Spring Maid. Light flesh pink. Produces 
a great wealth of blossoms on long stems, 
generally in fours. Package, 25c; oz., 60c. 
Early Asta Ohn. Lavender. Package, 25c; 
oz., 60c. 
Apricot Orchid. Buff pink. Package, 25c; 
oz., 60c. 
Hercules. Very large, rosy pink. Pack¬ 
age. 25c; oz., 60c. 
Red Orchid. Deep red. Package, 25c; oz., 
60c. 
White Orchid. Pure white. Package, 25c; 
oz., 60c. 
Early Choice Mixed. Package, 25c; oz., 
60c. 
Morning Star. Orange Scarlet. 
Aviator. Crimson Scarlet. 
Helen Lewis. Orange Salmon. 
Cherry Ripe. Cerise Crimson. 
Maroon Prince. Maroon. 
Melody. Rose Pink. 
LATE INTRODUCTIONS 
25c Package 
Blue Bird. It is the brightness of this 
variety which has given it its popular 
place. The color is indeed a most in¬ 
tense and rigid brilliant mid-blue. Very 
vigorous and free flowering, with giant 
blooms artistically arranged, four around 
a long and sturdy stem. 
Miss California. This exquisite California 
novelty is a charming iridescent tone of 
cream-pink with a salmon and orange 
hue. The flowers are large and well- 
formed. 
Fordhook Pink and White. Bright rosy 
pink standard with creamy white wings, 
lightly suffused rose. A most popular 
variety of extreme size and exquisitely 
waved and frilled. 
Yarrawa. Bright rose-pink on clear cream. 
Large, well waved and free blooming. 
This old standby is very attractive, of 
Australian origin. 
Glitters. Glitters and scintillates, with a 
fire-like sheen radiating over the flowers. 
The standard is a bright fiery orange and 
the wings are deep orange. 
Mrs. Kerr. The best Early Flowering sal¬ 
mon Pea in existence. Large, well-waved 
blooms carried gracefully on long stems. 
The demand for this unusual shade in the 
cut-flower market is always strong and 
it usually brings a fancy price. 
Princess. Color a lovely shade of soft 
lavender suffused mauve. Attractively 
waved. 
