March, 1918 
45 
been worked as you fill a small quantity of 
bone meal—say about a 6" pot full to a row 
25' long, and about twice the amount of lime 
as of bone meal. Then put in a few inches 
of manure and again the same soil mixture. 
The soil placed in the bottom of the trench 
should be that taken from the top when the 
trench is dug. Each layer of earth should be 
tramped with the feet as you fill, for if the 
soil is left loose and spongy the plants make 
too soft a growth and fall an easy prey to the 
hot summer sun. In cases where barnyard 
manure is not procurable, sheep manure may 
be used, though in much smaller quantities, 
since it is much stronger. Leaf mold is also 
excellent and can be used in equal quantities 
with soil and enough bone meal added to give 
some backbone to the soil. The trench when 
finished should be flush with the surface of 
the adjoining ground. 
The plants are usually set about 6" apart 
in the row. Where pea brush is used for sup¬ 
ports, the plants can be staggered to save room. 
Where wire is used a single row is preferable, 
planting on the side of the wire where the pre¬ 
vailing winds come from. Don’t set the plants 
too deep; in fact, the ball of earth around the 
roots should be practically flush with the 
ground. Always break the bottom of the ball 
of roots which formed in the pot so as to give 
the roots a quick start. The plants should be 
watered immediately after planting, to settle 
the earth around the roots. 
Sowing Outdoors 
The method of preparing the trench for di¬ 
rect sowing out of doors is exactly the same, 
only when filling the trench may be finished 
about 4" from the level of the surrounding 
soil. The seeds can then be sown broadcast 
and thinly on this surface. A common error 
is using too much seed, the resultant crowding 
preventing a healthy growth. The seeds can 
be covered to a depth of 2", gradually filling 
in the trench as the growth shows through. 
Perhaps a better way is to fill the trench in 
flush at once, as sweet peas are full of vitality 
and will force their way through the 4" cover¬ 
ing. Always keep the different colors sepa¬ 
rated, labeling each variety so you will know 
the names of those you prefer; and don’t 
Artificial watering, when resorted to, must 
reach the roots. Holes made with a stake 
ensure this 
neglect to thin out the young plants to about 
2" apart when they are large enough to war¬ 
rant doing so. 
Whether the seeds are started in the green¬ 
house or sown out of doors, the methods of 
handling from this time on are practically the 
same. When the plants are about 6" high they 
should be hilled up to prevent them from 
blowing over before they are supported arti¬ 
ficially. The addition of these supports should 
be postponed just as long as possible, as they 
produce shade and stop to a certain extent the 
proper circulation of air. The proper time 
to -support the plants is when they start to 
grow rapidly and the young shoots are send¬ 
ing out their long, clinging tendrils in search 
of something to catch hold of. 
Good birch brush unquestionably makes the 
best sweet pea support. It allows the plants 
to ramble in a natural way, which eliminates 
crowding, and permits the air to circulate. 
Keep the blossoms cut. By thus prevent¬ 
ing pod formation you will prolong the 
blooming season 
A well developed plant, started and grown 
in a pot under glass, ready for setting out 
in the garden 
Poultry wire with a 2" mesh is a good substi¬ 
tute if it is stretched tight and supported at 
about every 8' so that heavy winds w r on’t cause 
it to yield enough to loosen the plants. 
If you have been honest with yourself and 
the sweet peas, they should grow like weeds 
during early summer. Keep the ground on 
each side of the row well stirred, to give the 
roots a chance to breathe and to remove the 
necessity of artificial watering, which is any¬ 
thing but desirable if it can be avoided. The 
stems will start to throw out flowering shoots 
when they are making this rapid growth. You 
will notice by close observation that many of 
these flowering stems wither and die, showing 
that the plants are too busy to pay any atten¬ 
tion to flowers and are putting all their strength 
into growth. This S. O. S. call from the plants 
should be answered by pinching off all flower 
shoots until such a growth has been established 
that flowering will not tax the plants’ strength. 
How soon you can let them flower depends 
on how thoroughly you prepared the trench; 
but usually after pinching the flower stems for 
a week or ten days you can let them mature. 
Watering and General Care 
Sweet peas are water lovers, yet they will 
resent stagnant water more quickly than the 
average plant. Don’t plant them in a low, 
poorly drained position or they will surely mil¬ 
dew and be disappointing. Artificial watering 
is a necessary evil in dry times, but when it 
does become necessary it should be done thor¬ 
oughly. The ground should be literally satu¬ 
rated, making tests with a crowbar or sharp¬ 
ened stick to be sure the water has penetrated 
to the bottom of the root system. Don’t water 
the foliage, as this promotes mildew and does 
no good. Let the hose run alongside the trench, 
so slowly that the water soaks in instead of 
running away. When the surface dries it 
should be cultivated to retain the moisture. 
A mulch of cut grass or some like material will 
also be effective in helping to conserve the 
moisture and keep the roots cool. 
Gather your sweet peas daily. Cut the 
plants clean, for if seed pods are allowed to 
mature flowering will cease. Early morning 
is the proper time to gather the flowers, as 
(Continued on page 68) 
When the plants are about 6" high they 
should be hilled up to lessen the danger 
of breakage 
