QnjCt4AH44a lieiteA. Bweet Peai 
T he sweet pea is perhaps the mostly highly de¬ 
veloped of all annuals. Its culture affords 
pleasure to millions; the production of seeds is an 
important industry, while as a commercial cut flower 
it is one of the most popular crops. The sweet pea 
was first introduced into England from Sicily in 
1700, but not until some 150 years later was it 
seriously taken in hand by Henry Eckford who 
raised and introduced more than 200 varieties. To 
celebrate its 200th year in England, a great show 
was held in London in 1900, and large annual sweet 
pea shows have been held in London ever since. In 
1904 Countess Spencer, a wavy-petaled sport of 
Eckford’s Prima Donna, was introduced, and caused 
such a furore that within a few years the smooth- 
petaled varieties became obsolete. From the time 
Eckford began his work to the present time there are 
records of more than 3000 varieties, but not more 
than 300 are now in cultivation. 
Sweet Peas are essentially cool weather plants, 
and they quickly fade away if the temperature per¬ 
sists for long above 75. In the sea-cooled areas of 
the Pacific Northwest, sweet peas can be grown suc¬ 
cessfully throughout the summer. An early start is 
highly important. The plants must be well estab¬ 
lished before hot weather arrives, but if the heat is 
extreme and persistent, nothing will keep the plants 
growing vigorously, though it is possible to carry 
the plants through July and even later if a cheese¬ 
cloth shading is erected over the plants. 
There are two methods of culture or training, 
natural and exhibition. The former gives quantities 
of fair-sized flowers on medium stems. All the lat¬ 
erals are allowed to remain, except that it is some¬ 
times advantageous to cut back the leading growths 
when they harden, and allow the younger growths to 
carry on. When once the vines becomes woody, short¬ 
stemmed flowers are certain. Exhibition or cordon 
growing means fewer but giant flowers, sometimes 
as many as five and six, on stems 18 inches long. 
This system is not, however, worth while unless cli¬ 
matic or other conditions permit the plants to grow 
well into summer, as the finest flowers cannot be ob¬ 
tained until the plants attain a height of 4 feet or 
more. The plants should be planted 9 inches or so apart 
and allowed to carry two or three main growths. All 
side shoots or laterals that appear in the leaf-axils 
must be pinched out, leaving only the flower buds 
that likewise appear in the leaf-axils. So treated, the 
plants, if conditions permit, grow 8 feet or more, 
but can be kept down to a reasonable height by 
training. Exhibition plants need constant attention 
and much tying, especially if bamboo stakes are 
used for supporters. To insure continuous flowering, 
no seed pods should be allowed to develop. 
All Diamond Quality sweet peas are of the Spen¬ 
cer strain, however, we offer two types of this strain. 
The early flowering Spencers and the standard vari¬ 
eties. The early flowering types will produce larger 
blossoms but do not bloom so profusely as the 
standard varieties. 
EARLY FLOWERING SPENCER 
SWEET PEAS 
Packet, 10c; 1 ounce, 45c. Postpaid. 
Early Marine. The clearest true blue of all sweet peas. 
An extremely vigorous type. 
Early Columbia. Lovely rose standard with light pink 
wings. Distinctive color and heavy cropper. 
Early Giant Rose. Truly the best rose variety. Warm 
rose pink. Splendid form with extreme size of flower. 
Early Harmony. Very popular clear lavender with large 
flowers, vigorous growth and fine color. 
Early Oriental. Clear deep cream colored variety with 
black seeded center. Bears exceedingly wavy blooms. 
Early Silver Blue. The color is described by its name. 
A beautiful shade of light silver blue. 
Early Snowstorm Improved. Clear white blooms. Giant 
frilled flowers on long sturdy stems. 
Early Apollo. Extremely long stems, bearing fine bold 
flowers of soft salmon cerise. 
Early Vulcan. Vivid sun-proof scarlet. The most out¬ 
standing and best known early red. 
Early White Harmony. Glistening pure white with vig¬ 
orous long stems and large blossoms. The ideal florist variety. 
Early Pride. A lovely deep cerise, beautifully tinged with 
scarlet. Even brighter than “Glitters”. 
Early Spring Song. Bright rose pink flushed salmon. 
The most brilliant cream pink and very popular. 
Early Flowering Spencer Mixture. A well blended 
mixture, containing all of the above colors and additional 
shaded. Packet, 10c; 1 ounce, 35c. Postpaid. 
SUPERB SPENCER SWEET PEAS 
Packet, 10c; 1 ounce, 35c. Postpaid. 
PINK AND CREAM 
Fluffy Ruffles. Light cream pink. 
Ascot. Clear light rose pink. 
What Joy. Large, primroses, shaded to cream. 
Pinkie. Large flowers in fours. Deep rose pink. 
Mary Pickford. Cream pink, faintly tinted salmon. 
Magnet. Rich cream pink. 
Winnie Morse. Cream ground, lightly flushed rose pink, 
duplexed frilled. 
Bon Bon. Rich pink. 
RED AND MAROON 
Welcome. The most dazzling of all scarlets. 
Charming. Brilliant, rosy cerise. 
Flamingo. Orange scarlet cerise. 
Sybil Henshaw. Giant. Deep crimson. 
Doreen. Huge, bright, rose carmine. 
Warrior. Rich oxblood maroon. 
ORANGE AND SALMON 
Barbara. Beautiful shade of orange salmon. 
Good Cheer. Charming begonia rose. 
Gloriosa. Bright, orange scarlet. 
Idyl. Giant flowers in fours. Salmon pink. Waved. 
Royal Pink. Large, pure pink. 
Celebrity. Brilliant orange. 
Tangerine Improved. Rich salmon orange. 
Pirate Gold. Deep golden orange. 
LAVENDER, BLUE AND MAUVE 
Austin Frederick Improved. Pure lavender. 
Powerscourt. Clearest lavender. 
Fortune. Rich, dark blue. 
Gleneagles. Lavender blue. 
Olympia. Giant, rich purple. 
Reflection. Clear cornflower blue. 
Chieftain. Pure satiny mauve (deep lavender). 
WHITE AND PICOTEE 
Youth. Pure white edged soft pink. 
Avalanche. Giant, pure white. 
Standard Spencer Mixed. A splendid mixture, con¬ 
taining many of the varieties in our general list of Spencers. 
Packet, 5c; ounce, 20c. Postpaid. 
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