THE
JOHN . CRAIG
LIBRARY
college:
OF
AGRICULTURE
COLLEGE OF a::":o:jlture,
DEPARTMENT CF HORTICULTURE,
CORNELL UNIVERSITY,
ITHACA, N. Y.
CORNELL UNIVERSITY LIBRARV
924 055 468 148
SUTTON'S
Colour Schemes
— IM —
Sweet Feas.
Beautiful and harmonious effects are
obtained from the following com-
binations of colours, far surpassing
a general mixture of Sweet Peas:—
Pink, Yollow and Salmon Shades.
White and Pale Blue Shadem.
Pale Blue and Cream Shades.
Salmon'pink and Pale Blue Shades.
Rose-pink and Pale Blue Shades.
Cream and Maroon Shades.
Salmon-plnk and Crimson Shades.
Imperial Red, White and Blue.
Each, per Packet, //- and 2/6.
FOR
sunoN's
SWEET
—PEAS-
NATIONAL
SWEET
PEA
SOCIETY'S
SHOW,
July 12 & 13,
1910.
R.H.S.SHOW
HOLLAND
HOUSE,
July 6 & 6,
1910.
SUTTON'S GIANT-FLOWERED
FRILLED SWEET PEAS
The best of each Colour under a deterlptlve
Colour Name :
Whito, Pr/mrose-yefloHT, Appla-ltloamom,
Dallcate Pink, iaimon-pink, R/efi ifo«e,
Searlet-crlmaon, Skybluo, Purpio, Maroon,
n/larbloa Bluo, HIauvo.
Each, pep Paeket, II-
Hixed Colours, pep Packet, 11- and 2/S
COMPLETE PRICE LIST OF ALL THE BEST VARIETIES POST FREE.
SUTTON & SONS,
The King's Seedsmen, READING.
•THE MODERN CULTURE OF SWEET PEAS.
Cornell University
Library
The original of tiiis book is in
tine Cornell University Library.
There are no known copyright restrictions in
the United States on the use of the text.
http://www.archive.org/details/cu31924055468148
NEW YOR»V STATE
COLLEGE OF AGRICULTURt
BEPARTMEST OF FLO^li^uLl .?t
OftSAJitEtnALMflTISOatlRE
CORNELL UNIVERSITY
ITHACA, N. V.
BY THE SAME AUTHOR.
HOW TO GROW SWEET PEAS.
The History and Culture of this Popular
Flower Briefly and Interestingly
Described.
Price 6d. Post free, yid.
Of the Publishers;
The Cable Printing and Publishing Company, Limited,
Hatton Houses Great Queen Street,
London, W.C,
The Modern Culture
Or Sweet Peas.
BY
THOMAS STEVENSON
Member of the Executive cmd Moral Committees of the
National Sweet Pea Society. Ttoice Winner of the
Eekford Memorial Challenge Cup; Thrice Winner of
the Provincial Cup, N.S.P.S.; and Judge at many
of the Principal Shows.
LONDON :
Thb Cable Printing and Publishins Company, Ltd.,
Hatton House, Great Qubbn Street, W.C.
PeihtSd and
Pdblibhsd bt the
OABLB FBINTIKa AND
PCBllSHISa GOUPANT, LIMITED,
Ha'ttoh House, Osbat
QUBUN Stsbet,
LOMDON, W.O.
CONTENTS.
Inteodtjction
Soil and Situation
Dates of Sowing ...
Planting Out
Staking
MnLCHiNG, Feeding, and Watering..
Pkepamng the Blooms for Exhibition
Varieties for Exhibition ...
Sweet Peas for Garden Decoration
Sweet Peas for Market and Indoor Decoration
Sweet Peas for Early Flowering in Pots ...
The Decorative Value of Sweet Peas
The Enemies of the Sweet Pea ..;
Notes on Illustrations
FACE
I
S
17
26
30
... 36
41
... 48
- 59
... 6s
... 69
72
... 78
... 84
ILLUSTRATIONS.
Red Chief (coloured plate) ... ... ... ... .FronihpUee
FACING
FACE
The Authoe Gathering Blooms from Spking-sown Plants
DURING THE FiRST WeEK IN JULY ... ... ... I
iPLANTS FROM SPRING-SOWN SEED, SlHOWING i&TATE OF GROWTH
ON iMAY 30TH ... ... ... ... ... ... iS
Thomas Stevenson (coloured plate) ... ... ... ... 24
Plants from Adtumn-sown Seed, iSHOwiNG State of Growth
on May 30TH ... ... ... ,.,. ... ... 30
William Eagle (coloured plate) ... ... ... ... 42
iMatjd Holmes (ISunproof Crimson Spencer) ... ... ... 48
Charles Foster (coloured plate) ... ... ... ... 56
Autumn-sown Plants, the First Week in July ... ... 66
Iris (coloured plate) ... ... ... ... ... 74
The Second Week in September — and Still Blooming ... 80
Mrs. W. J. Unwin (coloured plate) ... ... ... ... 84
The Authok Gathering T!l(,oms from Spsi\g-su«x Plants hueixg the
First Week ix ]vly.
(The b!oo::i III the fon/^numa' is nirs. Hugh Dickson.)
THE MODERN CULTURE
OF SWEET PEAS.
INTRODUCTION.
IN most of the works on Sweet Peas the history of the
flowers has been made a great deal of; in fact, much
more so than the general reader cares for, and, there-
fore, I intend in this little work to leave out all the
history that does not concern the cultivation of the Sweet
Pea, and merely to put before the reader my own a.ctual
experiences, gained in the observation and cultivation of this
increasingly popular flower during the last fifteen to twenty
years.
At the outset, I hope I may be pardoned if I say
that during that time I have taken a deep interest in aJl
that appertains to the Sweet Pea, and have cultivated most
of the varieties that have beein introduced in each
season. I hardly think there is one variety popular
twenty years ago that is grown in any quantity now;
and if there are any, I am quite sure they are absolutely
unnecessary, as we have varieties in the Spencer form that
have all the delicacy of colouring that the old favourites had,
practically aJl of which were raised by the grand old man
of the Sweet Pea world— Henry Eckford.
THE MODERN CULTURE
OF SWEET PEAS.
What a debt of gratitude we Sweet Pea lovers owe to
him and his untiring efforts for the many wonderful breaks
in colour he obtained, long before Dick, Tom and Harry
were trying their hand at the cross-fertilisation of the
Sweet Pea.
For many years he practically kept the whole thing
in his own hands, but when once he did put a new vairiety
on the market there was very little chance of it breaking
away again, either for good or bad, and but for the advent
of the variety Countess Spencer, I feel sure the Sweet Pea
trade would be working in a much closer groove ithan it is
at present. But it was not to be; and we now have varie-
ties innumerable, all of which have some outstanding merit
of their own, either in shape, size, quality, or colour, and
if one individual does not like a particular variety, there are
probably hundreds that do.
Last season many enthusiasts were of opinion that
we had almost come to the end of our tether in new breaks
of colour, but after visiting the shows and trials this season,
I am quite convinced that whatever good things we may
have already, there are still more to follow. Those who
saw Mr. Bolton's bunches of Charles Foster at the 1910
show of the National Sweet Pea Society must have felt that
we had indeed got a good thing here. The same may be
said of his Red Maroon variety (No. 230 in the trials), with
a yellow keel — a decided break in the dark varieties. This
is the kind of new variety that we require, and it will be
welcomed on all hands, being quite unique in colouring and
in form — not a Pea new in name only, that, when distri-
buted, will be a disappointment to everybody owing to the
fact that it is only a shade lighter or darker in colour
(according to the cultivation it has received) than some
already existing, and possibly cheaper, variety.
THE MODERN CULTURE
OF SWEET PEAS.
I am afraid this wholesale distribution of unfixed and
similar varieties, many of which are sent out by different
firms under different names, has gone a long way towards
"killing the goose that lays the golden eggs."
This has not been altogether intentional on the part of
the seedsmen, as miany of them are working on definite lines
towards the production of new and fixed varieties of Sweet
Peas. Not unlikely many of them make the same crosses,
and if this is done it is only natural that in many cases
they obtain the same, or I ought to say similar, results.
Again, after some varieties have remained fixed for
several years, for some obscure reason they will sometimes
break away in all directions, and when this occurs each
grower, with an eye to business, selects the best seedlings or
sports, as they may be termed, and gives them a name, and
after a year or two puts them, on the market, and in very
many instances the introductions of the respective growers
are one and the same thing, and thus we get multiplication
of names. But all this, I feel sure, will be rectified as far
as possible in the near future; many of oiir leading growers
fully realise the necessity of keeping down names, and are
working hand in hand to put on the market really new and
fixed stocks, and the independent trials which, many of
them carry out and invite the public to see are the chief
means they employ to see which varieties are alike, or are
distinct enough to warrant them appearing in their catalogues.
There is still plenty of room for improvement in many of
the existing shades of colour. In the pinks and cream-pinks
we have some really grand things; in crimson also we have
two or three perfect in form, which will stand the sun ; in
yellow or cream there is room for a better flower, as Clara
Curtis, unless grown very well, is somewhat thin, and has
not the habit of giving too many fotirs. In whites we have
THE MODERN CULTURE
OF SWEET PEAS.
also one or two good varieties, but we have yet to get one
of the size and substance of Sunproof Crimsoin or Mrs. Hugh
Dickson. F. A. Wellesley, as grown by Mr. Hopkins, was
good, but could hardly be called white, and it is rather thin
in the standaird, as is also a white form of Mrs. A. Ireland.
Rapid strides are being made in the orange shades, and I
have one in my eye which is as large as any flower I have
seem, and much deeper in colour than Helen Lewis, which
it very much resembles in form. In salmons much has been
done of late, and now that we have one which is reputed
to stand the sun, we may soon hope to get this good quality
in a larger and better-formed flower. The colour which
calls for most attention is a good deep blue, for at present
we have nothing worth growing whem compared with the
good flowers in other colours. It is a colour that is quite
telling for exhibition purposes, as when placed near some
other colours it not only contrasts well with them, but seems
to add body to them, notably the yellow shades. In scarlet
also we want a good, large waved flower that will stand the
sun; there are several about which appear really good, but
none of them are so good but what they may be materially
improved upon, amd I believe we shall get nearer perfection
in the very near future. Messrs. Dobbies, of Edinburgh,
have some wonderful flowers in this colour among their
seedlings.
These few remarks go to show that there is still plenty
of scope for those who are interested in cross-fertilisation to
improve existing varieties or colours, as well as to aim at
getting other new and pleasing shades, and nothing could
be more interesting; but it is quite useless for anyone to
take up this delightful phase of Sweet Pea culture without
he can add to the area of his garden each season as the
seedlings require more room ; while to begin with the grower
THE MODERN CULTURE
OF SWEET PEAS.
must have a set purpose in view, and not begin to work
haphazardly, and, what is more, anyone studying Mendel's
laws, and applying them, will stand by far the greatest
chances of success.
At the present time there is no question as to the
immense popularity of the Sweet Pea, and small wonder at
it, seeing the amount of pleasure one can get out of even a
few clumps of Peas; and what a quantity of bloom can be
gathered from them, covering a season of from three to fout
months, and often longer than this. I should say it is quite
impossible to find a plant of any description, much less a
hardy annual, that one can go on cutting at for such a
length of time; yet it is this continual cutting of the
blooms that prolongs the life of the plant, and if one hears
complaints of a man's Peas having "gone over" quickly, you
may be sure it is from lack of attention in keeping the
flowers removed, providing, of course, that he has done his
ground well before planting.
Among amateur gardeners the Sweet Pea is nowadays
the one flower with them, many discarding every other
flowering plant to make room for more of their favourites.
I could point to the gardens of several of my amateur
friends where there is nothing else in the garden— vegetables
and everything being displaced by Peas. I don't say that
this is as it should be, but it just shows the hold, or I might
say the deep root, that the "cult" of the Sweet Pea has
taken on the gesneral public : and what more pleasant or
beneficial hobby can a man have, especially anyone who is
penned up in an office or shop all day. It means health to
him. If a man cultivates anything from five to ten rod
of ground for Sweet Peas, and does it well, it will mean
that he has not a great amount of time to waste from
January to October. Fortunately, the laborious part of the
THE MODERN CULTURE
OF SWEET PEAS.
work conies during the cold weather, when it is not quite so
trying to a man who is not used to really hard manual
labour, and as this can be spread over a period of frona two
to three months, it ought not to prove particularly arduous.
After this is got over, all the rest of the work is very light,
and might well be done during the evening with the pipe
on, in the case of the amateur, and it is this class of grower
that I find so particularly keen. Nothing is too much
trouble to them, especially when they are endeavouring to
get their Peas in good enough condition to compete at some
local show.
To this section of my readers I shall endeavour to ex-
plain, in as simple a manner as possible, what they may and
can do towards the successful cultivation of this beautiful
flower, and when I say that two amateurs I know, who had
never had any experience of gardening up to two years
previous, in 1910 grew Peas certainly stronger, and with
flowers as large as my own (without, perhaps, quite so much
refinement in them), it goes to prove that anyone with a
little ground, any amount of energy, and a few practical
hints now and again, can at least grow blooms if not quite
fit to win the Eckford Cup, quite good enough to compete
in many of the ordinary classes at the National or any
oither show.
Many people will at once say I do not care a rap about
exhibiting my Peas; in fact, many people do write me in
that strain, but they say I should like to get Peas with
good long stems the same as I see so-and-so exhibiting:
well, then, the only way is to take the same trouble and
give the same care to the cultivation as your friend does,
and then even on poor soil quite good results may be
obtained, which if they axe not required for exhibition pur-
poses, these good long-stemmed flowers will be more than
THE MODERN CULTURE
OF SWEET PEAS.
appreciated by those who undertake the decorating in the
house, and whether this is for the mansion or the cottage
the satisfaction they will give in either case will quite com-
pensate for the extra time and trouble given to them.
If there is one fault more common than another with
Sweet Pea growers at the present time, whether they are
gardeners, amateurs, or cottagers, it is that they — or I shoitld
say we — grow too many varieties. Personally, I know that I
grow too many, taking into consideration the limited space
at my command for Peas (about twelve rod), and were it not
that I am a member of the Floral Committee of the
National Sweet Pea Society, I would not grow more than
one third of the varieties that I now grow; but I feel, to
speak authoritatively, one must not only see growing, but
actually grow, many of the varieties for comparison, and
watch them under varying weather conditions, as it is only
this constant observation that gives one a true idea of the
merits of individual varieties.
THE MODERN CULTURE
OF SWEET PEAS.
SOIL AND SITUATION.
It has been said that the Sweet Pea can be grown in
any kind of soil, no matter what its nature, whether it is
cold and heavy, or whether it is light and warm. This I
thoroughly endorse, though, of co-urse, it will be with vary-
ing degrees of success, according to the knowledge of the
individual who is cultivating it. I certainly have not yet
seen soil that, with proper and liberal cultivation, will not
produce at least fairly decent Peas. Though my own soil is
heavy and of rather a diflScult texture to deal with, it will
grow very fair Peas, and some of the largest and best flowers
I have seen these past few seasons have been grown practi-
cally on sajad, so light that during dry weather in the spring,
where the ground was not cropped, the wind would blow
it about. The only treatment this ground had was just
bastard trenching with a very moderate dressing of manure.
During the first fortnight, plants grown on this ground pro-
duced very fine flowers on stems varying from one foot to
sixteen inches in length, and had they been attended to in
the matter of feeding, watering, and mulching, they would
no doubt have continued giving good blooms for a very con-
siderable time. As it was, they flowered very well for about
six weeks, though during the latter part of the time the
stems were rather short and wiry, quite out of proportion to
the size of the flower, which was very good indeed. This
only serves to show that, if one has very light soil, good
THE MODERN CULTURE
OF SWEET PEAS.
flowers can be obtained by giving a little extra attention
after they commence blooming, also on this class of soil
during prolonged wet weather, the bine will not grow away
too freely, neither will the stems and flowers be so soft as
those growing on heavy soil under the same weather
conditions.
On heavy soil the plants will continue blooming over a
longer period, and will, no doubt, give longer and flatter
stems, but it does not follow that the flowers will be pro-
portionately larger or more flowers on a stem ; in fact, I am
very much disposed to think that the reverse is often the
case. With heavy soil the preparation of it will be a very
arduous operation, and great care must be exercised in
choosing the time for trenching. This will vary very con-
siderably according to the nature of the soil. If the spring
is wet there may be some diflB.culty in getting the ground
in a nice friable condition for planting, and it m.ay mean
that the young plants will have to stay in the pots or boxes
for some few days, or it may be a week or two longer than
they ought to, thus receiving a check, ^and even after plant-
ing they may be some time longer getting a start in the
heavy soil than in soil of a lighter nature. It will also be
found that slugs will be more troublesome, the rougher or
more lumpy nature of the soil providing much more harbour
for them. But with thought and attention these troubles may
be overcome, and when once the plants begin to grow away
they will make up for lost time, and, as previously mentioned,
may give extra large and long-stemmed flowers. So that
whatever the nature of the soil, there is something to be
said in its favour, and a season that suits one may be all
against the other.
Were I asked what class of soil I should prefer for the
cultivation of Peas, I should at once say a fairly rich porous
THE MODERN CULTURE
OF SWEET PEAS.
loam, that has no tendency to bake during dry weather, and
which will draim itself pretty freely during continued
moisture. So anyone having this kind of soil in his
garden may feel that he has at least a little natural
advantage to start with, but, unfortunately for us, there are
very few who can choose their ground, but must make use of
the piece of garden attached to his or her house, and it is
really astonishing what results are obtained even in what
may often be termed a backyard.
In large establishments it is, of course, very different,
and a site may be chosen for the Peas which may suit their
requirements in every way. If possible, the ground selected
should be fairly open, though if sheltered somewhat from
the prevailing winds so much the better; at the same time
it is not desirable that they should be planted near to or
under trees, as the roots from the trees are likely to rob
them of both food and moisture. Yet a little shade during
the hottest part of the day might in some seasons be a
distinct advantage, especially to some of the orange, salmon
and mauve-coloured varieties. The scarlet and crimson
varieties now being practically free from scalding, they
do not require consideration in this matter of shade.
Generally speaking, the more open the ground, and the
more air that can pass through it without danger from
rough winds, the better and sturdier will be the haulm, and
providing this is hardy and in good health, good bloom is
bound to follow ; but once the haulm becomes attenuated
through want of light, or owing to the sodden state of the
subsoil (this latter is not always preventable), the flowers
will naturally be poor and thin, and it will take all one's
persuasive powers to rectify things again, even if it can be
done ait all.
Wherever possible, the ground chosen should be that
THE MODERN CULTURE
OF SWEET PEAS.
■which has not had leguminous plants grown on it for a
season or two, but this is not imperative, as good Peas can
be, and are, grown on the same ground for quite a number
of years, but now we are all more or less liable to suffer
from attacks of fungoid diseases, it is as well to change the
ground as often as possible.
Atmospheric Effects.
One other very significant factor towards the successful
cultivation and exhibiting of Peas (the latter in particular)
is the atmospheric conditions that prevail in the neighbour-
hood or locality. These we cannot regulate, and though the
plants in the young state are benefited or otherwise by them,
it is after the plants get into bloom that they really show
the effects of the atmosphere.
We all like to see dry weather overhead during the time
our flowers are opening for a show, but if the sun is very
hot, and there is a fairly drying wind, the flowers will open
somewhat small and thin, and have a decided tendency to
lose colour.
On the other hand, if the weather is dry and fairly dull,
with just a touch of moisture in the air, without being
actually wet, the flowers will open slower, but they will be
better, both in size, substance and colour, so that it may be
inferred from this that those living where the atmosphere
is generally soft and somewhat moist will be able to get more
body and colour into their flowers than their less fortunate
friends who live in very dry and arid localities. In very
low-lying districts, such as the Thames Valley, one is apt to
get rather overdone in this matter of moist air, the nights
often being very cold, even during the hottest part of the
summer. Here night fogs occur which are so laden with
moisture that it seems to impregnate the flowers through
THE MODERN CULTURE
OF SWEET PEAS.
and througli, and this is even worse than rain, as often they do
not get dry before the sun gets quite hot the following morn-
ing, and if they do not actually scald they become very thin
and limp-looking, which is very much against them for exhibi-
tion purposes. Another point — this time from a nursery-
man's point of view. In these localities there is great diffi-
culty in setting seed, so anyone desirous of seed-saving must
choose a position which is fairly high and dry.
Preparation of the Soil.
The first and by far the most important operation in
connection with the successful cultivation of Sweet Peas is
the preparation of the soil, and whether the cultivator
decides on spring or autumn sowing, or whether he is going
to plant out from pots or boxes or sow in the open ground,
the thorough tilling of his ground must be considered before
anything else. It is little use spending money in buying
choice varieties of Peas, or devoting time in the raising of
same, if the ground is not in good heart and in a nice friable
condition to receive the plants at the proper .time. It does
not matter one bit whether the grower intends to exhibit
Peas, or if he only wishes to have good flowers to cut at, or
nice rows or clumps for the embellishment of the garden —
this one operation must be thoroughly well done. Some
people obtain fair results by just digging the ground in the
ordinary way; others bastard trench, whilst again others
take out trenches during the winter and put the manure
in these as they get it, adding to it all the refuse from the
garden, filling them up with soil in the spring, just previous
to the time of planting or sowing, whichever the case may
be. This latter method may give good results in some
seasons, but I am quite sure plants grown in this way will
give large floppy flowers on long stems, which have neither
THE MODERN CULTURE
OF SWEET PEAS.
form nor colour about them. That some judges go blindly
for such stuff and award them prizes I am very well aware,
but a reaction has already set in, and I believe quality will
be considered more than it has been, so what should be
aimed at is to produce flowers quite characteristic of the
variety; that are good in substance and colour, with the
flowers nicely placed on good stiff stems; that are not too
gross; with a standard that holds itself fairly erect and the
wings looking well at you, and not laying open and almost
hiding the standard — this latter, and double standards^ being
to my mind two of the chief defects in a Sweet Pea.
Now to produce this class of flower over a long season
the ground sihould be well trenched at least three spits deep
— this applies to light as well as heavy soil. If it has been
under cultivation a number of yeaa-s, the subsoil may be
brought to the surface during the operation, but unless you
have had some previous experience with your ground it is
not wise to do this, as you may have cause to regret it.
Generally speaking, on heavy cold soils, after skimming the
surface to get rid of weeds and rubbish, and burying it in the
bottom of the trench, it is best to keep the top spit on the
top. This will entail more work, as it will mean having three
trenches open at the same time; but if these are only two
feet wide, they may be reached over quite easily without
having to tread on any of the ground that has been moved.
When trenching heavy soil, work into the bottom spit
as much garden refuse and leaves as you can get hold of, in
addition to some good, rich manure. This should be pro-
cured from the cow or bullock pen if possible, using it quite
fresh ; if there is plenty of straw with it, so much the better,
as it will tend to keep the soil more porous. In the second
spit plenty of manure shotild be worked in, but it ought not
to be brought nearer the surface than this (say from ten to
13
THE MODERN CULTURE
OF SWEET PEAS.
twelve inches), whilst in the top spit a sprinkling of bone^
meal should be added, as well as a good dressing of soot;
this latter will help to get rid of some of the insect pests.
The addition of any old mortar rubble, wood ashes, leaf-soil,
or anything else of a light, friable nature, will be very
beneficial if worked in near the surface, but this might with
advantage be left till nearer the time of planting, parti-
cularly if the soil is of a very sticky nature; it will then, if
fairly dry, prove a very good medium in which to plant the
young Peas. If cow manure cannot be obtained, then, of
course, any other manure will do, such as stable or pig
manure, varying the quantity according to the quality of
same.
Now, the great point about the trenching of heavy soil
is to well incorporate the manure with the soil (not leaving
it in layers in the trenches), and thoroughly well pulverise
the two bottom spits as you go on, breaking it up as fine
as possible, as no frost or air will get down thus far to
mellow it down. The top spit may be left rough, and this,
no doubt, will break down with the action of the weather.
Even after trenching I often have the surface of the soil
ridged, which naturally exposes more of it to the action of
frost, sun, and drying winds, and I find these ridges, br<oken
down just before planting, provide nice fine soil for the pur-
pose. In lighter soils it is even more essential that the heavy
cow manure should be used wherever it is possible to secure it,
but in place of this well-rotted horse manure will do. It
would seem that the addition ©f leaf-soil would tend tO'
further lighten the soil, yet it is one of the best materials
for conserving the moisture, providing it is well mixed with
the soil, and not left in layers here and there.
If the soil is very light, the addition of some loam
will naturally help it, or even clay, well pulverised, may be
THE MODERN CULTURE
OF SWEET PEAS.
used, but work it in well all over, and not just where the
Peas are likely to be planted. As I said before, I do not
believe in just taking out trenches and filling in with manure
and planting on top of them, or making a hole a foot or
two wide where there is to be a clump; for if this is done
the soil naturally sinks, and afterwards, if the weather is
very wet, it forms a natural drain for the surface water, and
though this may be an advantage on light soils, it will prove
very much the opposite on soils of a heavier nature. In dry
weather, too, the soil will crack all round these small holes,
or narrow trenches, and thus break off all the young roots
that are going further afield to find fresh nourishment for
the plant, and "this at a time when it is very much needed.
So that if you are trenching for only 'one row of Peas, never
let it be less than from five to six feet in width ; and if for
single clumps, let the space trenched be from four to six
feet square, but wherever possible select your piece of ground
where all your Peas m.ay be grown near together. They are
then well under your dye, and the ground may be thoroughly
trenched all over, thus allowing the roots to ramble at will
in search of food; moreover, if anything occurs in the way
of a fungoid pest attacking the plants, the following season
the Peas may be grown on a piece of the garden quite
removed from the source of such trouble-
If it is intended to sow out of doors in the autumn,
the trenching should be done early in September, which will
allow of the soil, that we presume is light, to become some-
what consolidated before sowing. If for spring sowing or
planting, the trenching may be done later. Light to medium
soils may be trenched any time after November, but on the
heavier soils it must be left till the turn of the year; in
fact, on really wet, spongy land it is best to leave it till near
the end of February, and even then it must only be worked
IS
THE MODERN CULTURE
OF SWEET PEAS.
during fine, drying weather. This class of soil, after being
moved, usually holds a great deal of moisture, and if con-
tinued wet weather prevails after it has been trenched, it
will need a great deal of working before it can be got into a,
condition fit to plant.
O^S^g^©
THE MODERN CULTURE
OF SWEET PEAS.
DATES OF SOWING,
Not so maay years ago it would have been quite unneces-
sary to raise the question as to the best time to sow Sweet
Peas, for then nearly everyone sowed their Peas 'out of doors
at one period, ranging from February to the middle of
April. Of late years, however, much discussion has taken
place about the various dates of sowing, and I have no doubt
that every cultivator of repute has his or her pet date and
manner of sowing the seeds; and, no doubt, each one
obtains results varying from good to bad, according to the
suitability of his or her time of sowing to the general con-
ditions of the neighbourhood in which they live. So that
locality, nature of the soil, and the date at which good
flowers are required, must be the detearmining factors of when
and how to sow, and either of the following methods will, no
doubt, prove successful under varying conditions : —
Outdoor Sowing in the Autumn.
For the production of very early flowers, either for the
market or for the decoration of the house, this method
should commend itself, but only to those who have an ideal
situation for Peas. The atmosphere, generally, should be
fairly dry, and the soil on the light side, with plenty of
drainage. Anyone with soil that has the slightest tendency
to heaviness, or that is likely to lie wet during the winter
months, must not attempt this at all, for in autumn sowing
17 c
THE MODERN CULTURE
OF SWEET PEAS.
not only must a very liberal allowance for losses from birds
and slugs be made, but there is always the chance of heavy
losses from frost, and this very often occurs at a time when
one is congratulating oneself upon having got nicely through
the winter. But on light soils, with a pure, dry atmosphere,
it is well worth trying, and if the plants come through the
winter all right, the flowers will not lonly be early, but good.
The trenching should be done in September, as described
under the heading of "Preparation of the Soil," so that the
seeds may be sown early in October — ^not later than the
second week. Before commencing operations it is as well to
decide whether they are to be sown in rows or clumps. I
have tried both ways, one against the other, for a number of
years, and have quite come to the conclusion that rows are
much easier to manage than clumps, while the flowers are
not so liable bo damage by wind, one row sheltering the other
somewhat, and where shading is necessary it is much easier
to shade one row than a number of individual clumps. I
might add here that if the rows run from east to west, they
will only require shading on one side, this, of course, being
the south.
For ordinary cutting purposes sowing may be done in
one narrow drill, but for exhibition purposes two drills are to
be preferred, as it very much economises space, and if the
plaints are subsequently thinned to a foot ajpart, it will
allow them plenty of room. The drills should be drawn
from two to three inches deep, and the double drills a foot
apart, allowing from five to six feet between each row or
pair of rows, as the case may be.
Before sowing, the seeds should be moistened and rolled
in a little red lead, as a precaution against mic» and slugs,
and they should be sown two to three inches apart, as even
under favourable conditions one is apt to lose quite fifty per
i8
Plants fR'jm Sprixg-shwx SEEn, shuwixo state hf growth hx May ivvih.
THE MODERN CULTURE
OF SWEET PE&S.
cent. Cover in the drills with fine soil, and if it is verj
sandy, a slight treading may be given, but do mot overdo
this, as the autumn rains will usually firm the soil quite
enough.
If the weather is fairly mild, the young plants will soon
be through the soil, and as soon as they appear give them a
slight dusting of eoot, to ward off slugs, continuing this at
intervals lihrough the winter as they require it, but let the
dustings be slight, as the young plants will not have the
same vigour about them to withstand heavy dressings as they
have when growing freely in the spring of the year.
If wire Pea guards are to hand, they should be put over
the young plants as a protection against birds, or a few-
benders may be put over the rows. An old fish net stretched
over them will answer the same purpose, but the guards are
the Best, as the wet weather during the winter will soon
rot the nets.
Another enemy of the Peas are mice, and they must be
either poisoned or trapped, whichever seems the best. A
good plan is to place small pieces of bread smeared over with
phosphorous paste under the guards or nets, as the vermin
will often take this before the young Peas, and prevention
i-s certainly better than cure in this case, as well as in every
other.
Por trapping, the Little Nipper or Break Back traps
are very eflfective, as also are the old figure-four traps
between two sl-ates or bricks, but whatever method you em-
ploy to cope with mice, get it in hand as soon as the seeds
are sown, as it may prevent a total loss. Besides, it is an
expensive hobby feeding mice with Sweet Pea seed at, say,
from haJfpenny to threepence each.
After the young seedlings appear through the ground,
19 c*
THE MODERN CULTURE
OF SWEET PEAS.
they may have the hoe run through them, occasionally, at
the same time making sure that the soil around the young
plants is made very fine during the operation. After this
give the slight dusting qi soot as advised previously, but do
not move the soil during frosty weather, as I have maaiy
times seen plants get badly frozen where the soil has been
freshly moved, whilst others adjoining on the undisturbed
ground have escaped unhurt. It is a common practice with
many people to pull the soil up to the rows of Peas after
they attain a height of from three to four inches, but as I
have never practised it, I cannot say anything either for or
against it, though at the same time I cannot quite see why
it is done, except to shelter the young plants somewhat. I
have never known Peas to be much damaged by frost during
the early part of the winter. This usually happens after
they get into growth in the spring, when after a sharp frost
the sun gets to them before they have thoroughly thawed.
The cold winds will also cut them up badly, so to prevent
this, place a few small twigs on the sunny or windy side,
whichever they are likely to suffer from most, but not too
near. I have no doubt this plan will do more good than
drawing the soil up to them.
Spring Sowing Out of Doors.
As the exact treatment is necessary for spring sowing
out of doors as I have advised for the autumn, the only
thing to consider is the best date, and this, of course, must
vary according to the weather and local conditions. In light
soil I should not hesitate to sow any time after the middle
of February, though on heavier soil it may be best to leave
it till perhaps the middle of March, or even later if the
ground is wet and climatic conditions unfavourable, but there
is very little advantage to be gained — especially if you want
THE MODERN CULTURE
OF SWEET PEAS.
good blooms — in leaving the sowing after the end of March.
Occasionally one hears of wonderful bloom being gathered
from very late-sown plants, but this is more the exception
than the rule, and in most sea«ons they are, comparatively
speaking, almost a failure. Of course, in spring sowing the
seeds may be put a little deeper in the ground, and a little
further apart, but be sure and sow thickly enough to ensure
a full plant, particularly of the cheaper varieties, as it is
very easy to thin them out. If weak spots do occur in the
rows, don't forget that transplanting is easily and very
successfully accomplished if taken in hand before the roots
have penetrated too deeply into the soil. Everything must
be done in the way of protection, hoeing, etc., as advised
for autumn sowing.
Sowing in Pots in the Autumn.
When this system is adopted, the same season's seed
should, if possible, be procured, though it is not a necessity.
I always try to save a few packets of the leading varie-
ties from the spring sowing, and if they have proved of good
form and come fairly true during the preceding summer, then
I sow this surplus in the autumn. I then know that I have
a pretty true stock to begin with, which is an advantage in
these days.
The best time for sowing in the autumn is from the
8th to the 15th of October; earlier-sown plants are apt
to get a little too leggy, and those sown, say, a fortnight
later do not get strong enough to go through the winter
kindly, especially if the month of November is a bad one.
The size of pots to be used is simply a matter of choice.
I have used large 60's, sowing two seeds in a pot; 48's with
THE MODERN CULTURE
OF SWEET PEAS.
five or six seeds in each; also boxes four inches deep, with
the seeds sown ircao. one to one and a half inches apart, and
in each instance the results have been all I could wish,
though for a matter of convenience the 48-sized pots are
perhaps the best, being easy to handle, and a nice size to
hold a few small twigs, which are necessary to keep the
young plants in an upright position when they begin to
grow a bit early in the year.
A fairly light compost of loam and leaf-soil, with suffi-
cient sand to make it porous, should be used for sowing the
seeds. Make the soil only moderately firm in the pots or
boxes, filling them up to about an inch from the rim, which
allows half to three-quarters of an inch of soil on top of the
seed. Before sowing, it may be advisable to chip a little off
the outer coating of the seed, but only in the case of the
harder-seeded varieties, or they may be soaked in water for
a short time. This will assist the germination considerably,
and with this treatment they ought to be through the soil
quite by the end of three weeks. Without chipping or
soaking, I have found many seeds sound at the end of three
months, which, on being chipped, have germinated quite
freely within a few days.
After sowing, the pots or boxes should be placed in a
cold frame and given a thorough aoaking of water, when the
lights may be put on till the seedlings appear through the
soil. Air may then be given freely, and as the young plants
gain in strength the lights should be entirely removed when
the weather is at all favourable — and it is always favour-
able except when it is raining, snowing, or freezing. But
when the lights are off it is as well to keep an old net handy
to throw over the frames, and thus do away with the risk
of the birds taking out the points of the young plants. At
the time of sowing, small pieces of bread smeared with
THE MODERN CULTURE
OF SWEET PEAS.
phosphorous paste should be placed about the frame to test
the palates of any mice that may be in the vicinity.
After the plants are well up, I have found it advisable
to plunge the pots in ashes nearly up to the rim ; this will
remove the need of watering during the winter, or, at least,
till the plants begin to grow away freely in the spring, ajad,
further, it averts all danger of the pots getting cracked
should they happen to get badly frozen, which should be
prevented if possible. Anything lapproachiug coddling should
be avoided, but it is wise to cover the frame or frames with
mats or some other covering material in the event of very
severe frosts or snow, though should it be a very protracted
spell, it is wise to open the frames, if only for an hour or
two during the middle of the day. The frames I use for
wintering the Peas in are the ordinary box frames that may
be made locally or bought from any of the horticultural
builders. Amateurs and others not possessing frames may
winter the Peas in quite a cold greenhouse, but they must
be kept quite close to the glass, with no fire heat whatever,
or the growth will become too weak and attenuated.
Sowing in Pots oe Boxes in the Spring.
These sowings may be made any time from the middle of
January to the middle of March, but the most sturdy plants
are obtained from seed sown during the first or second week
in February. The method of sowing is practically the same
as advised for autumn sowing in pots, but it is advisable
to give them a start in just a slightly warmer struetuxe
than a box frame. The shelf of a cool house is a very
suitable place for raising themj or, if this is not available,
then the frame may be placed on a very mild hotbed, and
the pots placed in this. The hotbed need only be a very
small affair sufficient to keep warm during the period of
23
THE MODERN CULTURE
OF SWEET PEAS.
germination only, so that as the young plants come through
the soil the heat is gradually dying down, and air may bo
given quite freely, especially during the middle of the
day, when the sun may happen to be fairly warm. The
same precautions must be taken against mice, birds, frosts,
etc., as advised before, and as these spring-sown plants grow
freely, they must be watched daily to see that all is well
with them, for if losses occur after they get well up it will
be almost too late to think of sowing again to make up the
deficiency.
The foregoing remarks on the subject of seed sowing may
appear somewhat lengthy, but it is in this, the beginning,
that I hear of very many failures, not from gardeners, but
from amateurs, chiefly owing to some little lack of know-
ledge; so by describing the dates and methods of sowing it
may help many to decide which system is the most applicable
to their own particular case or locality. In addition to this
I will add that after studying the matter in every phase, both
for light and heavy soils, and when I have wanted good flowers
for both early and late shows, I have found that the
autumn-sown plants (in pots) have proved over and over again
far in advance of those sown in either of the other methods
described, and in this lies the great secret of success, the
resulting flowers being of such substance and quality.
But from the very beginning there must not be the
slightest idea of coddling; the young plants must be grown
as hardy as possible, so that when the time comes for them
to be planted out, they are in a fit condition to withstand
practically any kind of weather, providing the soil they are
planted in is in a good workable condition.
Plants that have been treated as described should be
about five inches high at the time of planting out, and
furnished with a mass of good, hard roots that are ready to
THOS. STEVENSON.
THE MODERN CULTURE
OF SWEET PEAS.
take hold of the fresh soil without pushing the haulm into
too vigorous growth all at once. Although it will be found
that they will come into bloom quite early, say the end of
May or early in June, the hold they have of the soil is such
that they will continue blooming even after the spring-sown
plants have given out, and, as mentioned before, the flowers,
generally, will be of a much better size, colour and substance
than the spring-sown ones, the stems also being propor-
tionately harder or firmer.
Another point I have noted, more especially during
1910, is the immunity of autumn-sown plants from diseases
of any kind, hardly one plant in six hundred being affected
by the streak disease, which is more than I can say about
the others. This may only be a coincidence, but it is well
worth noting, and if this pest can be guarded against by
autumn sowing, then so much the better, and I shall be
very closely watching to see if the same occurs again next
season.
THE MODERN CULTURE
OF SWEET PEAS.
PLANTING OUT.
If the young plants have been hardened off properly, as
advised in a previous chapter, they may be planted out any
time after the middle of March, allowing, of course, that
the ground in which they are to be planted is in good condi-
tion.
To make quite sure of the plants being thoroughly hard,
they should be removed from the frame a day or so beforehand,
standing them some little distance apart, to allow the wind
and sun (if there is any) bo get well between them, and thus
harden the stems; but on no account let them get frozen
in the pots, or they will suffer.
I ought to have mentioned that soon after trenching, the
whole of the surface of the soil should be freely sprinkled
with fresh slaked lime, which will have a very beneficial
effect by helping to break it down, as well as adding to the
productiveness of it by rendering the manurial constituents
soluble, and consequently more easily assimilated by the
roots.
Also, a day or two before planting out, sprinkle a little
superphosphate over the surface of the soil, forking it in
to the depth of four or five inches. If the soil is heavy and
inclined to be sticky, a sprinkling of dry wood ashes, leaf-
soil or any other lightening material, will help to make it
more friable; and if this cannot be done all over, no pains
26
THE MODERN CULTURE
OF SWEET PEAS.
should be spared to break up the soil very fine just where
the rows or clumps, of Peas will come.
As mentioned in the chapter on sowing, if growing for
exhibition, the best and most economic method is to plant
in double rows, the two rows to be one foot apart, and not
less than five feet from centre to centre of each row; six or
seTon feet would be better; but the former should be quite
the minimum, and, unfortunately, this is all I can allow
myself. The plants may be placed anything from six inches
to a foot apart in the rows, and even if planted two feet
apart they would quite fill up this space. When planting,
it is as well to map out a system, having all the varieties
near together that require shading, and on the outside row
for the convenience of putting it up. All the varieties of
one colour should be placed near together, or in one row,
where they may be easily compared one with the other, and
this will often save cutting a bunch or two for the purpose.
Should it be decided to plant in clumps, the same system
of keeping the varieties together should be followed, and if
the Peas are raised several in a pot they must not be planted
just as they come out of the pot, but shaken out separately
ajid planted quite six inches apart in a ring, say at least two
feet over. When planted with a solid ball, the roots do not
get away so freely, to ramify through the soil, and often
during dry weather the whole clump will collapse.
When planting, each plant sh'ould be shaken out
separately from the soil, disentangling the roots as carefully
as possible. Then make a good hole with the trowel, or cut
out a sloping trench, with a clean spade, so that the roots
may be laid or spread out carefully, after which the soil
should be pressed firmly around them, making sure there is
no harbour for slugs near the collar of the plant, or it will
be courting trouble at once.
27
THE MODERN CULTURE
OF SWEET PEAS.
Tie autumn-so-wrn plants should have a few twigs placed
arownd them at once to keep them upright, after which they
should receive a thorough sprinkling of soot, which opera-
tion should be repeated as often as necessary. Spring-sown
plants will naturally be rather later, and may not be ready
for planting quite so early, but if the soil is in really good
condition (and with heavy soil your opportunities must be
made use of) and the plants haa:d, get them out as early as
possible, as they are much better off making roots in the
ground than in the pots or boxes. These being somewhat
shorter in growth, they may not require staking for a time,
so after sooting and breaking up the soil nicely between the
rows, make provision for stretching a net over the whole
batch of plants. This is best done by putting in a post
here and there, and running string or wire from post to post
in much the same way as covering a Strawberry bed, but,
if possible, high enough up to allow of one getting about
under it for looking over the plants, sooting, etc. In many
instances nets may not be available, so to keep off the birds
two or three rows of black thread must be strained an inch
or two above the plants, and this will be found very effective
if properly done.
Although I have never known the young plants, when
properly hardened off, to be seriously injured by frost after
planting, yet the netting stretched over and around will
protect them somewhat from the wind, which is often very
injurious to them, especially if from the north or east, and
accompanied by sleet. If the position is very exposed, a
further protection may be provided in the shape lof a few
Spruce or Laurel branches placed down one side of the row,
as advised for those sown out of doors in the autumn.
On some soils wireworm is a great nuisance, but if the
soil has been treated with soot and wood ashes, this ought
THE MODERN CULTURE
OF SWEET PEAS.
to negative the trouble somewhat; but a sharp look-out must
be kept, and any crippled plants made good, but not before
the cause of the trouble has been discovered and removed.
If the soil is very badly infested, then I would advise boring
holes two feet apart between the double rows of plants, and
filling them up with Vaporite or some other grubicide, many
of which are now advertised, but the reason I mention
Vaporite is because I have used this and found it very
effective.
After planting and twigging, or small staking, has been
done, there will not be a great deal to do for a time, except
to keep the ground hoed over after it has been beaten down
by rain, and the daily or bi-weekly examination for the pests
mentioned above.
'9
THE MODERN CULTURE
OF SWEET PEAS.
STAKING.
This is a matter which calls for considerable thought,
and the slack time between planting and staking may well
be employed in preparing posts and stakes.
The present system of cultivation is naturally conducive
to the plants growing very tall, and on heavy soils ten to
twelve feet will be by no means an outside limit. On
lighter soils, perhaj)s nine feet will be as much as they will
reach ; but whatever height they are likely to achieve, ample
provision must be made for them. There are various methods
employed for staking the Peas, such as. using wide-meshed
wire netting, supported by stakes here and there, and where
Peas are only grown for seed purposes this may answer well,
but it hardly gives sufficient protection for Peas growing
for exhibition.
For ordinary cutting purposes, large diamond-meshed
wire hurdles might be employed, but even these would re-
quire a good deal of support by strong stakes, or poles, if
they needed to be carried up to a height of from eight to
nine feet. The method I have employed this past three
seasons, which has proved an undoubted success, is to drive a
strong post in at the end of each double row, with inter-
mediate posts as necessary. To these are nailed three cross-
pieces, one a foot from the ground, one near the top, and
one midway between the two. The bottom cross-piece is
about eighteen inches wide, and the top one only about nine
30
Plants from Ai'tumx-sown Seed, stiowing state of growth ox May 30 th-
THE MODERN CULTURE
OF SWEET PEAS.
inches. To each af these cross-pieces is strained a wire
running from end to end of the row. (These posts and wiraa
may with adviantage be placed in position before the plant-
ing is done.) When this operation is completed, ordinary
Hazel stakes may be used, laying them flat against the wires
and giving a tie here and there to keep them nicely in posi-
ti'on, and, of course, this gives them a very neat and tidy
appearance.
If the stakes are not as long as required, then tie them
to the two top wires, which will give the desired height,
afterwards filling in the bottom with shorter stakes. This
may seem a lot of trouble, but if growing for exhibition it
is quite necessary, as it is no use growing the Peas well if
they are not supported properly, and nothing is m'ore annoy-
ing than to find a lot of good flowers of no service at all,
through the haulm having grown over the top of the stakes,
or, what is worse still, and which often happens, the whole
row of stakes and haulm blown right over.
Instead of Hazel stakes, long tapering Bamboos may
be used, tying these in the same way to the wires, and at
whatever distance apart you wish. This system will necessi-
tate a deal of labour in tying each plant ae it grows, but
it will be found that the plants will grow wonderfully
stocky, owing to the extra light obtained, and all the flowers
will be found very clean and strong in the stem, as there
are no twigs which they can get entangled in or bruised
against.
The initial outlay for Bamboos is considerably greater
than for Hazel stakes, but if they are securely tied to the
wires, instead of being put in the ground, they will last quite
a number of years, and so prove cheaper in the end, Hazel
stakes being of but very little use after the first season.
31
THE MODERN CULTURE
OF SWEET PEAS.
I have also used string in tlie same way as Bamboos,
straining it to the top and bottom wires. Tbe plants do well
on the .string, but I prefer the Bamboos, as there is not the
same tendency for them to be blown about by the wind, the
alternating dry and wet weather causing the string to slacken
somewhat.
It will be, noticed by this arrangement of posts and
cross-pieces that the stakes will slope inwjird from each side,
and by training the bine up on the outside the flowers all
grow outwards, and very rarely, if ever, get hung up during
growth, unless it is in the tendrils of the Peas. Ordinary
rows for cutting may be staked in the same way as culinaxy
Peas, sloping the tops of the states outwards in this case,
to keep the bine as far as possible from coming through the
stakes and falling over; and it is hardly necessary to add
that long, bushy stakes should be secured, as even for cut-
ting, with liberal treatment, they will grow very tall. Clumps
of Peas, whether they are in the kitchen garden, on the
lawn, or in borders, should be staked as neatly as possible,
using tall, straight Hazel stakes for the purpose, the tops
of which should be tied to a wire or Hazel hoop, made
according to the size of the clumps.
I have seen and tried various other methods of staking,
but none of them have proved so satisfactory as that
described, but whatever method is employed, the
great thing is to do it well, and make everything quite
secure, so that, in the event of high winds occurring after
the stakes get well covered with the bine, they will not get
blown about.
Teaining, Tying, Etc.
Although all staking should be completed while the
plants are still small, I nevertheless like the haulm to reach
a height of a foot to eighteen inches before I begin any
32
THE MODERN CULTURE
OF SWEET PEAS.
training or thinning, as free growth at the outset does much
to enoourag© root action, and that is what is required
at this stage. I have seen it advised to give the plants a
dressing of artificial manure thus early, and where they are
particularly slow in making a start into growth, it may be
advisable J but where a little superphosphate has been added
to the soil at the time of planting, it is not necessary, and
is bound to encourage a sappy growth in the bine, which
never gives the largest and best-coloured flowers; in fact,
I have proved that the reverse is very often the case.
For present-day exhibition purposes, the thinning of the
bine plays a very important part, many people keeping the
plants to one stem only. But is this necessary? I venture
to say "No," as really first-class Peas can be had by allow-
ing from two to three shoots to each plant, and even six
or eight may be taken up, providing there is plenty of room
between each for the proper development of the foliage. In
any case, however, the shoots should be from four to six
inches apart, and more if it can be spared; so that the
thinning must be governed somewhat by the space allowed
when planting, or the cultivator should plant according to
the number of shoots it is intended to take up, making
ample allowance for any mishap that may occur.
It may happen, especially with the autiunn-sown plants,
that the first or central shoot may have become rather hard
and stunted, the result probably of unfavourable weather
conditions. This being so, do not hesitate to cut this away,
and take up one or more of the basal shoots which at this
time will be growing away strongly, the flowers from these
being quite as good as from the central shoot.
If staked as advised, with the stakes or Bamboos slop-
ing inwards, the growths may be brought to the outside after
they have got well clear of the ground, and each one given
33 ^
THE MODERN CULTURE
OF SWEET PEAS.
a tie to keep it in position, this operation being repeated as
often as necess.ary, though, if using Hazel stakes, the young
tendrils will lay hold of these, and help pretty considerably
to keep them in position. But with Bamboos or strings, a
tie will be necessary at least every week after the plants get
well into growth. The grower will find that spring-sown
plants have not quite the same tendency to make as many
shoots from the base, and the leader in almost every instance
will grow away freely, so that only sufficient sideshoots will
need to be tied in, to bring them the necessary distance
apart.
After the space is sufficiently covered, all superfluous
sideshoots must be removed, pulling them right out from
the axil of the leaf, as, if this is not done clean, or if they
are only pinched off, they will soon be breaking out again,
thus making more work. Some people remove all the
tendrils also, but this is quite unnecessary, and even more
unnatural than disbudding the shoots j but just previous to
a show it may be found necessary to take a few off here and
there where they interfere with the free growth of the flower
stems.
For ordinary cutting purposes this kind of treatment is
quite unnecessary, and the plants should be allowed to grow
at will, except in the case of uneven germination of seed
s'owin in the open, when, if the plants are very thin,
pinching will induce them to break away a little more freely,
and so fill up the row. Also if stakes are none too plentiful,
and the rows staked rather thinly, a strand of string or
matting may be run along the stakes about eighteen inches
above the ground, this preventing the plants growing through
the stakes, which are usually rather more deficient in twigs
at the bottom than nearer the top.
In addition to the tying, there will not be much to d^
34
THE MODERN CULTURE
^ OF SWEET PEAS.
till the plants commence to 'bloom, but a sharp look-out
must be kept on the birds, especially if the season is a dry
one, the sparrows, etc., being very partial to the young
growing tips. A few pieces of bright tin hung up where
they will blow about freely will help keep off these pests,
and if it can be arranged for the tin, when swinging about,
to strike up against the stakes, the scare will prove all the
more effective. Sparrows and tits are the Peas' worst
enemies.
On every occasion after tying, endeavour to give the
alleys between the rows a good deep hoeing; or, if the soil
is heavy, a light pointing over with the fork will Aa a lot
of good, this treatment in the early stages being of even
more benefit than mulching with manure.
3S
THE MODERN CULTURE
OF SWEET PEAS.
MULCHING, FEEDING, AND
WATERING.
As may be noted at the conclusion of the last chapter, 1
am not in favour of mulching heavily with manure — at least
not during the earlier stages of growth ; but in all classes of
soil, more especially if inclined to be heavy, a sprinkling of
very light manure or leaf-soil might with advantage be put
down between the rows before staking, and for a few inches
on either side afterwards, this only as a matter of con-
venience. Hoeing is a splendid operation for the conserving
of moisture, and the more often it is done, the better will
it be for the well-being of the plants, and only under very
exceptional circumstances would I be induced to ■ leave off
hoeing in favour of mulching till after the plants have got
well into bloom, as I have noticed that until the soil gets
thoroughly warm, the plants will not throw really good, long
and stiff-stemmed flowers. Therefoire it is as well to defer
mulching as long as possible, but at the same time one must
not let the plants suffer, there being exceptions to every
rule. By keeping back the mulching, however, one has at
least a very ready means of giving the plants a fillip in
the advent of very dry weather, or a show coming on.
On light soils, a mulch of cow manure, with plenty of
straw or leaf-mould mixed with it, will prove satisfactory,
but for the heavy ground I prefer to use horse droppings
and leaf-soil, and this, when dry, may be moved about in
36
THE MODERN CULTURE
OF SWEET PEAS.
the same way as the soil before mulching. But this mulching
material should be well prepared by being turned over several
times before it is necessary to put it on ; and then, when
putting it on, do not just throw it down between the rows
anyhow, but work it in well with the hand among the
sticks and around the plants, as it is near their stems that
the masses of young roots will be found ready to feed on it.
By the way, any injury to these young roots would give a
very serious check to the plants.
After the mulch has been put on, give a good soaking
of water, thereby washing what goodness there is in the
manure through into the soil, and not leaving it to be
evaporated out by the sun. As the season advances, a little
additional mulch may be necessary, especially when it is
found that the original mulch is full of roots, and if the
plants really want a good feeding, quite fresh horse drop-
pings may be employed, taking care to water in at once, or
it may be found that the ammonia arising from them will
very quickly bum the edges of the foliage.
It is not advisable at any time during the season to use
anything of a close nature for mulching, as it not only looks
untidy, but it robs the roots of air, and they will not come
up into it as they will into something of a light, porous
nature. Thus, short grass mowings should never be used —
at least not in any quantity — as in the event of wet weather
they form a slimy covering through which no air can
possibly pass.
The amount of water that is necessary for Sweet Peas
depends very much on the season, and to a greater extent
on the nature of the soil, for while water may be given with
impunity on light sioils, an extra feed with manure or the
least excess of water on heavier soil will bring on a bad
attack of bud dropping, especially while the plants are
27
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THE MODERN CULTURE
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being brought borne to me very plainly in one season when
I fed a batch of plants in pots with soot only, and the colour
of the flowers was exceptionally good.
During dry weather, even if the plants are not suffering
at the root, I have found them very much benefited by a
good syringing overhead during the evening after a. hot,
drying day. This, indeed, may be given as often as con-
venient, and not only will it do the plants good by washing
them free of all dust, but will rid them of all fly, which is
very troublesome in some localities during hot, dry weather.
Again, if the number of plants are not too many to do with
the hand syringe, a little soot-water added will also tend to
make the foliage distasteful to either fly or thrip ; and,
whilst talking about fly, I might mention that Abol is one of
the best insecticides to use in case of a bad attack. A pail-
ful of this, with an Abol sprayer, will go over a lot of Pesis,
and, unless used very carelessly, cannot possibly injure the
growing tips.
40
THE MODERN CULTURE
OF SWEET PEAS.
PREPARING THE BLOOMS FOR
EXHIBITION.
After the labour of trenching, sowing, planting and
tending the plants for a period of from six to eight months,
the pleasure of getting the bloom in good condition for a
show is very considerable, more especially if the plants have
grown away kindly from the start, and consequently are in
a good healthy condition. Many growers, I find, remove the
buds until a short time before the date of the show; but
unless the plants are backward, or in a weak condition, this
is hardly necessary, and I never practise it. The plants
should be allowed to flower at will, but the blooms should
be removed regularly as soon as they are fit for use in the
house, not left on the plant till they are fully developed.
This will tend to check the growth of the plants somewhat,
and, given favourable weather conditions, the best quality
flowers will be produced after the plants have been blooming
about three weeks, by which time all the coarseness should
have disappeared, and the flowers should then be of good
quality and nicely disposed on a good hard stem of moder-
ate length. Stems from fourteen to sixteen inches long are
quite big enough for any practical purpose, big, sappy stems,
with soft and badly-opened standards, being one of the
defects to guard against.
If the plants have been flowering for a while, and the
stems are visibly shortening, then is the time to give them
a rest by removing the flower-buds; and if only two or
41
THE MODERN CULTURE
OF SWEET PEAS.
the flowers weak in the stem and of very poor colour. If
fish nets are used, these may remain on for almost any length
of time without serious results, as they allow the free pas-
sage of air, and at the same time give a fair proportion of
shade.
As to which is the best time for cutting is rather a
difficult question to answer, the prevailing weather condi-
tions having to be taken into serious consideration, as well
as the distance the blooms have to be travelled, and the
characteristics of individual varieties, some improving in
water, while others go back very quickly. In most instances,
the pale blues, lavenders, and mauves improve considerably
if cut twenty-four hours beforehand, while some of the pinks,
scarlets, and crimsons lose colour very fast if the day happens
to be hot and dry. I am quite sure that if the crimson, salmon,
and orange-coloured varieties could be cut ■on the morning
of the show, in most instances they would be very much
brighter in colour; but if the blooms have to be travelled
any distance, they should have at least two or three hours
in water before being packed, and even longer than this if
it can conveniently be managed.
Whenever possible, the flowers should be quite dry when
cut, and care should be taken to cut only flowers that are
just on the young side, and those with four flowers only,
though, of course, with some varieties this is impossible;
but three flowers on a stem must be the minimum. I prefer
to cut as soon as they are quite dry in the morning, or after
the sun has lost its power in the afternoon, but not after the
blooms get damp with dew, After cutting, they should be
placed in vases or jars in a cool, airy shed or room, where
they may get a maximum of light and air, as, if they are
placed in a dull, dark shed or room, the flowers have a
decided tendency to close up, and some will not open again
43
THE MODERN CULTURE
OF SWEET PEAS.
properly, especially if a little over-advanced, the variety
Oooastance Oliver being a very striking example of this.
Despite all one's scheming, however, it may happen that
the flowers have to be cut during wet weather. In this
event cut them a few hours earlier, disposing them very
thinly in vases, and placing them in a house where a current
of air may pass through them. If the air inlet is just over
the slightly-heated water pipes, it will help to thoroughly
dry the flowers, and it is hardly necessary to add that they
must on no account be put very near the hot-water pipes.
Where a greenhouse is not available, the flowers should be
put in a room where there is a fire, and the windows thrown
open — anything rather than having to pack the flowers wet.
Packing.
Many and varied are the receptacles used for conveying
the flowers to the shows. For instance, at one show I noticed
an exhibitor unpacking his blooms from an ordinary tin
clothes-box, whilst another had cardboard boxes for each
bunch, and, as he had several dozen bunches, he had a
goodly lot of boxes. These, when tied together, would be
very light and handy for getting about, and I have no doubt
proved very suitable for the purpose, which could hardly be
said about the tin box. For short journeys it matters very
little what the blooms are packed in, provided too many
bunches are not placed one on top of the other; but for
longer journeys suitable boxes or baskets are quite indis-
pensable, if you want the flowers to arrive at their desti-
nation in the best possible condition.
I find many growers travel their blooms quite upright in
water, with a piece of tissue paper between or around each
bunch. This method naturally means fairly deep boxes, and
a certain amount of extra weight; but if the flowers, after
44
THE MODERN CULTURE
OF SWEET PEAS.
being cut, axe placed in water for an hour or two before
packing, it seems hardly necessary to keep them in water
while on the journey. As proof of this I may say that I
packed one lot of bloom at eleven o'clock in the morning —
at least I caught a train a mile from home at 11.20 — and
many of these flowers were not removed from the hampers
and placed in water till between seven and eight o'clock the
following day. This was a pretty good spell, but the flowers
came up nicely by eleven o'clock, the time for judging, and
as they secured a matter of seventeen first prizes, the results
were very gratifying. Of course these flowers were quite
dry when packed. Since this experience I have invariably
used light, shallow hampers, about two and arhalf feet long,
eighteen inches wide, and six inches deep, which take about
a dozen bunches each, with, say, from twenty-five to thirty
blooms in a bunch.
If theweather is hot and dry, the hampers are lined with
waxed paper, which to a great extent limits the amount of
evaporation ; but if, on the other hand, it is dull or wet, and
the flowers likely to be a trifle damp, I then use very S'oft
tissue paper instead, and this helps matters very much by
absorbing a great deal of the moisture. I flnd the blooms
travel much better in the hampers than in boxes, and they
are certainly lighter and easier to handle.
At the Show.
On arrival at the show, vases must be secured at once,
and the blooms unpacked and placed temporarily in them,
after which the positions of the various classes can be found
out, and the varieties that are to be used for each class
may be taken to their proper places right away, which is
much better than leaving them huddled up on a small space,
or left on the floor, where there is considerable risk of
45
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THE MODERN CULTURE
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VARIETIES FOR EXHIBITION.
The choice of varieties to grow for exhibition is a, very-
important point, more particularly when one's space for
growing them is limited. Then, when looking over new
varieties at a show, one is apt to be carried away somewhat
by their novelty, etc., and to order them without due con-
sideration or enquiry as to whether they are fixed. To be
candid, it is not wise bo actually depend on new kinds for
exhibition in their first season, it being better to make up
the desired number from among the best of the well-tried
standard varieties. Purchase the new sorts by all means,
and grow them; and if they come true you have another
string to your bow, and can then decide which of the more
familiar varieties are to be displaced; but do not discard
a kind that has persistently done well with you over several
seasons, without giving it due consideration, as all varieties
of Peas do not do this, and though a certain variety may be
shown well, and no doubt grows well in some places, it does
not follow that it is bound to do sio with you; so proceed
with caution.
If you have unlimited capital and space at your com-
mand, you will, of course, grow every new variety you can
get, for purposes of comparison, which is most interesting,
and from which you will discover that one variety will be
at its best during dull weather, aJid another, almost of the
same colour, when it is very hot and dry, and so on right
48
Maud Holmes (Sunproof Crimson Spencer),
(Three-quarters natural she.)
THE MODERN CULTURE
OF SWEET PEAS.
through; from which it will be gathered that it takes more
than a casual glance through trials of new varieties before
one can actua>lly decide which are the best to grow.
Individual taste will always be a very potent factor
in the selection of varieties, but for a season or so the
following review may be a little guide to those who are not
in the position to see the new varieties exhibited, or to
inspect them growing at the National Sweet Pea Society's
trials. The names are those of what I consider the best
in their colours, taking into consideration, as far as possible,
their fixity, etc.
Whites.
In whites we have some good varieties, but there is
still room for a better and larger flower. Freda (Breadmore)
is a giant — or perhaps I ought to say improved — stock of
Etta Dyke, and I think I may safely name this as the best
of the new ones. Florence Wright is also a good thing, but
neither of these have been generally grown, so I must not
be too definite about them. Failing these two, Nora Unwin
is to my idea the white, it having a better and more upright
standard than Etta Dyke, and in nearly all cases a I'onger
stem, which does not shorten nearly so quickly as Etta Dyke
in the event of really hot weather.
Crimson.
Crimsons have been decidedly improved during the past
two years, and in Sunproof Crimson (either Debbie's or
Sydenham's stock) we have an ideal Pea, the flower being
both large and of good shape, certainly standing the sun
well, and, I should say, quite fixed. King Edward Spencer
is arlso good, it being a fine grower, usually throwing four
flowers on a good stem; but the colour is not so bright as
that of the first-named, neither is it quite so true, there
generally being two types in it.
49 *
THE MODERN CULTURE
OF SWEET PEAS.
EOSE.
In this colour it seems impossible bo beat Jobn Ingman,
wbether it is bought under the name of Paradise Carmine,
George Herbert, Mrs. W. King, or any of the other names
under which it is sold. It is a veritable giant, grows well,
and gives good flowers in all weathers, with perhaps a little
more brilliancy in it when the season is fairly warm.
Marjorie Willis is of rather a different type of flower from
the above, and of quite a distinct shade of rose, which on
the plant is wonderfully plea/sing; but it is very disappoint-
ing as a flower for exhibition, quickly going soft, and taking
on a magenta shade in water. Marie Corelli, an American-
raised variety, is very similar to the preceding, and rather
softer in colour. It does not fade so badly in water, so, if a
second rose-coloured variety is needed, this is the one to
choose.
SCAELETS.
This is one of the m.ost telling colours, though as yet
we have no variety quite equal in size to the crimsons.
Scarlet Monarch (Deal) is, I think, a coming variety, the
flower being very nicely waved, and a very bright shade of
scarlet. Doris Burt is rather deeper in colour than the pre-
ceding, .and it may be just a trifle larger in the flower.
George Stark, as awarded the medal in 1908, was very fine,
but unfortunately it has not often been seen in such good
form since, though the variety George Stark Improved
seems to be very near to the original.
Cerise.
Flowers in this shade are on the small side, but
what they lack in size is made up in colour. Cherry Ripe
(Gilbert's) and Coccinea Waved (Hemus) are both very good
varieties, either of which would add colour to any collection.
so
THE MODERN CULTURE
OF SWEET PEAS.
Rose du Barrii (Alex. Dickson) is another variety that comes
under this colour heading. It is very bright, and will prove
very useful as a decorative Pea.
Yellow or Cream.
At present we have no finer variety than Clara Curtis,
though of this there are some types on the market that are
better than others. Paradise Ivory is a grand Pea — in fact,
one of the largest and best, but it does not look its best
when bunched ; still, as it is such a satisfactory grower, it
makes a good second string to Clara Curtis. As a Pea for
garden decoration it is unsurpassed. Isabel Malcolm aaid
Lady Knox (Dobbie) are both coming Peas, and are beauti-
ful, but as yellows they aje no improvement.
Blue.
This is a colour that might well be divided into two
shades — dark and light, but there is no dark blue at present
that is good enough to rank as an exhibition variety, Mrs.
George Charles (Bolton) being about the best. In the
lighter shades we have Zephyr, Kathleen McGowan and
Anglian Blue, all of which are identical in colour, and they
all throw the same dirty white rogues; but, as growing
side by side during 1910, Anglian Blue (E. W. King) was
the best grown, with a better flower than either of the others.
Flora Norton Spencer is also much the same as the three
preceding varieties, and, if anything, is a larger and looser
flower, while having the advantage of being quite fixed.
Pink.
The varieties under this colour heading are innumerable,
but for fixity Countess Spencer is even now as good as any.
Audrey Crier and Marjorie Linzee are both grand Peas,
SI B*
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etc., and many of them are good; but as classes for Peaa
generally vajy from twelve to twenty-fotir varieties, there
seems hardly room to include many Fancies, as varieties with
more distinct colouring are to be preferred to these latter.
At the same time, many of the Fancies would prove valuable
as decorative varieties.
In recommending the above Peas, I do not mean to say
that there are not others equally good, and possibly some
may be even better; but most of those named can be had
(except where stated otherwise) in a fairly fixed state, and
these may improve next season, so that anyone making a
selection from them will not be far behind in the matter of
varieties, and need only give good cultivation to bring them
out on top.
I am well aware that there axe very many pleasing Peas
that I have peissed over, but, unfortunately, they are not
worth mention from, an exhibition point of view, many of
them having quite glaring faults when looked into closely,
such as double standards, or with a short standard that does
not come down low enough to form a background to the
wings and keel. Also, a flower with the wings very open and
spreading is far from being of good form, and, generally
speaking, flowers of this stamp have very little substance,
and with the slightest amount of wet weather, hang about
all over the place. Another very glaring defect is a Pea
with a cut or notched standard, and many new varieties
have lately been exhibited which had this defect. A typical
Pea should have a standard that stands fairly erect, one that
when placed out flat almost covers a circle, with the wings
just open enough for the keel to show through between them
nicely. A Pea of this type seems to have more body than
the previously-mentioned loose-winged flowers, as invariably
the inside of the wings and keel are of quite a different and
57
THE MODERN CULTURE
OF SWEET PEAS.
usually paler shade of colour than the standard and outside
of the wings; and if this does not show, the flower naturally
presents a better and more solid body of colour when in the
bunch.
Before leaving the subject of varieties, I should like
further to emphasise that it is unwise to grow too many
varieties, more particularly if space is limited. We are all
very apt to do this, and when the time comes to cut for a
show, we find we should have been better off with fewer
varieties and more plants of each, as fifteen or sixteen blooms
are of no use when twenty or twenty-five are asked for. One
can always compete more strongly when possessing plenty
of good blooms to choose from ; and there are nowadays very
few classes where more than twelve bunches are asked for;
so that if the amateur grower has, say, from sixteen to twenty
varieties, and twenty-four to thirty plants of each, he ought
to be able to cut twelve good bunches from them. But if
it is decided to grow some varieties that are known to be
unfixed, it is better to grow quite double the number of
plants, and then you will be on the safe side. With such
a variety as Audrey Crier, this is well worth the risk.
©Sg^g^®
THE MODERN CULTURE
OF SWEET PEAS.
SWEET PEAS FOR GARDEN
DECORATION.
Though there may be hundreds who aim at growing
Sweet Peas solely for exhibition, there are at least thousands
whose object in growing these beautiful plants is the embel-
lishment of their gardens, and there are very few plants
that will give such a bright and prolonged show as these
during the summer months. They will grow and thrive in
almost any soil or situation, providing it has been well
worked and manured preparatory to planting or sowing, and
the advice already given as to the preparation of the soil
for exhibition purposes applies with equal force here. It
may, of course, be impossible to trench the patches in the
flower garden so thoroughly as a piece of ground set apart
entirely for Peas; yet everything possible should be done to
provide them with a good rooting medium, and then success
is assured. Planting should be done early, wherever possible,
and each plant put out separately, as advised previously.
But where they are to be used for clumps on the lawn, or
for furnishing large flower-beds, it may be necessary to
establish the plants in larger pots, say large 24's or 16's, and
then plant out bodily. It is astonishing the number of ways
in which Sweet Peas may be utilised in the flower garden.
I will try to describe a few, but each garden has its own
particular aspects and positions that require brightening,
and even after giving a few hints, much must be left to
S9
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in this way, and though the Peas require to be well looked
after in the early stages, and brought forward in good-sized
pots, they well repay for the trouble taken. In all cases
where they are used for beds, it is advisable for the ground-
work plants to be also fairly tall growing (say two to three
feet), so that as the season advances they keep somewhat
proportionate in height, as tall plants of Peas about six feet
in height would look somewhat incongruous with a ground-
work only from nine inches to a foot. Also, the taller-
growing plants will hide the bottom parts of the clumps
somewhat, as towards the end of the season they will be sure
to go off a bit yellow, especially if they ^are allowed to suffer
at all from want of water. This last is a point which should
receive every attention, for when planted in beds in the
centre of the lawn, the Peas are open to all the wind and
sun, and consequently will take a great deal more water than
when planted in an enclosed garden. When it is not con-
venient to plant or plunge the Peas about on the lawn, they
may be grown in tubs, for which many suitable places will
be found around or near the house, and apart from their
decorative effect, the flowers' perfume is also very pleasing.
At the foot of a short flight of steps leading from the house
to the lawn, or even beside the entrance itself, they will
show up to advantage if colours are chosen that will contrast
nicely with the surroundings. Should the positions for these
tubs be where they get a little shade during some part of
the day, it will be a decided advantage, as, with the limited
rooting space, they will not be found to grow as freely after
they get into bloom as when planted in the open ground.
Here, again, liberal feeding is very essential, and watering
may have to be done two or three times a day, according
to the position and size of the tubs. The staking of these
plants in tubs and clumps on the lawn should be very neatly
62
THE MODERN CULTURE
OF SWEET PEAS.
done, and if good, light, brushy Hazel stakes can be pro-
cured, they are quite the best for the purpose, as by the aid
of two strong wire or Hazel hoops they may be tied in very
neatly, without any fear of being shifted by the wind;
and if, as the plants grow, a few of the shoots are brought
to the outside, and given a tie here and there, they will
quite hide the stakes.
Occasionally, suitable positions for planting Peas are
found near the walls of the house, or on verandaJis ; but the
plants would not prove a great success if the ground was very
much taken up with the roots of permanent creepers, though
at Brighton I once noticed a very beautiful scheme of deco-
ration aiound a house, where Sweet Peas were used to great
advantage, they being trained up the walls to the height
of seven or eight feet, with a plant to each of the pillars or
divisions of a large bay window. The woodwork was painted
white, and the plants of King Edward VII., which were full
of flower, made a very pleasing picture, with a row of white
Marguerites in bloom beneath them. I have no doubt many
more such pleasing schemes could be devised if only a little
thought were given to the matter, and very many bare spaces
might be made bright at quite a minimum of expense.
In the kitchen garden, where one does not always look
for much in the way of decorative effect, a few clumps of
Peas down each side of the central path, or here and there
between pyramid fruit trees, add a touch of beautiful colour
where it is particularly welcome.
Now, to ensure the plants doing well in the various
positions described, the great thing is to see that they do
not suffer from want of water; and, further, that no seed-
pods are allowed to set, making a strict rule to go over the
plants twice a week at least, taking off all the bloom that is
63
THE MODERN CULTURE
OF SWEET PEAS.
just past its best. If this is done, there is no reason why
they should not go on blooming well for three months.
The selection of varieties here is not of such importance
las when the blooms are required for exhibition, but they
should not be chosen in any haphazard fashion, good, free-
flowering varieties of quite decided colours being very much
the best for garden decoration. Dorothy Eckford, Mrs.
Collier, King Edward VII., Colleen, A. J. Cook, Arthur
Unwin, Lord Nelson, Coccinea, Countess Spencer, Dazzler,
Queen Alexandra, Paradise Ivoiy, John Ingman, Gladys
Burt, Yvonne, Marjorie Willis, Millie Maslin, Mrs.
Bieberstedt, Lady Grisel Hamilton, and Prince Olaf afford a
mice selection.
64
THE MODERN CULTURE
OF SWEET PEAS.
SWEET PEAS FOR MARKET AND
INDOOR DECORATION.
So far, I have dealt principally with Sweet Peas for
exhibition and garden decoration, touching here and there,
as I went along, on special points of cultivation where they
are primarily intended for cut flowers; and I can only add
here that no treatment is too good for them, whether they
are intended only for home decoration or for the market.
Only recently, when chatting with two or three growers for
market, I was informed that the flower salesmen declare they
can easily sell the best class of flower right through the
season at a really good price, whereas second-rate Peas hardly
pay for the gathering. So that if growers for market make
an early start by sowing in the autumn, and do their ground
well, there should be money in it, but not otherwise, it being
the same with Peas as with everything else — the early stuff
makes the best prices.
While the private grower, as a rule, grows the varieties
and colours that suit his own taste, and professional
gardeners have to study their employers' likes and dislikes,
the market grower has to grow just those colours that will
sell, and he finds that buyers are pretty fastidious in the
matter. White and pink are the two colours chiefly in
demand, while crimson, lavender, rose and mauve go off in
fair quantities; and I have no doubt that the cerise and
6s r
THE MODERN CULTURE
OF SWEET PEAS.
salmon shades would also sell well if they could be put on
the market in sufficiently good form.
Of course, the market man has to produce the best stuff
he can at a minimum of cost, and it is hardly to be expected
that he could go to all the trouble of trenching as advised
by me for exhibition. But the nearer he can go to this, th«
better will be his results, and the principal points of culti-
vation right through should be adhered to as closely as
possible.
The greatest mistake that is made amongst market men
is that of sowing too thickly. In more than one instance I
have noted the seedlings coming up in "60" pots as thick as
mustard and cress, and very rarely are fewer than from ten
to twelve seeds sown in the same sized pot, the reason for
sowing so thickly being not to economise space (or seed), but
to secure a big crop of flowers whilst the market is good,
prices generally falling very quickly once there is a full
supply. But, as I mentioned before, good prices are obtain-
able for tip-top stuff right through the season, and if a
bimch of from twelve to eighteen good blooms will fetch
twice the amount of a bunch of fifty inferior onesj it cer-
tainly ought to pay for the extra labour entailed, which is
really the chief item, staking being perhaps the next, for if
you are catering for a long season, good long stakes must
be used.
For very early flowers for market, light, porous soil is
very essential. Thin autumn sowings may be made out of
doors, and wintered as advised in an earlier chapter; or, if
the soil is heavy, sow in pots in the cold frame, and if these
are kept quite hardy, and do not receive too severe a check
i.vt planting-out time, they will commence blooming within %
day or two of those sown outdoors — indeed, I have known
them to be the first to open, and, given a really good situa-
66
AuTUMX-sowx Plants, the First Week ix July.
THE MODERN CULTURE
OF SWEET PEAS.
tion, they ought to be opening their blooms about the end
of the third week in May. I invariably commence cutting
within a day either way of the 25th, and this on a very
cold, heavy soil.
The matter of varieties is most important, and I have
heard it said that buyers do not care for the Spencer form
of flower. This may be so, but if they were to be had in a
good condition, I think they would take them as readily as
the older grandiflora type. The sunless and, comparatively
. speaking, damp seasons of this and last year (1909) have been
very much against the Spencer form of Pea, and especially in
regard to packing them for market, the big, fleshy standards
being apt to retain more water after rain than would the
plain standard varieties, with the result that they crush
much more readily, and become easily heated in the boxes.
Again, one must not lose sight of the fact that flowers sent
to market are not all sold upon the morning of their arrival.
Given a suitable season, however, they will go up in popular
favour, even for the market j and, besides, we have several
very decorative shades in the Spencer form that we have
not got in the grandiflora, such as Mrs. Henry Bell and
Mrs. R. Hallum : these and other similar varieties under
various names are quite indispensable from a decorative point
of view.
A selection from the following ought to prove suitable,
either for growing for the market or h'ome decoration : —
Whites, Nora Unwin and Dorothy Eckford; crimson. King
Edward and Sunproof Crimson; pink. Countess Spencer and
Gladys Unwin; cream-pink, Gladys Burt, Mrs. Henry Bell,
Mrs. Hugh Dickson, Mrs. Routzahn Spencer, Mrs. R. Hallum,
Lancashire Pink, and Miriam Beaver. I mention several of
these last, as I consider them the most important section,
and they are all good. My selection of three for bunching
67 F*
THE MODERN CULTURE
OF SWEET PEAS.
for market would be Gladys Burt, Mrs. Routzahn Spencer,
and Lancashire Pink. Good lavenders are Frank Dolby
and Mrs. Chas. Foster, or if a little more lilac is wanted,
Asta Ohn; mauve, Mrs. "Walter Wright and Helio Para-
dise; rose, John IngmaJi and Marie Corelli; scarlet, Queen
Alexandra; orange-scarlet, Dazzler and Edna Unwin;
cerise, Coccinea or Coccinea Waved, Cherry-Ripe, and
Rose du Barrii. The striped varieties are not of much
use for this purpose, but Aurora Spencer, Mrs. W. J. Unwin,
Suffragette, and Prince Olaf are all varieties that grow freely
and look well in the bunch, as also do one or two of the
Bicolors, such as Arthur Unwin, Mrs. Andrew Ireland, and
Colleen.
68
THE MODERN CULTURE
OF SWEET PEAS.
SWEET PEAS FOR EARLY
FLOWERING IN POTS.
This is another phase of cultivation which, while not
recommended to the amateur with very limited glass room,
is well worth serious consideration in large establishments
and by those who grow for market, the flowers coming in at
a time when many of the early spring-flowering plants are
just going over, and forming quite a welcome change for
the house and table after such subjects as Narcissi, Tulips,
etc. The cultivation is very simple, one or two points only
needing careful watching, such as keeping the plants quite
sturdy till they commence blooming, and afterwards seeing
that they do not suffer either from the want of water or
manure.
Sowings should be made either singly in 60's, or three
seeds in a "48" pot, during late September or early in
October, keeping the pots in the cold frame till about Christ-
mas, when they should be brought indoors, and kept in a
cool, airy house, where there is a maximum of light. At
the end of January, or very early in February, the seedlings
should be transferred to their flowering pots, using a
moderately rich and holding compost, which should be made
pretty firm. For the single plants, large 24's or 16-sized
pots should be used, and 12-in. pots for the 48'3 with
two or three plants in. At this stage it will be advisable
to put a few Birch twigs around them, to keep them upright,
69
THE MODERN CULTURE
OF SWEET PEAS.
and if these supports are about eighteen inches in height,
they will serve until the plants are fit for the longer stakes.
After potting, they will not require much room for a
time, and may be stood almost pot thick on the floor or
s?age of a large house; and as the days lengthen, the tem-
perature may be raised a little, but not over fifty degrees at
night, particularly if the weather is cold, though, of course,
during the day it may be run up a little with sun heat.
Watering should be carefully done, keeping the pots, if
anything, on the dry side. As growth increases, attend to
staking, using three or four Bamboos to each pot, and tying
them at the top to a wire hoop about twelve inches in
diameter. This will keep them steady, and all that will be
necessary afterwards is to tie a piece of matting around the
stakes as the plants make growth, which, after the beginning
of March, will be pretty rapid. After staking, the plants
should be spread out to the space they are to occupy, and if
in a house where it can be managed, such as a market-
grower's house, the pots may be stood on two or three inches
of short manure, to which the roots will soon find their way,
and thus get a lot of nourishment at a time when they re-
quire it, though it is not advisable to let them get a hold
of this till after they commence flowering. As the plants
grow and make root, water must be given a little more
liberally, but if the plants are wanted to be kept stocky, it
must not be overdone.
The critical time with Peas in pots is just as they are
throwing up the first lot of flowers, when an overdose of
water, or a little too much heat in the house, will quickly
cause the buds to drop. As, however, the sun at this time
is gaining in power, the house may be liberally ventilated
during the day, taking care to keep the night temperature
about fifty to fifty-five degrees, or even a little warmer than
70
THE MODERN CULTURE
OF SWEET PEAS.
this after all danger of bud dropping is over. Also at this
tim« the plants may be fed pretty liberally with liquid
manure, soot, or any artificial that is not too burning; and
when the flower stems show signs of shortening, a couple of
waterings with nitrate of soda or nitrate of potash, half
an ounce to the gallon, will greatly help them, and keep
them up to the standard for some little time ; and where they
have limited rooting space, it is really astonishing the
amount of manure and water they will take, while it is fatal
to their well-being to get them really dry.
After flowering indoors for about a month, they may be
shifted outside, and, if plunged on a vacant piece of ground,
will still continue to give fair flowers, which, if left uncut,
will provide a nice bit of early seed. Any of the varieties
recommended in the preceding chapter would be suitable for
growing indoors, but grow a good batch of one variety, rather
than a few of several, as even for a private garden one often
wants suflB.cient flowers of one variety to do a dinner table,
and for market a few bunches of one variety or colour are of
no use whatever.
7'
THE MODERN CULTURE
OF SWEET PEAS.
THE DECORATIVE VALUE OF
SWEET PEAS.
Sweet Peas are recognised as amongst the most beautiful
of subjects for house decoration. Whether used in the draw-
ing-room or dining-room of the mansion, or in the humble
cottage, they appear quite in keeping with their surround-
ings, and unless actually crowded into the vases in tight
bunches, they rarely look amiss. But as they keep longer
and are more effective when lightly arranged, an endeavour
should always be made to make the most of their possibili-
ties, and no matter what kind of vase or bowl is used, this
may always be accomplished with a little thought. Large,
wide-mouthed bowls should first be filled with some close-
growing foliage, such as Box, Privet, Asparagus Sprengerii,
or even Asparagus foliage from the kitchen garden — in fact,
anything that will keep the stems in position. In many
instances it may not be necessary for it to show above the
top of the vase or bowl, but where Asparagfus, Golden Privet,
or things of like nature are used, it may add to the decora-
tive effect, and thus serve two purposes. When used for
dinner-table decoration, it probably will not be necessary to
thus fill the vases, as, generally speaking, small upright vases
are chosen, in which a little Sweet Pea foliage may be used
just to keep the flowers in position. Very many people use
Gypsophila in variety, and the small-flowered Polygonum,
with the Peas, but for these I have no liking whatever, as
THE MODERN CULTURE
OF SWEET PEAS.
they seem to detract somewhat from the colour of the flowers,
whereas there are many kinds of foliage which, on the other
hand, will add to their effect.
Though they are very much in vogue at shows, it is not
often that one sees the rustic table decorations used at borne.
It is true that they are light in build, and very easy of
arrangement, yet at the same time they look rather artificial.
In my opinion nothing looks so well for the dinner table as
nice, clear glass vases, varying in shape and height according
to the size of the table, and beyond these there are now
some very nice cut-glass bowls, with a kind of foot to them,
which may be used as centrepieces. Nicely arranged, these
look quite as well as any rustic arrangement that can be
bought. The only difficulty with this class of centrepiece is
that really good long-stemmed flowers and foliage are indis-
pensable. About the worst centrepieces one can use are the
old-fashioned plain or coloured glass epergnes, with a base and
three arms and a centre to them. These take a pretty
expert decorator to make them look even passable, and
usually the tints in the glass are so crude that they kill
almost any colour that is put in them.
The ordinary amateur is hardly likely to have many
silver ornaments for the table, but in larger establishments
these are more frequently used than anything else, and after
good glass they are the best, very many of the silver vases
being made specially for such light flowers as Sweet Peas;
whilst the old-fashioned wine cooler or decanter stands may
be made very effective if lightly arranged, but these are
only useful for one night, being so shallow that the flowers
and foliage have to be put in wet sand, or some other suit-
able substance, to keep them erect.
Among so many beautiful varieties, it is really difficult
to pick out individual names as the best for the purpose,
73
THE MODERN CULTURE
OF SWEET PEAS.
and personal tastes will always vary very much : a combina'
tion of colours that would please one, another person or
persons would take quite an exception to. To get the best
decorative effect, one must always consider the colours of the
paper or the upholstering in the room, and where the scheme
of decoration is a quiet one, possibly in delicate blue, pink,
or very light green, then nice quiet shades 'of Peas sihould be
used, such as the whites, creams, pinks, light blues and
mauves. But where the general scheme of decoration is
heavier, and probably the furniture is of dark oak, then the
brighter shades of Peas may be used to much effect; and
here the crimsons, scarlets, bright rose and oranges will be
seen to better advantage, and in this class of room, also, no
mixing of colours should be attempted, relying more on good
bright vases of self-coloured Poas.
In the dining-room even more thought will be neces-
sary, for while beautiful tableS may be made up (in daylight)
with combinations of very pale colours, which may include
the delicate shades of mauve and lavender, yet on lighting
up at night these will often fail lamentably, sometimes owing
to the flowers taking on quite a different tint of colour
under artificial light, and at others owing to the colour of
the lamp or candle shades. So, while almost any shade or
colour may be used for a lunch table, very careful selections
must be made for night, and many colours may then be used,
and much more of them, that, if used on the lunch table,
or at a show in competition, would be pronounced harsh or
crude.
Nearly all the shades of pink or cream-pink lend them-
selves wonderfully well for table decoration, and may be used
separately or in combination; and by far the best Pea I
know for this is Gladys Burt. Many will ask what is the
difference between Mrs. Henry Bell, Mrs. Hugh Dickson,
74
IRIS.
THE MODERN CULTURE
OF SWEET PEAS.
and several others in that class. Well, just this — it is a
brighter Pea in the bunch, and has such a beautiful touch of
yellow and salmon running into the pink which makes it
stand out, while it does not lose it in water; and though I
consider Mrs. Hugh Dickson one of the finest Peas ever
sent out, in water it takes on just that shade or tint of blue
that puts many people against it for the table.
Although I have previously spoken somewhat disrespect-
fully of Constance Oliver as an exhibition Pea, yet this,
with Evelyn Hemus, and here and there a spray of Clara
Curtis or Paradise Ivory, makes a very pretty and attractive
table, especially if a little Prunus Pissardi foliage is used
here and there with it, but this must be quite young, or it
will be too heavy. Another very nice Pea is Zarina, and a
table of this alone is quite attractive, as is also a mixture
of this and Lady Grisel Hamilton or Lavender George
Herbert; or, if something more striking is required, a few
blooms of Coccinea Spencer will brighten the table up
wonderfully, but in each instance Zarina must predominate.
Hordium jubatum, a grass very much like Barley in appear-
ance, and often obtainable by the roadside, goes wonderfvilly
well with the above colour — in fact, with nearly all the pink
shades, the reddish-bronze tassels hanging very gracefully
above the Peas. For those who prefer really brighter tables,
some of the darker — or perhaps I should say brighter
— colours may be used alone. Either Sunproof Crimson,
Queen Alexandra, Edna Unwin, Coccinea, or Mrs. W. J.
Unwin, will prove very cheerful, and quite a change from
the more delicate colours. When using these, however,
rather fewer Peas may be arranged in the vases, and such
foliage as Goldeai Privet, Lonicera aurea reticulata, Comus
Spathii aurea, Acer negundo variegata, and Vitis heder-
aphylla, may be used with them ; or, if much green foliage is
75
THE MODERN CULTURE
OF SWEET PEAS.
preferred, then the addition of a few yellow-ooloured Peas
will not hurt ^rith the crimsons and scarlets, but keep these
rather as a groundwork to the vases, rather than mixing
them together at one height. This principle, indeed, might
well be employed right through whenever using two or more
colours in a vase, and often it will be found that two colours
will go well together when the one is used as a groundwork,
which, if actually mixed, would be very undesirable.
The same colour schemes may well be employed for
filling the larger vases and bowls in other rooms, and, of
course, there are any number of beautiful and striking com-
binations that may be tried; and though I have not men-
tioned the mauves, chiefly owing to their not lighting up
well, yet the various shades are more than pleasing in day-
light, and many of the pinks, cream-pinks, and yellows or
creams, will mix well with them, as will also some of the
orange and salmon shades, and two varieties I have not pre-
viously mentioned, Edrom Beauty and Yvonne, which are
two of the best colours I know of for lighting up, they being
particularly bright, without being harsh.
It does not fall to everyone's lot to have the decorating
of large rooms for receptions, balls, and the like, but those
to whom such work does come must recognise the adaptability
of the Sweet Pea for this purpose. Very few flowers prove
more effective, whether in bold masses of one colour, or in
a combination of colours, and if suitable receptacles are to
hand, either windows, fireplaces, columns, staircases, arches,
and any other points where fioral decorations are necessary,
can be quickly converted into places of much loveliness amd
sweet scent. One could go on writing about the decorative
qualities of the Sweet Pea for a very long time, but enough
has been said to convince anyone that the Sweet Pea is as
useful as it is beautiful ; and I will only add that the
76
THE MODERN CULTURE
OF SWEET PEAS.
simpler the arrangement, the greater its effectiveness.
Finally, those who have no great amount of room to grow
foliage plants, either indoors or out, to add to the beauty of
their Peas in the matter of arrangement, should, if possible,
grow a variegated Honeysuckle or two up a pillar, and a
plant or two of Prunus Pissardii. Also a row of the ordinary
vegetable Aspaiagus might be sown every year and left until
the second season, and with this and a small patch each
of the following grasses : Hordium jubatum, Agrostis nebulosa,
and Eragrostis elegans, they will have sufficient useful
foliage and grass to carry them through the season, even if
they do quite a lot of decorating.
G^g^g^gO
77
THE MODERN CULTURE
OF SWEET PEAS.
THE ENEMIES OF THE SWEET PEA.
Arthough I have already touched somewhat upon the
enemies of the Sweet Pea, it will perhaps be as well to sum-
marise them here, and set forth, as far as my experience
permits, the best antidotes or means of killing them.
Mice.
These are probably the Sweet Pea's worst enemies, as
they will take the seed either out of the ground or out of
the pats, unless precautions are taken against them, such
as red-leading the seed before sowing, or, as I have seen
advised, steeping in paraflB.n; but I do not vouch for the
safety of this latter method, as I believe an extended soak-
ing in paraffin would kill the germ of the Pea, which would
not be less disappointing than the losses due to the mice.
However, mice must be coped with in some way, for they
also do a deal of damage, when the seedlings come through
the ground, by eating off the young shoots; and where the
seedlings are in frames, should they have to be kept covered
for a day or two, the probabilities are they will attack them
there. The best way to prevent this is to keep a few pieces
of bread, covered with phosphorous paste, about the rows or
frames, commencing when sowing the seed. If this is done,
there will be very little trouble from mice. But if the
grower is afraid that dogs or cats will pick up the poison,
then he must resort to trapping, and, if the pests cannot
78
THE MODERN CULTURE
OF SWEET PEAS.
be caught with one class of trap, another must be tried,
always remembering that mice must be dealt with early.
WlEEWOEM.
These on some classes of soil are very troublesome. If the
grower knows that he has them to contend with, he should
do as much hand picking as possible when trenching and
preparing the ground, and use soot and wood ashes freely.
If this does not kill them, it will at least drive them
further down, and. possibly away from the roots until they
get too good a hold to be injured. Where wireworm are
particularly bad, a dressing of Vaporite some time before
planting will do good, or, if holes are bored in the ground,
and these filled up, it is supposed to be equally effective.
Another remedy is to dress the ground with mustard dust,
which is, I believe, the sweepings from the mustard factory;
or even mustard seed sown in the autumn, and the plants
dug in in the spring, is also supposed to be effective.
Leather-Jackets.
These are the grubs of the crane-fly, or daddy long-legs,
and though personally I have not experienced any trouble
from them with Sweet Peas, yet my acquaintance with them
in connection with many other things leads me to advise
growers that they are dangerous subjects. When a plant is
found to go off yellow in the young state, a very careful
examination of the ground may prove that the leather-jacket
has been at work, but the grub is often difficult to find,
owing to being of much the same colour as the soil. Un-
fortunately, beyond actually crushing it with one's foot, we
know of no method of killing it, so that wherever it exists
I can only advise the grower iio prick out some strong-
growing Lettuce plants among the Peas, to act as decoys.
79
THE MODERN CULTURE
OF SWEET PEAS.
These will soon show signs of attack, when the pests may be
searched for and caught.
Slvgb.
Much may be done to exterminate these when preparing
the soil. Plentiful supplies of soot when trenching, and a
good dressing of lime some little time after, over the surface
of the ground, will go a great way towards killing them;
also, after planting, repeated dustings of soot should be
given. I advised this practice once, when reading a paper
on the Sweet Pea, and one gardener got up and said that no
soot or lime would kill his slugs, as they varied from four
to six inches in length. Could I advise him further? I am
afraid I was a little severe in answering, for I said that if
I bad slugs of that age or size, I should have to wait for
them with a gun : there must have been a certain amount of
neglect to have allowed them to attain such a size. Where
slugs are really troublesome, pains must be taken to keep
the soil very fine near the plants, and if little heaps of bran
are put down here and there, these will attract them, and
they may be captured if looked for with a lamp at night.
BiBDB.
Birds are frequently troublesome throughout the whole
season. Whilst the plants are in the seedling state, the
only way to protect them is to cover them with a fish net,
or to well cotton them with black cotton. After they get
tall enough to have small sticks put to them, the birds will
usually leave them alone for a while; but later in the
season, if the weather turns dry, they may renew their un-
welcome attentions, either by chewing or biting out the
points of the shoots, or doing the same with the flower-buds.
Unfortunately, at this time, the plants are almost too high
So
THE MODERN CULTURE
OF SWEET PEAS.
to think of netting, while syringing with strong soot-water,
quassia or paraffin emulsion, would damage the flowers; bo
the only thing to do is to set up some form of scare, such as
bright pieces of tin hung on thin Bamboos or stakes, which
may be so arranged as to blow about in the wind, and now
and again to clash against the tops of the stakes. The
noise so produced, together with the reflections from the
bright metal, will often keep the birds away.
Gbeen-flt and Theip.
It is not oftein that Sweet Peas are badly attacked by
either of these two pests, which may usually be kept at bay
by giving the plants a good hoseing or syringing occasionally
during the growing season. But where other treatment
becomes necessary, I would advise that all the flowers show-
ing colour should be cut off, and the tips have a thorough
good spraying over with Abol, using an Abol or Knapsack
sprayer for the purpose. Abol is a very safe insecticide to
use, and fairly cheap; but, if preferred, XL All liquid
insecticide or paraffin emulsion would do as well, but it
should be remembered that the young growing points are
very tender, and will not stand too strong a mixture. In
all cases these washes should be applied fairly late in the
evening, and if the plants have a good spraying with clean
water the following morning, the fly should be got rid of
without any sort of damage to the plants.
Streak.
Streak, and what produces it, is a matter which is just
now engaging the attention of nearly every Sweet Pea
grower, as well as of a special committee of the National
Sweet Pea Society. Unfortunately, up till now nothing
very definite is known of it, except that it attacks the Peas
8l G
THE MODERN CULTURE
OF SWEET PEAS.
very badly in various stages of their growth, but generally
just as they have commenced blooming nicely. Reports are
to hand of its appearance in all parts of the country, and in
some instances all the plants have been quite killed by it.
Personally, I cannot speak with any degree of confidence on
the matter, but it is very certain that it does attack the
plants at a time when they have a special drain on the
roots. Adverse weather conditions also seem to encourage
its appearance, the disease often showing itself after a few
days of wet weather. Further, I am of the opinion that
very heavy dressings of manure in the soil tend to render
the plants liable to attack, though at the same time, even
where no manure has been applied, the plants have been
killed outright : so that it seems almost impossible to set up
a proper theory. As, however, it is now being so thoroughly
investigated, doubtless we shall soon learn its cause, and how
best to deal with it. So far, I cannot defiinitely say that my
plants have been attacked, certainly not those that were
autumn-sown ; but when two or three vaorieties of the spring-
sown were attacked with what I believed to be the streak, I
promptly removed all the flowers, and gave four or five spray-
ings on alternate evenings with a solution of sulphide of potas-
sium, half an ounce to a gallon of water. When this touched
the flowers, they were burnt, also here and there the foliage
was marked, but not sufficiently to be serious, and after
these dressings the plants seemed to grow away quite freely,
and gave good, clean flowers again. I do not put this
spraying forward as a remedy, but certainly it might be tried
as a possible prevemtive.
Thielavia basicola, a disease which attacks the roots of
garden Peas, is, I am told on good authority, a fungus which
is very commonly assiociated with the brown stripe on Sweet
Peas; and though there appears to be no real cure for this,
S2
THE MODERN CULTURE
OF SWEET PEAS.
it is suggested that a dressing of superphosphate and sul-
phate of potash might be useful, and if the two diseases are
closely allied, it would be well worth trying the same dress-
ing for Sweet Peas.
The foregoing are, I think, the principal enemies of the
Sweet Pea, and while I hope that my readers may never be
seriously troubled with any of them, I would say, in conclu-
sion, to be forewarned is to be forearmed j never let these
pests get too strong a hold, but take measures against them
as soon as they are noticed, when they will be more quickly
got rid of, with the least possible damage to the plants.
83
THE MODERN CULTURE
OF SWEET PEAS.
NOTES ON ILLUSTRATIONS.
These have been selected to give as far as possible an idea
of some of the best and most interesting of the new varieties
seen during the season of 1910. Most of these are decidedly
new breaks in colour, and are so beautiful and of such good
form that I shall be disappointed if they do not prove even
better on further acquaintance. Although a good deal of
trouble has been taken to get the colouring of the plates as
nearly correct as possible, yet it is hardly likely that they
will prove quite as pleasing as the actual flowers, the colour-
ing in four of the varieties chosen being very subtle.
The variety Charles Foster, which is being sent out by
Mr. Bolton, is without doubt one of the prettiest Peas yet
seen, and if it can be generally grown in the same condition
as Mr. Bolton showed it at the National show, it will become
a general favourite. The colour is described by some as a
pastel shade of pink. My own opinion is that it is really a
delicate shade of lilac, the standard being margined with a
touch of bronze.
Mrs. W. J. Unwin is a variety fairly well known, at least
to those who have visited the Sweet Pea trials both in
1909 and 1910. It might be described as a flame-coloured
flower, being a rich orange-s<!arlet flake on a white ground.
It has immense size and substance, and should be grown by
everyone who is fond of a good striped Pea. As the name
THE MODERN CULTURE
OF SWEET PEAS.
suggests, it is one of Mr. TJnwin's, and is being distributed
by him.
William Eagle is a variety raised by myself in 1909. Un-
fortunately, the stock sent for trial proved very unsatis-
factory; but the No. 2 stock — which I did not feel quit»
so sure about — proved quite true, and if it remains so, wil
probably be distributed by Mr. Sydenham in 1911, The
colouring is very delicate, and quite unique. The standard
is a soft rosy-mauve, whUe the wings and keel are of a bright
shade of blue. This makes a grand bunch, especially if
placed in a strong light.
Thomas Stevenson, named after myself, received an
Award of Merit from the Eoyal Horticultural Society under
the name of Prince of Orange, which was subsequently
changed, as Miss Hemus had also one named similarly. Thomas
Stevenson is a dazzling orange-scarlet throughout, of really
good substance and size. It stands the sun well, and the
colouring is better when the flowers reach maturity than in
the young state. It was raised by Mr. Holmes, and is being
distributed by Mr. Sydenham.
Red Chief is another of Mr. Bolton's Peas, and is again
a decided break in colour. The colour description (red-
mauve) under which it was sent for trial proved perfectly
correct, and its pale yellow keel makes a very pleasing con-
trast to the deep colouring of the standard and wings. The
flower is of large size, and, as in the case of most of these
dark varieties, of really good substance.
Iris is one of the salmon-shaded varieties, and is much
paler in colour than Earl Spencer and Nancy Perkins. I
think the delicacy of its colouring will make this very
popular as a decorative variety. It was raised by Mr.
Breadmore, by whom it will be distributed, but not at
THE MODERN CULTURE
OF SWEET PEAS.
present, as I understand the seed crop has failed, owing to
the bad weather.
The half-tone illustratioin of the variety Maud Holmes
(practically synonymous with Sunproof Crimson) shows a
typical spike of this very fine Pea, and serves well to depict
the class of flower one should aim at getting, whether of this
variety or any other. The other half-tone illustrations
almost explain themselves. They show the difference of
growth between spring and autumn-sown plants at the same
date, and were taken in the gardens of Woburn Place.
I gratefully acknowledge my indebtedness to the growers
who sent me the flowers from which these illustrations were
obtained, and also to Mr. Holmes for the use of his block
of Maud Holmes. In conclusion, I am very conscious of my
shortcomings as a writer, but I feel certain that I may
safely ask my readers to accept my assurance that at any
rate I have endeavoured to describe and explain my methods
of growing these beautiful flowers so that all may under-
stand; and I am quite sure that if the instructions I have
given are only partially carried out, they will at least prove
a little help to the inexperienced.
The End.
TO THE READER.
Should the reader at any time require adviee
concerning the culture of Sweet Peas, he is
invited to fill up the appended form and address
it to Mr. T. Stevknsok, c/o the Editor of
Garden Life, Hatton House, Great Queen
Street, London, W.C.
The particulars will be duly considered by
Mr. T. Stevenson, and explicitly replied to in
the Correspondence Columns of Garden Life
as soon after receipt as possible.
INFORMATION DESIRED;
( Signed )_
JTT I NOT FOE \
VpUBlICATIOlf/
INFORMATION DESIRED-Continued.
■iiiiiii
IF YOU WANT
REALLY GOOD SWEET PEAS
AT MODERATE PRICES,
Sand to
ROBERT SYDENHAM LIMITED
TENBY STREET, BIRMINGHAM.
No one will serve yeu better.
SPECIAL COLLECTIONS FOR 1911.
All the seeds in our cellectlons are curefully hand iiicked, that
is all small and deubtfal seeds are taken out, and 80 per cent, to
100 per cent, are guatraLntsetl to germinate i-F treated as per
instructions sent with each collection.
We believe we can safely say that Mr. Robert Sydenham has
done as much, or more, than anyone in the world to popularise
these charming flowers by sending out the best seeds of the very
best varieties at popular prices.
Our great aim has been, and always will be, to supply only the
very best varieties at a moderate price, rather than ask fancy
prices as have been, and are still beingr charged by some firms-
No. 1. 13 USEFUL GRANOIFLORA VARIETIES (60 seeds each), 1/3.
No. 2. 12 BEST GRANDIFLORA VARIETIES (SO seeds each), 1/9.
Or the Two Collections for 2/6.
COLLECTION No. 3. 12 GOOD WAVED VARIETIES . . . • 2/-
COLLECTION No. 4. 12 BEST WAVED VARIETIES .... 8/-
Or Collections 3 and 4 for 4/6.
The ITumber of Seeds in a Faeket in these two Collections and Novelties
will depend on the crop.
New Varieties for 1911 :—
THOMAS STEVENSON (10 seeds) 1/-
MAUD HOLMES, the best of the Sunproof Crimsons—
iO seeds, 6d; 25 seeds, 1/-
HELEN GROSVENOR 1/- AMETHYST, 1/-
The Number of Seeds of these Varieties cannot be stated until the
crop is harvested, but certainly not less than ten.
DC- BEFORE BUYING SWEET PEAS HAVE OUR BOOK -«g
"ALL ABOUT SWEET PEAS."
Revised to end of 1909, and with Appendix for 1910;
bound in stiff covets, 6d each.
FULL LIST POST FREE ON APPLICATION.
The Sine Qua Non
for intense lovers of Sweet Peas.
MACKERETH'S
Special Sweet Pea Manure
The oHglnal ana still host footf for Sweet
Petts In the woriti, as testimony proves.
IT IMPARTS—
Sturdiness and vigour to the haulm and foliage !
Increased size and higher colour to the blooms I
Greater length and stoutness to the flower stems !
A liberal use of this fertillaer prolongs the flowering- season, and saves the grower the
trouble of removing- seed-pods, which rarely develop when this food is regularly supplied.
No second sowing of Sweet Peas ie necessary in order to obtain late exhibition bloomd ; the
plants continue to flower till gales or frosts destroy tbem. It wards off disease.
The most successful Sweet Pea Exhibitors speak of MACKERETH'S SPECIAL SWEET
PEA MANURE in no unqualified terms.
Mr, EDWARD COWDT, Loughall, writes :— " Out of 29 entries I got 25 First Prizes in
strong competition. I may say I thank you for prevailing on me to indulge more freely in
the use of your Sweet Pea Manure ; it Is an excellent combination- My, it does make the
stems grow long and strong, the flowers huge, and the very best colour-producer going. My
f^rize money came to £38."
Mr. GEORGE AITKENS, Wrexham, writes:— "What a splendid Manure yours is for
getting up the flowers. It turns flabbiness into rare substance and colour in a very short time. "
Mr. OHAS. W. BREADMOEE writes;— "'A perfect food for leguminous plants."
Mr. SILAS COLE, Althorp Park, writes :— " I coneider it the one thing needful for the
production of Sweet Peas."
Mr. a. MALCOLM, Duns, writes: — "I consider the Judicious use of this Manure for
Sweet Peas as near perfection as possible."
Mr. THOMAS STEVENSON, Addlestone, writes :— I used it on two rows of Peas during
the latter part of July and August, and it seemed to keep them going well ; in fact they
are still flowering (October 9th)."
Mb. frank H. WATTS, Portishead, S«merset, writes :—*' The substance of bloom,
length and substance of stem were repeatedly remarked upon. I attribute success to the
use of your Manure."
Mr. TOM DAWSON, Otley, writes our Midland Agents, Messrs. E. Wright & Co., Ltd. :—
" I purchased from you a 14-lb b=ig of MACKERETH'S SPECIAL SWEET PEA MANURE,
and I gave it a severe test on about three-quarters of my plants, and the results were
splendid. The stems were longer and the blooms larger and brighter th^>n these on the
plants that were not treated with it."
Mr. H. F. WRAIGHT, The Gardens, "Rothwell," Bromley, Kent, writing December
99th, 1909, says—*' Your Manure for Sweet Peas is a grand thing. It p'aced my Peas at the
head of our show last year, and I shall use more of it next season."
Mr. O. TREVETHI'~'K, Wellington, New Zealand, writing January 6th, 1909, says-^" I
would like to say right here that 3'our Manure (' Special Sweet Pea ') is a marvel, especially
for colour ; you have a real good combination."— -Mr. TREVETHICK, writing January 25th,
1910, says : '* The Sweet Pea Trophy I have won outright."
Mr. H. a. POX, Wellington, New Zealand, writing January 10th, 1910, says :— '* My vases
of ' Helen Lewis ' and ' Mrs. Hardcastle Sykes * were the finest I have ever seen. The stems
were immense. The bloams in shape, texture and colour were simply at the top. Your
Sweet Pea Manure is, I consider, an absolute necessity to any exhibitor."
Sold in Tins :— 1/- each (post free, 1/4) ; 2/6 each (post free, 3/-)-
Sold In Bags:— 141b. 5/-; 2Slh. 8/6; 56 Ih. 14/-; 1121b. 25/-, Carriage Paid.
Please drop Postcard forname of nearest Agent, or see page xix., N.S,P.S, Annnal.
Sole Proprietor—
G. H. MACKERETH, Ulverston.
Auraras, f9tO.
SILVER MEDAL
National
Bweec Pea
Show,
SILVER MEDAL
Shrewsbury FlorM
Fete.
J II
STEVEHSOH'S
- Selected -
Sweet Peas
Aworaa, 1919.
SILVER-CILT
MEDAL
Southampton
Boae 8how.
SILVER-GILT
MEDAL
Southampton
Sweet Pea Show.
I shall be pleased to receive enquiries ar\d
orders for all Novelties and Standard Varieties of
^ ^ Sweet Peas. ^ ^
Ha\/ing been for some years a groWer of SWeet J^eas
for J^arket and Seed, I can With confidence adVise on
Varieties to groW, and offer only Selected Stocks
of Seed.
jVly Catalogue Will be forWarded, post free, on
application, and all enquiries Will recei\^e my personal
and prompt attention.
J. STEVENSON, E.R.H.S.
Seedsman and Sweet Pea Specialist,
WIMBORNE, DORSET.
DOES FEEDING PAY?
YES, if eareftdly and seientifleally done.
Sweet Peas like a Change of Food
SUCCESS can always be obtained by using
LC Fruitier C"" ^°^^ "l^''*' Awarded)
HHD
Sweet Pea Manures
(HIGHLY SOLUBLE)
'^ READ THE FOLLOWING
EXTRACT FROM "SWEET
PEA ANNUAL"
'• The reason we tried Le Fruitier on
Sweet Peas was that it proved upefui
for Culinary Peas the previous
year. It waa evident directly after
the plants were put out that the
row specially treated was happy.
These plants presented no trace
of disoase all the season, although
in the next row (not forked in with
this manure), and which was only
six feet away, more than half the
plants died "
D. BEEVES, Oefn Glas Gardens.
No. 1 Prize Coid Medal Manure
LE FRUITIER.
For mixint; with soil, wben
preparing for planting^.
Far Top Draaainer; to be
watered in and used alternately
with Sweet Pea Manure.
PRICES :— 20/- pep ewt. ; J-ewt.
11/-; 28 Ibg. «/-: 14 lbs. 3/6;
7 lbs. 2/S ; sample tin 1/6 post
free.
A CLIENT'S OPINION.
"It now gives me great pleasure
to testify to the great value of your
Sweet Pea Manure. Last year they
were very disappointing:, but I am
pleased to say, with the aid of
this manure, thev are the
admiration of everyone, the colour
and size of the blooms leavlni;
nothing to be desired, and
we grow largely of these."
W. ALLUM,
Clewer Mead Gardens, Windsor.
WOOD'S
SWEET PEA MANURE
(HIGHLY SOLUBLE).
For Top DreasinB; t« be
watered in.
For Liquid Application.
PRICKS :-15/- per ewt. ; i-ewt-
8/- ; 28 lbs. 51- ; 14 lbs. 3/6 ;
7 lbs. 21- ; sample tin 1/- post
free.
W. WOOD & SON, Ltd.,
The Regal Horticulturists.
ST.
Telephone:— Tottenham 80 ft 81. Telegrams :— "Puneheto, London."
By Appointment
By Appointment.
MKSSRS. DOBBIK & GO. are the introducers of
many of the best Sweet Peas. For example— Mrs. Hugh Dickson,
Mrs. Andrew Ireland, Masterpiece, Edrom Beauty, Dobbie's Sunproof
Crimson, Arthur Green, Ivanhoe, Isobel Malcolm, Menie Christie,
Princess Victoria, The King, The Marquis, Prince Olaf, Dobbie's
Mid Blue, Hannah Dale, Mrs. Collier, etc.
We oflfer —
A Coileotion of 24 Standard Spencer Varieties, guaranteed
to give satisfaction, for 5s.
A Collection of 36 Varieties, including all our recent
Novelties, for 10s.
If you want the purest and the best English-Grown Seed, write for
Catalogue to—
The
Royal Seedsmen) KDINBURGH.
(SEED FARM, MARKS TET, ESSEX.)
Reliable Home-Grown Stocks.
Tbe following are a few np-to-date varieties
extracted flrom our catalogue—
Asta Ohn, lavender —
Aurora Sponcor, creamy white, flaked orange
Arthur Vnvuln, improved Apple-bloesom Spencer
Clara CurtiSt best waved cream (true stock) ..
Etta Dyke, pure wliite . .
Earl Spencerg Spencer form of Henry Eokford
Edna Unwin (improved), a glorified St. Oeorge
Gltidys Burtg salmon-pink, primrose ground..
Halen Lewis; salmon-pink
Mrs. Hugh Dickson, cream, overlaid roay-pink
HIastorploeo, lavender
Mrs. Breatlmoro, cream ground, pink edge ..
Mrs. Henry Bell, eream, overlaid carmine-pink
Mrs A. Ireland, finest bicolor . .
Mrs. Hardoastle Sykes, the best bluah-pink
Mrs. Routxahn, apricot, overlaid beautiful pink
Mrs. Tomnsend, white ground, violet edge ..
Hublan (novelty), the finest maroon
Paradise Ivory, ivory, tinged pinkish buff
Sunproof King, intense cnmson, guaranteed sunproof
Special discount at four shillings in the £ on all orders of is. ed. and upwards
for ca^ with order. Send for our up-to-date list of the best varieties of Sweet Peas.
5* DlDC & SOHiJ, LTDm Farnham, Surrey
of Seeds.
Price.
2S
3d.
2B
Bd.
13
6d.
SO
ed.
2B
3d.
8
Is.
to
ed
12
6d.
BO
3d
12
ed.
12
ed:
20
6d.
18
3d.
18
3d.
18
3d
18
3d.
12
Bd
a
6d.
18
3d
18
Bd.
BENTLEY'S
Sweet Pea Manure
This manure is a perfect fool- coarse grade adapted for digging
into the soil before sowing or planting oat ; fine grade for top-dressing
during active growth.
Bentley's Sweet Pea Manure produces the best obtain-
able results in quantity, size and substance of flower,
brightness of colour, strength and length of flower-
stem, and prolongation of flowering period.
DIRECTIONS FOR USE.
In Autumn, prepare the soil by (figging for the clumps or rows, about 3 feet
deep and 2 feet across ; dress the bottom with Bentley's Sweet Pea
M a n u re (Coaesb Grade), at the rate of 1 to IJ ois. to the square foot ; above
this give a dressing of good farmyard manure, and fill up with good loam-
left rough and dressed with Bentley's Sweet Pea Manure (OoAsfiB
Grade) at the rate of 1 oz. per square foot.
During active growth use the Pinb Grade of Bentley's Swfeet Pea
Manure, by top dressing both sides of the rows (about 1^ feet wide), at the
rate of 2 ozs. per yard, and in the same proportion for clumps and pots, taking
care that the manure does got come into contact with the haulm or bine.
Apply the first dressing when the plants are about li to 2 feet high ; the
second dressing just before the flower -buds form, and further applications of
half strength may be continued fortnightly throughout the flowering season.
Well water the ground before and after applying the manure.
PRICES:
7 lbs., 2/6 ; 14 lbs., 4/- ; 56 lbs., 12/- ; 1 ewt., £1 ; 5 ewts., £4 10s.
TESTIMONIALS.
Mr. Thos. Stevenson Woburn Place, Addlestone.
" With reference to your Sweet Pea Manure I had from you
this season, I must say I found it very stimulating and beneficial to the
plants. In the very early stages cf growth I never use artificial manures
for the Peas; but, on using it after tbey had began to bloom, I found
added considerable vigour to the plants, with a proportionate increase in
the size of the blooms."
Mr. A. E. Usher, Head Gardener to Sir Randolf BAKtR, Bart,
Ranston House, Blandford.
"I used your special Svreet Pea Manure on some of my rows
without any other artificial manure ; the results were good. From these
rows I got some of my very best flowers for exhibition ; it is a safe and
very reliable fertiliser."
GHEMICAL WORKS, BARROW-ON-HUMBER, HULL
Bolton's
English-Grown
Sweet Peas
The Finest in the World.
AWARDED 80 GOLD MEDALS.
Robert Bolton has long specialized in Sweet Peas, and
has raised such sterling novelties as MRS. HARD-
CASTLE SYKES, voted by the leading Sweet Pea
Experts to be the best Sweet Pea in existence.
BOLTON'S PINK, MRS. HENRY BELL, CLARA
CURTIS, TOM BOLTON, QUEEN OF NORWAY,
and many more of the leading varieties.
Send direct for Trae Stocks. 20 acres grown for Seed.
1911 Novelties.
CHARLES FOSTER, RED CHIEF, MRS. WATSON, MRS. BRYCE,
MARCHIONESS OF TWEEDDALE, LANCASHIRE. MRS. ALEC
WARE.
Catalagne oantalning all tbe leading varieties, post free.
ROBERT BOLTON,
- - Zbc Sweet pea Speciallgt - -
WARTON, CARNFORTH.
Have proved their excellence the world over.
THE NOVELTIES FOR 1911 ARE GRAND.
DO YOU KNOW
W. U. UN WIN raised the follow-
Ing varieties and many ethers
^^"^"^ -^ which have proved their sterling
merit 1— A. J. Cook, Chrlssle Unwin, Doris Burt,
Douglas UnwIn, Edna UnwIn, Eric Harvey, Frank Dolby,
Freda UnwIn, Gladys Burt, Gladys UnwIn, Nora
UnwIn, and Mrs. W. U. UnwIn,
Catalogue, containins particnlars of only the best varieties and
beautiful Coloured Plate, Post Free.
W.J. UNWIN, Sweet Pea Specialist,
Robert Holmes, f.r.h.Sm
Tuckswood Farm, NORWICH,
Mbolesale Seeb (Brower anb Sweet
Ipea IRovelt^ IRalser.
Sweet Peas a Speciality.
US'
All Sweet Peas supported by several miles wire
trellis and by 10,000 yards wire netting.
ova STOCKS ABE TRUE TO NAME, AND SAVED UNDER OUR PERSONAL SUPERVISION.
^V^-IUI.B.I.H.I.I.IJM^^
Varietiea for Exhibition or Garden Dacoratlon,
3cl., ed., and 1/- per packet.
Seedsvien by Appointment to H .M . the King,
KewHeadOfflee; RAYNES PARK, LONDON, S.W.
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