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A MAGNIFICENT BOW OF SWEET PEAS, 12 FEET HIGH, IN

MB. MALCOLM'S GABDEN AT DUNS, N.B.

SWEET PEAS

AND

HOW TO GROW THEM

H. H. THOMAS

t «

Editor oj "The Gardener? Author of "Little Gardens?
" Gardening in Town and Suburb? etc.

WITH NUMEROUS ILLUSTRATIONS FROM
PHOTOGRAPHS AND SKETCHES

CASSELL AND COMPANY, LIMITED

LONDON, NEW .YORK, TORONTO AND MELBOURNE

Main

First Edition January 1909.
Reprinted May 1909.

• ....

PREFACE

IF the rose is queen of summer flowers, then surely the Sweet Pea
is a high princess ; second only to the rose in popular estima-
tion, she possesses advantages to which the other is a stranger.
Sweet Peas are among the easiest of all flowers to grow, yet
how few grow them well ! They are absurdly cheap, and one
makes a fresh start with them every year. And how quickly
they come to fullest beauty ! A few short months and lo ! the
insignificant seed becomes a lissom plant, varying in height and
vigour according to its treatment, and soon is smothered in
blossom .

To become a successful grower of Sweet Peas one has first to
appreciate the fact that they are bons vivants; to put it more plainly,
they need a soil deeply dug and well manured. Give them a rich
feeding ground and they seem never to tire of pleasing you ; stint
them in this particular, and how sulky they are, how offended !

In the selection of varieties the grower has a bewildering choice,
and where so many are beautiful it is almost as difficult to discard
the worst as to choose the best. Thus the way to successful Sweet
Pea growing is not without its baffling cross-roads and seductive bye-
lanes, and it is hard to retrace a step taken in the wrong direction.
It is important, then, to start well and to take no short cuts, for,
tempting as these may seem, they are but lures to failure. " Sweet
Peas and How to Grow Them," contains the maxims (without the
moralisings) of famous Sweet Pea growers and full directions for
the Sweet Pea lover's journey. In short, it endeavours to act
as guide to the inexperienced, — indicating the pitfalls that beset
the unwary,— to while away the tediousness of the going, and to

point the way to a successful issue.

EJ. H. T.

January, 1909.

271114

CLAY'S FERTILIZER

PRODUCES

SWEET PEAS

PERFECTION AND PROFUSION

AND IS A

PLANT FOOD

STERLING MERIT

FOR ALL

Flowers, Fruits, Vegetables and Foliage.

IT IS SAFE, QUICK and LASTING.

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See the Article on SWEET PEAS
By HORACE J. WRIGHT, F.R.H.S.,

CLAY'S SUCCESSFUL GARDENING

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Face Contents]

CONTENTS

CHAPTER PAGB

1. The Story of the Sweet Pea ... .... ...... . 1

2. Sweet Peas for Home and Garden . . . ; v ^ ," fr

3. How. to Grow Sweet Peas for Exhibition ,.>.,..' . 18

4. The Beginner's Guide to Sweet Pea Growing . . . 29

5. Sweet Peas for House and Table Decoration . ... 35

6. A Chat about Varieties . . ' '..., « '"; .;-,.', • 42

7. Raising New Sweet Peas . . . ... . '.. • 53

8. "Don'ts" for Sweet Pea Growers v '- \./\ ..'• • -62

9. Sweet Peas in Suburban Gardens— in Tubs and Boxes . 68

10. Sweet Pea Trials and Troubles— A Chapter of Replies to

Questions f> . '. •. . '.• . .- ., •• ,* ^2

11. Autumn-Sown Sweet Peas— From Cuttings— Sowing in

Pots— How to Grow Sweet Peas in Pots— Cupid and

Winter Flowering . ' . .»:-.."^ .... 84

12. Insect Pests and Diseases . 103

CKFORD':

CUNT SWEET PEAS

Geixuiixe oivl y- D iftect /romWenV

SWEET PEAS

When growing Sweet Peas grow
only the best. A superb display
occupies no more space, takes no i
more time to cultivate, neither does I
it cost any more than a poor show.
To obtain the very best send direct
to ECKFORD for your seeds; but
remember they are only
grenuine when obtained
direct -from Wem.

1909 NOVELTIES

Write for List of Special

Novelties for 1909; it is

sent free.

VILLA (B) COLLECTION
24 splendid varieties, suitable
for exhibition, 50 seeds of each — 5/6

VILLA (C) COLLECTION
12 splendid varieties, suitable
for exhibition, 50 seeds of each — 2/9

A Booklet, giving full particulars
on the culture of Sweet Peas, given
with every order.

ITPFi? Send a Postcard for Col-
T ADD oured illustrated and full
descriptive Catalogue. It is sent
post free. Write to-day.

HENRY ECKFORD,

F.R.H.8.,
The SWeet Pea Specialist,

WEM, Shropshire.

SWEET PEAS
AND HOW TO GROW THEM

CHAPTER I

The Story of the Sweet Pea

THE opening scene in the story of the Sweet Pea is laid in the
island of Sicily some two hundred years ago. Our authentic records
of this lovely flower date from that period, and we are indebted for
its discovery to the zeal of Father Francis Cupani, an Italian monk,
who, in common with many others of his calling, was an eager
botanist. But the Sweet Pea as Father Cupani found it was
scarcely a flower to send its discoverer into ecstasies so far as its
intrinsic beauty was concerned, for we may, if we wish, still grow the
same species (Lathyrus odoratus) that Cupani found two centuries
ago. Nowadays, when the most exquisite Sweet Peas are
to be had in countless variety, we are scarcely in a position to
form an unbiassed opinion of the merits of the wild Sweet Pea as
it met the eye of its happy finder. For who can doubt that he, an
ardent botanist, one who was always on the look out for fresh plants,
took delight in the discovery of this new treasure ? How little he
knew the tremendous part which his poor, small-blossomed, purple-
petalled flower was to play in the world of gardening !— that in
the twentieth century it should be grown in every garden in the
United Kingdom, become a favourite flower in the distant states'
of America, found an industry, and have a society devoted solely to
its interests — a society, wonderful to relate, whose chief work lies
now in attempting to reduce the overwhelming number of varieties
and to restore order where there is something like chaos, an im-
mense number of sorts with a still greater number of names —
surely this progressive record of marvellous activity speaks for
itself and is one of which any flower may be proud.

Perhaps no flower has a more fascinating story than the Sweet
Pea ; and the last chapter is not yet in sight. Exactly how, when,

2 SWEET PEAS

and where the worthy monk discovered the wild Sweet Pea we shall
never know. It may be that he had read of it in John Bauhin's
"Historia," which was already published, for there is mention of
it there ; or it may be that he did not know of its existence until he
found it. But it does not matter. The thing that is of consequence
is that Cupani found this wilding whose descendants bid fair to
rival the Hose in popularity, and all Sweet Pea lovers must be etern-
ally indebted to him. No mundane pedestal marks the inestimable
benefit which Father Cupani conferred upon the world of flowers,
but all devotees of the Sweet Pea have raised a monument to his
memory, a monument of silent admiration that but strengthens and
consolidates as time flies by.

First Cultivation in England. — It is believed that the
Sweet Pea first found its way to Britain in the year 1700. In
1713 Dr. Petiver, in a paper read before the Koyal Society, said that
the seed was sent to Dr. Uvedale who, in his garden at Enfield, had
a number of rare and curious plants from foreign parts. It was in
Dr. Uvedale's garden • that Dr. Plunkenet, author of one of the
herbals of the day saw the famous Lathyrus odoratus, forerunner
of the twentieth century Sweet Peas. Events marched slowly in the
eighteenth century and it was not until 1730 that Philip Miller (then
gardener to the Worshipful Company of Gardeners at Chelsea) was led
to make an announcement about the Sicilian Sweet Pea. But even
what Miller had to say concerning it seems now of little interest.
Apparently the gardeners of the eighteenth century -saw no possi-
bilities in the flower, for there is no recorded advance either in its
development or popularity. We wait until the dawn of the nine-
teenth century before we find that increased attention was directed
towards the Sweet Pea. It was about this time that John Mason,
seedsman, of 152, Fleet Street, London, issued a catalogue in which
the Sweet Pea is mentioned. Mawe's " Gardener," also published in
the year 1800 or 1801, throws a little more light on the subject. Annual
flowers are there grouped in three sections, and the Sweet Pea finds
a place in the third section, which contained the commonest and
hardiest flowers. In Page's "Prudomus," published in 1817, six
varieties of the Sweet Pea were mentioned — white, scarlet, purple,
black, striped and " Painted Lady." The latter is described as having
a scarlet standard with white wings and keel. In 1842 James
Carter, seedsman, also enumerated six varieties. It was not until
1860 that Carter offered nine varieties, among them being a blue
edged one.

STORY OF THE SWEET PEA 3

Eckford's Great Work.— Twelve years later twelve varieties
were on the market and several had distinguishing names : — e.g.
Crown Princess of Prussia, blush ; Invincible Black ; Invincible
White ; Invincible Scarlet, and Invincible Striped. There was little
further progress until Mr. Henry Eckford, whose name will ever be
one to conjure with in the world of flowers, began his great work
of cross-breeding the Sweet Pea, and laid the foundation of the
wonderful developments which have since taken place in the flower.
He it was who made it possible for succeeding hybridists to pursue
the work of improvement and development that is still going on.
Although the year 1700 marked the introduction of Lathyrus
odoratus to this country, it may be said with truth that not until
1877 did the Sweet Pea hold out much promise of becoming a power
among garden flowers. Mr. Henry Eckford was then gardener to
Dr. Sankey at Boreatton Park, and he worked at the improvement of
the Sweet Pea persistently, skilfully and methodically. In 1885 Mr.
Eckford brought out Princess of Wales and Indigo King, and in the
following year Orange Prince. Others followed in quick suc-
cession. In 1887 came Boreatton and Apple Blossom ; in 1893
Firefly, Gaiety, Duke of Clarence, Blushing Beauty and several
others. In 1894 appeared Lady Beaconsfield, Lady Penzance, Lottie
Eckford, Ovid, Royal Robe, and in 1895 the greatest triumph of all,
the famous white Blanche Burpee, a variety that was largely grown
only a year or two ago, and is still. Captivation, Countess of
Aberdeen, Crown Jewel and Little Dorrit were sent out in 1896.
In 1897 came Coquette, Lovely, Countess of Shrewsbury, Mars,
Prima Donna and Royal Rose. Prince of Wales, Lady Currie, Black
Knight, Chancellor, Lady Grisel Hamilton, Mrs. Dugdale, Duke
of Westminster, Othello and others soon followed, but so rapidly
do varieties now become out of date in the Sweet Pea world that
almost all these have been superseded.

Mention should also be made of the work accomplished by Mr. W.
Atlee Burpee, the American florist, among whose triumphs towards
the latter end of the nineteenth century are counted Aurora, Maid
of Honour, Golden Gate and others famous ten years ago.

The Waved Sweet Pea.— The dawn of the twentieth century
witnessed another remarkable development in the Sweet Pea
— the introduction by Mr. Silas Cole of the beautiful Countess
Spencer variety, the first Sweet Pea having a standard with waved
outline.

The coming of this form has almost revolutionised the Sweet

4 SWEET PEAS

Pea world, for it has proved to be but one of very many " waved "
varieties. Sweet Peas with waved standards appear to be those of
the future, and it is possibly only a matter of time before the plain
standard forms will be lost to cultivation. At present, however, they
comprise some of the most useful of all Sweet Peas, and those who
grow these flowers for home and garden decoration will not be
content to let them go until the waved forms have provided
reliable substitutes.

CHAPTER II

Sweet Peas for Home and Garden

MOST people who grow Sweet Peas do so for the sake of a beautiful
display in the garden, and to have flowers for home decoration.
Those who grow for exhibition are in the minority. Nevertheless,
we owe a deep debt of gratitude to the exhibitors, for not only do
they provide us with flower shows which are, perhaps, unsurpassed
for charm and brilliance, but they teach us how to grow Sweet Peas
to perfection, and show how wonderfully this flower responds to
correct and systematic treatment. While we need not follow their
methods blindly when our object is to grow Sweet Peas for home
and garden, there are still many lessons we may learn from them.

Deep Cultivation.— First, and most important of all, perhaps,
is deep cultivation. Anyone wishing to have a presentable row
of Sweet Peas must be prepared to dig the border two feet deep, and
to incorporate some well-decayed manure towards the bottom of
the cultivated ground. This is work that is preferably undertaken
in the autumn. Then, too, we have the value of early sowing;
the middle of February is the best time to sow the seeds out of
doors in the border if the flowers are not for exhibition. Yet how
few amateurs will do this ! Only those who are very keen, I am
afraid. Nevertheless there is no doubt as to its beneficial effect.
Early sowing means deep and well-rooted plants, and such as these
are alone well able to withstand the summer drought and the strain
imposed by a long season of flowering.

On Sowing Seeds. — The question as to the proper distance apart
to sow is a thorny one, and not many years ago one would have
thought a distance of six inches between each plant in the row
to be more than enough ; but then we never expected to see Sweet
Peas eight and ten feet high ; now these are common. Whether
the seeds are sown six or twelve inches apart depends upon the
way in which you propose to grow them and the -results you wish to
obtain. If you want to produce really creditable specimens, I
should advise having the plants twelve inches apart. If you are not

6 SWEET PEAS

so particular put the seeds six inches apart, and if you are rather
keen without being really enthusiastic, put them any distance from
six to twelve inches apart. I would name six inches as a minimum,
and in proportion as your enthusiasm is deep, I would advise you
to increase that distance to twelve inches apart. This is, I think,
quite far enough, when the blooms are wanted only for home and
garden. A plan that can be recommended is to sow the seeds
six inches apart; then as the plants progress and according
to your inclination, you may either thin out every other plant,
thus having them twelve inches apart finally, or leave them as
they are. Prepare the border in the autumn, as I have advised,
leaving the soil roughly dug throughout the winter, level it in time for
sowing on or about February 15th, and unless other details of
cultivation are grossly neglected I can assure you that the Sweet
Peas will blossom from early July until October.

Protection from Birds.— As soon as the seedlings begin to
peep through the soil, which they should do in about a month, there
is usually the question of protection from birds to be considered,
and, especially in the neighbourhood of towns, the ubiquitous sparrow
has to be reckoned with. This is an all-important matter. When
the plot devoted to Sweet Peas is comparatively small I know of
nothing that will keep these mischievous pests at bay more effectively
than strands of black cotton stretched zigzag fashion, so as to cover
the sown ground satisfactorily. I am afraid I can call the sparrow
(for he is the chief offender) nothing but a pest, for whatever excuse
may be made in his favour later on in the season (he has been
credited with searching for black fly) I am afraid there is no shadow of
doubt that it is the sprouting peas, and the peas only, that he
comes after in March. Sprinkling the little plants with soot is
supposed to be distasteful to him. But if all the methods which are
supposed to keep the sparrows away were really to do so how delighted
we should all be ! I am afraid that a great deal more soot falls on
the ground, than rests on the plants, and after a little rain even this
disappears. One cannot keep on dusting the little plants with
soot, otherwise it is probable that yellow leaves and sickly seedlings
would soon begin to tell a woeful tale, and the last state of the
Sweet Peas would be worse than the first.

As I wrote in the Siveet Pea Annual, "it is no use attempting
to scare the birds away with flags of rag and ribbon, you must net
them out." This is a drastic measure to take, but I might add that
its recommendation had reference to Sweet Peas grown in suburban

8 SWEET PEAS

gardens. In a large garden, of course, netting-out is impossible,
on account of the labour and care involved, unless the anticipated
results are such as to make it worth while, as, for instance, in the
case of growing new varieties. When neither black cotton nor
netting-out is to be thought of on account of the large area to be
covered, the best thing to do is to engage a boy to frighten away
the birds for a week or two. When the seedlings are staked and
are growing more vigorously they seem less toothsome to the birds
and the latter do little damage. At least, a year or so ago I might
have written this with conviction, but now I am sceptical, for only
last summer I had to protect my Sweet Peas until they were
practically in bloom. Perhaps I was exceptionally unfortunate.
It was, at any rate, a new experience for one who has grown
Sweet Peas for years.

Staking the Plants. — When the seedlings are an inch or so
high they need some support, and the best kind to give them is that
of the tops of hazel sticks, those twiggy pieces that are so excellent
for the tiny tendrils. When they have got well hold of these twigs,
and are, say, about six inches high, the final staking takes place, and
for this purpose I know nothing more satisfactory than hazel sticks.
Alternative methods are described later on, but personally I prefer
the old-fashioned one so generally practised. Attention to such
practices as those of watering, occasional applications of manure,
picking off dead and faded flowers, is necessary during the season.

Sweet Peas for Garden Decoration. —The following notes
by Mr. T. Stevenson, a grower of renown, will be read with interest.

Many dull and bare spots may be brightened by a clump or
two of Sweet Peas of a suitable colour, and the flower border is one

FIG. 1.— SOWING SWEET PEAS OUTDOORS

W, thick sowing (inadvisable). X, thin sowing in single wide drill, but seeds
placed in alternate fashion 3 inches apart. Y, sowing in double-row
drill drawn on both sides of line, and seeds placed in each drill 6 inches

• apart : i, drills ; j, soil drawn out. Z, double row after covering seed :
k, section showing depth of covering ; I, short branches of hawthorn
placed on row where cats are troublesome ; m, stakes laid over row to
protect early sowings from sharp winds and frosts.

A, clump sowing on borders : n, opening made with hoe about 3 inches deep
and 6 inches or more wide at bottom — six or more seeds are placed in ;
o, sowing in circles, drill about 1 foot across to contain 12 seeds ;
p, clump covered over.

FIG. 1.— SOWING SWEET PEAS OUTDOORS.

10 SWEET PEAS

of the places where a few clumps may be seen to advantage ; there
are generally a few bare patches at the back where they can be
planted. The colour of the flowers with which they are to associate
must be borne in mind, so as to have colours together which will
harmonise or form pleasing contrasts.

There are often small beds and borders round the dwelling house
where a few clumps can also be placed advantageously, and the scent
of the flowers would, in many cases be much appreciated. If the
house happens to be of red brick, it would scarcely do to plant the
red and rose coloured varieties, as they would not show to the same
advantage as the whites and blues. As a temporary screen for hid-
ing frames, old sheds, etc., rows of Sweet Peas are also useful. A
short row or two, say in the kitchen garden, and a few clumps
scattered about among the mixed flower borders, all tend to add
fresh interest. In sheltered positions on lawns there is nothing
brighter than a few isolated clumps, especially if they have shrubs
for a background.

Cultural Details.— There is really nothing much to say about
the cultivation of Sweet Peas in various parts of the garden, except
that the ground should be cultivated really well, broken up as deeply
as possible, and given a liberal dressing of manure. Spent manure
should not be used. If the manure is very strong and fresh it should
not be less than one foot from the surface. In most cases it would
be advisable to sow early in February in pots, and plant out when
the seedlings are strong in April. Both time and trouble in going
about the garden looking after the various plants in the young stage
are thus saved. Whatever method of staking is employed it should
be done thoroughly and neatly. Care must be taken during the

FIG. 2.— STAKING SWEET PEAS

H, upright staking with hazel sticks, 4 feet high (above ground) : ?/, double
row of Sweet Pea plants, 6 inches apart in row and alternate order.

I, oblique or slanting staking with hazel sticks, 3 feet in height : v, plants in
single row, 1 foot apart. J, staking with wire trellis, called Pea trellis,
in heights of 3 feet (that shown) 4 feet and 5 feet, double framed
standards, all galvanised : mt row of plants thinned to 12 inches apart
and stopped at that height.

Clump of Sweet Peas staked : K, with hazel sticks 3 feet high ; L, with
hazel sticks 4 feet high ; M, showing use of cylinder trellis 10
inches diameter at bottom and 3 feet high, galvanised.

FIG. 2. — STAKING SWEET PEAS.

12 SWEET PEAS

growing season to keep the shoots well tied in. If the weather gets
very hot and dry, a good mulching of manure, when possible, should
be given. This, with a plentiful supply of water and systematic
removal of the seed pods, will ensure a continuous season of bloom.

SWEET PEA, JANET SCOTT (DEEP PINK), ONE OF THE OLDER
VARIETIES : EXCELLENT FOR GARDEN DECORATION.

As to varieties for clumps, some, I find, are much more suitable
than others. Those of a bushy habit are most adaptable, although
where a screen is wanted the stronger and taller growers would
be best. Good varieties for the garden are King Edward VII.,
Dorothy Eckford, Helen Pierce, Unique, Lady Cooper, Black

NEW SWEET PEA THE MARQUIS (BRIGHT MAUVE) : GOOD
BOTH FOR GARDEN AND EXHIBITION.

14 SWEET PEAS

Knight, John Ingman, Janet' Scott, Mrs. Walter Wright, Romolo
Piazzani, Mrs. G. Higginson, Paradise, Gladys Unwin, Sybil
Eckford, and Mrs. Collier. '

Sweet Peas in Borders. — When arranging the colours of
Sweet Peas in beds or borders the gardener really needs to be
a colour artist as well as a floricultural one ; of course this necessity
exists in reference to many other flowers, but the Sweet Pea has
such a sad way of killing members of its family— by contrast.
A clump of magenta George Gordon, beautiful though it is, against
one of Scarlet Gem looks very unhappy, while groups of Dorothy
Tennant, mauve, and Lady Grisel Hamilton, lavender, seem to
be ever quarrelling. Borders in the open are excellent, because
light and heat are obtained from all sides, yet perhaps the loveliest
arrangements can be made in borders against old grey fences or
white walls, and if these face south or south-west they are delight-
fully snug homes for the plants, and cause them to begin early and
to blossom late. A border facing west full of well grown Sweet Peas
proves its value during a hot July and August, for when other
borders are showing signs of fatigue this one will be fresh and
sprightly. Good rich soil is so necessary that I will say nothing
about it here ; no gardener, surely, would attempt to grow Sweet
Peas in any other !

A Simple, Graceful Arrangement is suggested on page 16.
At the back is a row of Sweet Peas, of true red tone, such as Mars,
Firefly, or the splendid King Edward VII. This row, A, will
require rich feeding, to induce the Peas to grow as tall as
possible, and their training from youth should be conducted so as
to secure height. The spaces at B and C look best filled up with

FIG. 3.— THINNING AND STOPPING SWEET PEAS

Thinning : B, part of row of seedlings from thick sowing of seed, showing
necessity of thinning to secure sturdy plants and fine blooms. C,
plants from seed placed in wide drill in double rows, 1 inch apart :
q, thinned to 1£ inches distance apart ; r, unthinned, 1 inch apart in
double row. D, row with plants thinned to 3 inches apart. E, double-
drill plants thinned to 6 inches asunder : s, extra thinning to 12 inches
apart, stopping them at 6 to 12 inches high to make them branch freely
if necessary.

Stopping : F, plant stopped when 6 inches high : t, growing point nipped
off. G, plant stopped when 12 inches high.

SCALE: iiN.= i INCH

PIG. 3.— THINNING AND STOPPING SWEET PEAS.

SWEET PEAS

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two varieties of the bush Sweet
Peas, which do not grow as high
as others, yet are not real dwarfs ;
the choice among these is some-
what limited, but Blanche Ferry,
of which the wings are a purple
shaded pink, and the standards
light rose, and Ramona, a creamy
white, flaked with pink, would
look beautiful. The foreground
is best planted with all one sort of
Pea. The rich pink Enchantress,
or paler pink Prima Donna, may
be the choice. Supposing a border
in the open were to be planted
according to this arrangement, it
would only be necessary to have
the row or hedge of the carmine
Sweet Pea as the centrepiece all
the length, and repeat the scallops
B and C and the foreground D
on the other side of it as well.
Clumps of Sweet Peas are shown
off to great advantage, and the
supporting sticks become quite
hidden by foliage and blossom
before the season is very far ad-
vanced. This illustration shows
only one of many arrangements
for borders of Sweet Peas. By
carefully selecting the colours
of the varieties grown many
charming flower associations can
be produced. There is no reason
why one should not work out
colour schemes in Sweet Peas as
well as in other flowers.

CHAPTER III

How to Grow Sweet Peas for Exhibition

So rapid has been the rise of Sweet Pea shows throughout the
country since the amazing progress of this favourite flower began in
real earnest that it seems as though almost every grower, sooner or
later, in greater or lesser degree, would become an exhibitor. The
cultivation of Sweet Peas for exhibition has been reduced to a tine
art by some of the most successful growers, and the results they
obtain are nothing short of phenomenal. Five or even six blooms
on a stem, leaves bearing a greater resemblance to those of cabbages
than of Sweet Peas, to judge by comparison with the produce of the
ordinary Sweet Pea grower, shoots of a vigour that is altogether
astonishing, and flower stems 18 inches long, such are Sweet Peas as
grown by the more skilful of present day exhibitors. And the
means by which such results are obtained ? Well, briefly they are
these. In the autumn the ground is well dug at least 2 feet deep
and another foot of soil below that is broken up ; sometimes the soil
is trenched to the depth of 3 feet, plenty of well decayed manure
being incorporated. In January or February seeds are sown in
pots in a greenhouse or frame. The seedlings are planted out in
April and receive scrupulous attention in the way of watering,
manuring, training, and all other necessary operations. Now judge
if you will become an exhibitor of Sweet Peas ! Moreover, you must
grow the finest varieties obtainable, otherwise the success which
might have been yours may be lost to you owing to a bad selection
of sorts. But hear what Mr. A. Malcolm, one of the most famous
of growers and exhibitors of Sweet Peas, has to say on the subject.
His advice is practical and to the point, and invaluable to all who
contemplate entering the ranks of Sweet Pea exhibitors : —

Preparing the Ground.— The preparation of the ground is
the first step towards the production of exhibition spikes. Deep
culture is essential. The trenches must be 2 feet deep and the
soil below that forked over. If the latter spit is of a porous nature
you may make the 2 feet above it as rich as you please, but if not it

a p
§1

20 SWEET PEAS

must be worked into that condition by the incorporation of some old
lime rubble, ashes, or similar substance. This operation should be
done in good weather, when the soil works easily and the rows can be
made firm (which is very important). A common error is to take
out a trench in a piece of undug ground. When this is done and dry
weather comes, huge cracks are likely to make their appearance,
then, of course, evaporation from the soil is increased. The whole
border should be trenched and the special part, which ought to be as
broad as possible, taken out afterwards. The manure used must be
old and sweet, and thoroughly incorporated with the soil.

Planting and Manuring. — I find this gives better results than
placing the manure in layers, although a layer of fresh cow manure
over the drainage is good, and tends to retain moisture. A sprink-
ling of soot and lime reduced to powder, with a dusting of bone meal
as the work goes on, makes an ideal foundation. If the ground is
prepared as advised, the beds, if of a circular form, are about 6 inches
lower in the centre than the ground level, like a saucer ; and the
centre of the rows the same if grown in that way. I grow half my

FIG. 4— RAISING SWEET PEAS FROM SEED IN POTS FOR
TRANSPLANTING OUTDOORS

A, the seed, bold, dark-coloured, sound. B, section of seed A, showing :
a, testa (outer leathery coat) ; b, endopleura (inner coat) ; e, cotyledon
(seed-leaves) ; d, radicle (young root) ; e, plumule (young stem).
(Magnified).

C, light-coloured seed, perfect. D, the seed C, magnified.

E, unsound seed ; /, diseased spot. F, the seed E, magnified.

G, section of 5-inch pot in which two seeds are sown,the plants to be turned
out of pot entire when planting : g, drainage ; h, rougher parts of com-
post ; i, soil ; j, seed ; k, fine soil ; I, watering space.

H, position in greenhouse for placing seed pots : m, shelf 1 foot from
glass. I, plants in pot H at stage for removing to cold frame for
hardening. J, the plants sturdy and healthy.

K, . subsection of 6-inch pot with seed placed about £ inch from side, say,
ten seeds in each pot, the plants to be divided at planting time ; re-
ferences as for G. L, plants at stage for removing from shelf in
greenhouse as H, I, and placing in cold frame to harden off. M,
section of cold frame : n, pots stood on ashes ; o, line to height of
ashes if used to keep plants near the glass and sturdy ; p, pots stood
on inverted pots, placed in saucers in which a little sulphur is
sprinkled.

FIG. 4.— RAISING SWEET PEAS. FROM SEED IN POTS FOR
TRANSPLANTING OUTDOORS.

22 SWEET PEAS

plants each way. The circles are 6 feet in circumference and 8 feet
high, with eight plants round each circle ; six would be ample if it
were certain that every plant would come true, but 9 inches is a good
distance to plant out in any case. The training is to the outside and
the growth is kept straight. Bent stems are a nuisance, and when
any get bent cut them out. If in rows, plant in the centre and train
the growths outwards to both sides, leaving the centre clear. A
double row of wires or stakes is needed for such training, and it is a
splendid way. I have seen them trained on a single wire, but the
work is excessive. Old wild raspberry canes are ideal first supports,
being a nice length, and in many parts they can be obtained on
roadsides or in woods.

Sowing the Seeds.— February 1st is a good date on which to
make a start — sowing under glass in slight heat. The moment the
plants peep through the soil remove them to a cold frame and
gradually harden them off. I sow ten seeds round the edge of
a 10-inch pot, and to ensure even germination I snip a tiny portion
off each seed with a sharp knife. Some seeds have abnormally
hard skins, and unless that is done germination is uneven. The
best supports for the seedlings are the tops of hawthorn hedges.
These have little knobs on them, and tying is easily done.
When the time comes for planting out (and do not be in a hurry,
the second week in April for England and the last week for Scotland
are safe dates) water should be withheld for three or four days

FIG. 5.— TRANSPLANTING SWEET PEAS FROM POTS INTO OPEN

GROUND

N, seedling plant from deep (4-inch) pot: q, sturdy plant ; r, ball of soil with
roots entire ; *, surface level ; t, birch or hazel twigs to afford some
shelter from keen winds and spring frosts, the twigs arching slightly
over the plants at about 1 foot height, plants 12 inches apart in row.

Plants raised in 5-inch pot, Fig. 4, G. O, turned out and planted with ball

of soil entire, thus about 4 inches apart ; ?/., position for second " turned-

' out" pair of plants. P, plant from pot similar to O, the pair divided

(called a " split ") and corresponding to O and P respectively, about

12 inches distance apart.

Q, plant from 6-inch pot, Fig. 4, K, L, M, carefully breaking up ball and
separating plants : v, roots with some soil ; w, depth of planting. R,
plants raised in 6-inch pot planted 6 inches apart : a?, spruce or other

I evergreen twigs placed at sides of row of Sweet Peas to protect from
cold winds and spring frosts.

6 IN=| IN.

FIG. 5.— TRANSPLANTING SWEET PEAS FROM POTS INTO
OPEN GROUND.

24 SWEET PEAS

prior to the operation. Plant on a dull day, keeping the seedlings
a few inches clear of the wires. After planting out no movement
is apparent in the growth for awhile, but once they start they
simply run up the supports, when daily attention and training are
needful. No stimulants of any kind are necessary, but the ground
must be hoed frequently. One cannot hoe too much. It aerates
the soil and prevents evaporation of moisture.

A DISPLAY BY THE SUGAR WAFER SWEET PEA CLUB
(READING).

Summer Treatment.— When the plants have been in bloom
for three weeks feeding may start. Begin with a weak solution of
sheep manure and soot, and see that the beds or rows get a
thorough soaking. Gradually increase the strength of the liquid
and sprinkle any of the well known brands of artificial manures
on the surface and work them in. Be careful not to overdo
the feeding — err on the safe side. When over-manured the flowers
look well enough on the bush, but they carry badly, and will not
stand up firm and sure on the exhibition table. If one gets stems

ONE OF THE MOST BEAUTIFUL OF THE MANY PINK SWEET
PEAS : PRINCESS VICTORIA.

26 SWEET PEAS

15 to ]8 inches long that is all one needs. It is easy by the
application of nitrates to force them to abnormal length, but they
are of little or no use for exhibition. One must have a well
balanced stem, and there is a risk of want of balance when the
stem is over 18 inches in length.

Hints on Exhibiting. — There is a tremendous lot of work
and worry in connection with showing Sweet Peas ; but, whether
growers intend to send to shows or not, the methods advised to
procure flowers of choice quality are worth following out. Arrange-
ment, and that alone, when the exhibits are fairly even, usually
wins the prizes, and before exhibiting in the big shows practise
the art of setting up. The removal of lateral growths and dis-
budding is not adopted here. If the beds and rows are well
prepared and the blooms removed daily/ it is unnecessary. To
those who cannot procure suitable manure, it may be interesting
to know that last year I tested a row without it — 25 yards long
and twenty-two plants. The ground was trenched 3 feet deep,
well broken up the whole depth, and by the end of the season I
had a dense hedge 13 feet high covered from top to bottom
with splendid blooms. The main stems of these plants were as
thick as the little finger.

Cutting and Packing. — When cutting blooms for an exhibition
select the best twenty-five sprays on the spot and place the stems in
water for three or four hours. After that take them out, wipe the
surplus moisture oft the stems, wrap in tissue paper ; pack in single
rows in boxes so that they are fairly steady when the box is shaken.
They carry a long distance after such treatment. Should the
weather be very warm the stems may be soft when unpacked ; place
them at once in cold water, when they will get firm.

FIG. 6.— TRANSPLANTING SWEET PEAS BY TROWEL AND DIBBER
AT PROPER DISTANCE IN ROWS AND BETWEEN ROWS

S, plant injured in being turned out of pot : y, root sound ; c, stem broken
— no use.

T, planting by trowel : a, hole made ; J, plant inserted and soil taken out
replaced with trowel ; c, plant properly planted. U, planting by dibber
d, hole made ; e, plant placed in hole and dibber inserted for closing
hole ; /, plants after planting. V, plants placed in rows 4 feet apart
and 6 inches distant in the row : g, plant row : A, twiggy sticks to pro-
tect the young plants.

FIG. 6. — TRANSPLANTING SWEET PEAS.

SWEET PEAS

Varieties like Henry Eckford and Helen Lewis may be shaded
with muslin on the east, south, and west sides of the groups. King
Edward VII. is best grown fully exposed to the sun. For small
collections the purchase of good seed should receive great attention.

The Varieties — A splendid guide for fixed sorts is the
National Sweet Pea Society's colour list, with the exception of the
magenta shades, which are not worth growing. The other nineteen
are all very good. The twenty-four sorts left (five having two
recommendations) will give a varied and glorious display. Some
of the newer ones should also be tried.

A DISPLAY OF SWEET PEAS AT THE FAMOUS SHREWSBURY
FLOWER SHOW.

CHAPTER IV

The Beginner's Guide to Sweet Pea Growing— The Chief
Points Concisely Explained and Illustrated

Preparing the Gronnd.— The Sweet Pea is naturally a deep-
rooting plant, and can be grown successfully only in soil which is
well broken up. Ground which has been trenched or deeply dug,
and consists largely of fine particles of soil, retains moisture better
than lumpy ground that has been dug on the surface only. In hot,
dry weather plants growing in the former have a great advantage
over those in the latter, for the hard ground is more or less im-
pervious to moisture in the shape of rain and applications of water,
and owing to the force of capillary attraction, it parts more readily
with what moisture it may retain. Thus the small fibrous roots of
the plant, which are its chief " feeders," die, and the life of the
Sweet Pea is shortened. In soil that has been disturbed and broken
up to the depth of two or three feet rain and applied water find an
easy passage, thus reaching and benefiting those fibrous roots, which,
though so small, are of the greatest importance.

Autumn Work. — The work of preparing the ground by deep
digging is best done in the autumn. The illustration shows how the
ground surface should be left throughout the winter. It is in ridges,
and the soil composing those ridges is not broken up at the time the
trenching and ridging are done ; this work is left to natural
elements— to rain and frost — for these will pulverise and sweeten the
rough ground far more satisfactorily than the gardener with his
spade and fork. To break up the ground really well one must open
a wide, deep trench at one end of the plot and wheel the soil to the
opposite end. The subsoil is thoroughly broken up, but left below.
To be able to grow the finest Sweet Peas one must dig two or three
feet deep ; if only two feet, then the subsoil below this needs to be
loosened with the fork. It is best to carry out the digging so that
the ridges of soil lie from north to south, then both sides will come
under the drying influence of the sun in spring, when it is necessary
to do the levelling and the sowing or planting. The ridges of soil are

SWEET PEAS

made about two feet wide at the base, and at least one foot high. If
they are much wider or deeper the frosts will not have such a bene-
ficial effect on the whole as one could wish. It does not matter how
rough and lumpy the ridges may appear ; the more lumpy the soil is
the better will it be pulverised in the end, and also, the deeper will
the frosts penetrate.

The Use of Manures.— This is a subject often imperfectly
understood by beginners and inexperienced amateurs, and this being
the case far more harm than good is likely to follow an application,

THE SOIL IS LEFT IN RIDGES
THROUGHOUT THE WINTER.

SHOWING HOW THE SEEDS
ARE SOWN IN SPRING.

since too much may cause an irretrievable loss of plants. Safest of
all, perhaps, is farmyard manure, and since, so far as Sweet Peas are
concerned, this should be dug some eighteen or twenty inches be-
neath the soil in the autumn when the ground is dug or trenched,
any danger that may attach to its too liberal use is discounted by
the fact that the seeds or plants are not put into the soil for some
months afterwards. One thing "-the amateur would do well to
remember is never to place manure in direct contact with the roots.
The latter derive the greatest benefit when the manure is well
mixed with the soil. Then the haulm of the plants is strengthened

SWEET PEA GROWING 31

while they are quite young, and applications of superphosphate, and
other artificial manures, will have greater effect upon both growth
and blooms.

Sowing- Seeds Out of Doors.— The soil is thoroughly pre-
pared and broken up, as advised, before the drills are made. These
should be drawn out from north to south; especially is this ad-
visable where many rows of Sweet Peas are grown, side by side.

In clayey soils the seeds are covered only about 1| inches deep,
but in light, sandy soil an extra inch of covering soil may be put on.
In the sketch on p. 30 A A shows the normal level of the border soil, B
the shallow trench, and C the soil which has been manured and broken
up to a depth of nearly three feet. As shown in the sketch, the
seeds are sown in zigzag manner on the flat bottom of the drill
about nine inches apart each way. Now, this would be impossible
if the drill were not flat and wide. Very often the drill has a
narrow base, with the result that the young seedlings are over-
crowded and become weakly. Let every young plant have ample room
in which to grow. Sweet Peas' that are overcrowded throughout their
existence, only actually occupy a space a few inches across ; but those
with unlimited space in which to grow produce many sturdy side
shoots from the base upwards, and each side growth is stronger than
the main stem of the overcrowded plant.

Some Sweet Pea Pests.— If mice or rats are troublesome
roll the seeds in red lead while they are wet, then sow them as
advised. To prevent slugs eating the young shoots as they push
through the soil a layer of sifted ashes from a coal fire may be
put on. " Vaporite," or " Alphol," or "Kilogrub," used according to
instructions are also most useful. The sowing may be done any
time from February to April, but the middle of February is the best
time.

Planting and Earthing Up.— When Sweet Peas are raised <
in pots in the autumn, or early in the year and planted out in the
spring, there is always a tendency on the part of the inexperienced
to crowd them. For instance, there are probably at least three young
roots in each pot, and when they are turned out each clump is
generally planted about the same distance apart as is advised in
the case of single seeds when sowing these in rows or to form clumps.
The plants from pots should be put out quite fifteen inches apart
and in a zigzag manner in the shallow drill. But deep planting
is advisable ; that is to say the lower part of the stems of the plants
ought to be covered. After having been put out in this manner, as

SWEET PEAS

illustrated, a little soil should be drawn up to both sides of the row,
or to the plants in the clump, as the case may be. This is commonly
known as " earthing up," and is an invaluable bit of work. In the
sketch A A shows the soil drawn up from B B. Some of this will fall
amongst the young plants, and will do good rather than harm.
C C shows where the sticks must be driven in, and indicates also that
part of the ground which is well manured and broken up to a depth
of about three feet.

Staking the Plants. — Coarse meshed wire netting is now
largely used for supporting Sweet Peas, and most serviceable it is too.
But the majority of growers use sticks. These should be put in in
good time. When the young plants are only an inch or two high

EARTHING UP THE
SEEDLINGS.

STAKING, FIRST WITH SMALL

TWIGS, AFTERWARDS WITH

TALL HAZEL STICKS.

small twiggy sticks are placed to them, and in the case of seedlings
planted out from pots, the necessary sticks are put in directly
the planting and earthing-up are completed. The accompanying
sketch shows how to put in the sticks. The small branching pieces
are first placed to the rows as shown at A, and in a few weeks' time
the tall ones B, must be driven in quite eight or ten inches deep. It
is a wise plan to fix a few stronger sticks, or rather stakes, in at
every nine feet of row ; then one can fasten all securely by strands
of string or wire on each side. The tops of the tall sticks ought
to be about one foot apart, and not meet closely together. Hazel
sticks are the best.

Pinching or Stopping Young Plants.— Autumn-raised

SWEET PEA GROWING 33

plants often produce a somewhat weakly main stem ; they are
especially liable to do so if they have insufficient fresh air while
in the greenhouse or frame. But near the base of the stem strong
side shoots commence to grow as shown at A A in the sketch below.
I have often noticed that these side shoots grow rapidly and soon
reach the same height as the central haulm B, but possess greater
strength than the latter. Now, if the plant is pinched off immediately
above the side shoots as shown at A, the lateral growths B B will
make still more satisfactory progress, and branch out freely also.
Of course it is not absolutely necessary to pinch off the main or
original stem, but I prefer to do so.

Growing Sweet Peas in Fots. — The young plants are grown

PINCHING OB STOPPING THE YOUNG PLANTS.

in small pots — those 3^ inches in diameter— in cool frames until
about the middle of January from seeds sown in September. Then
they are repotted, in pots ten inches across, and after the roots have
taken full possession of the soil it is advisable to feed liberally with
diluted manures. Use clean pots, and thoroughly drain them, but
place the crocks in carefully so as not to take up too much space
and thus unduly limit that required for soil. The soil mixture
should consist chiefly of good fibrous loam, to which leaf soil and
some well rotted manure are added in the proportion of one-third.
Near the bottom of each pot mix a little old mortar rubbish with
the soil as the latter is being put in, and three ounces of superphos-
phate of lime with every bushel of the soil.

SWEET PEAS

The accompanying drawing shows how potting should be done.
A, ball of soil and roots of young plants ; B, the new soil mixture ;
C, a whole turf placed under the pot when the Sweet Pea plants are
well rooted, so that the roots may enter the turf. Space also should
be left for watering and top-dressing material. Make the soil
moderately firm when the potting is done, and use the mixture when

GROWING SWEET PEAS IN POTS.

moderately moist. It must not be at all wet. The plants are kept
close to the glass, and are given all the fresh air possible. They will
not thrive in a warm temperature. A light and airy greenhouse
with a maximum night temperature of 50° is suitable. They may be
grown on a central stage or even on the floor of the house. But
after the turves are placed under the pots the latter should not
be removed. Train the haulm to strands of string, and feed liberally
in due course ; but always give weak doses and only after a watering
with clear water.

CHAPTER V

Sweet Peas for House and Table Decoration

PERHAPS the secret of the wonderful popularity of the Sweet Pea
lies in its value as a flower for the decoration of the home.
Certainly it is unsurpassed in many respects. I know of none more
graceful and more easily disposed ; and how varied and very charm-
ing are the shades of colour among the now innumerable varieties.
There are few really strong colours among Sweet Peas, the majority
are in soft shades that seem to be most admirably adapted for home
decoration. The Sweet Pea is only unsatisfactory from a decorative
point of view when, owing to bad cultivation, the stalks are short.
Then it loses most of its grace and charm, and, so far as its effect
when arranged in vases is concerned, is quite a different flower.
But as short stems come only on poorly grown plants the home
grower surely should find an incentive in this to grow his Sweet
Peas well, for the finer they are, the greater pleasure and satisfaction
will they give when cut.

Gathering the Blooms. — One apparently trivial matter, yet
quite well deserving of consideration in connection with the arrange-
ment of Sweet Peas in the home is the time and manner of gather-
ing the blooms. Now the wrong time to gather them is when the
sun is shining brightly, say, any time between ten and four ; thus
it is obvious that the time between four p.m. and ten a.m. is the
best. The earlier in the day Sweet Peas are gathered the better.
If they are not picked before ten in the morning, then they should
be left until the evening. Everyone must have noticed how very
quickly Sweet' Peas which are picked during the hottest part of the
clay fade and wither. There are various ways of gathering Sweet
Peas, and more often than not amateurs practise one of the wrong
ways, either breaking off the stalks, or else cutting them with
scissors or a knife. The best way is to pull out the stem from the
socket, that is, from the junction of the stem and growth. By
steadying the plant with the left hand just below the point of
junction, a slight pull at the stem with the right hand will bring

SWEET PEAS

A DIFFERENCE IN FLOWER ARRANGEMENT: BAD ON THE
LEFT, GOOD ON THE RIGHT.

it out. When the flowers are gathered in this way they are likely
to last longer than when bruised by cutting or breaking.

Colour Association. —In the arrangement of the blossoms the
association of colour is all important ; it is possible without much
trouble to produce some delightful effects. As a rule I think one
colour, or perhaps two colours, in the same vase give the most
pleasing results, the latter more often than the former. Such
a bright mauve as the variety Mrs. W. Wright, for instance, looks
very well in a vase alone, but I think the crimson King Edward
alone is less attractive than when associated with, say, the white
Dorothy Eckford. Whether the addition of a flower of a blue shade
is an improvement is, I think, open to much doubt. The variety
Helen Pierce, mottled with blue on a white ground, is one that
makes a particularly handsome vaseful by itself ; and the bicolors
— those in which there are two distinct shades of colour, e.g.
Jeannie Gordon, Triumph, and others — are usually best alone. It
is with the more delicate shades that one can obtain some beauti-
ful colour associations. For instance, the apricot-coloured Henry

FOR TABLE DECORATION

Eckford, with one of the lavenders or mauves is very delightful.
Black Knight (maroon) with the Hon. Mrs. Kenyon, or Clara
Curtis (primrose) is also very pretty. But a little consideration, and
perhaps a little practice, will soon convince one that there are many
other charming associations to be worked out in arranging Sweet
Peas.

Different Kinds of Flowers.— There is a great difference in the
way in which the blooms are arranged on the stems in different
varieties, as those who have grown Sweet Peas must have noticed.
To my mind the perfect disposition is when the blooms are clustered
fairly closely together, sufficiently close to hide the stem — an
example of which is seen in the right-hand spray of the illustration

SWEET PEA MBS. ALFRED W ATKINS (PINK) : THE

CURVING STEMS MAKE THIS VARIETY VALUABLE FOR

HOME DECORATION.

SS SWEET PEAS

on page 36. A totally different arrangement is shown on the left-
hand side of the picture. This, I think, altogether lacks the charm of
the other. Although some varieties show a tendency to produce blos-
soms dispersed on the stem in this way, it is often due to rich feeding
at the root, which has the effect of elongating the stem to an extent
that is to be deprecated. Now, in the arrangement of Sweet Peas in

THE TOPS OF SWEET PEA PLANTS —FLOWERS AND
FOLIAGE ON THE SAME STEM.

a vase, this kind of flower is apt to produce a disappointing effect.
It is true that it is not to be despised in setting up a vase of blooms
at an exhibition, but for filling the vase for the table or hall I much
prefer the more natural arrangement.

The Art of Arrangement.— The art of setting up Sweet Peas,
or in fact any kind of flower, lies in disposing them lightly. To
crowd blooms in a vase is quite to spoil their natural grace and
beauty. Some of the most successful vases of Carnations I have
seen were arranged by the decorator first bunching the flowers

AN EPERGNE OF SWEET PEAS.

40 SWEET PEAS

loosely in the hand, blooms downwards, then turning them up
quickly and placing them in the vase. A slight readjustment of some
blooms was all that was found necessary. I do not go so far as to
say that this is the best way of setting up Sweet Peas, or even
Carnations, in a vase, but I mention it just to show that the simpler
the arrangement the more likely is it to be satisfactory. The art
of arranging flowers naturally is one that comes only after much
practice, and there is not much that one can teach by writing on the
subject, beyond the fact that above all things the flowers must not be
crowded in the vase, and that the more rearrangement there is the less
likely is the result to be pleasing. In this matter, at all events,
it is the first work that is invariably the best. Directly you begin
to take out a stem here and put it in there you make the arrange-
ment worse than it was, unless you are quite expert. The art of
setting up flowers has been much simplified by various appliances
whose object is to keep the blooms exactly where they are placed.

Floral Aids. — Perhaps the most popular is the metal stand
that is put in a bowl, or the piece of zinc with holes in it that
fits in the neck of a vase. It is a comparatively simple matter to
produce a pleasing arrangement with the help of these appliances
Perhaps the danger to be feared is that of disposing the flowers too
stiffly. It needs a fine skill to produce an attractive vaseful of Sweet
Peas when one has simply the open neck of the vase in which to fix
the stems. Even then, by carefully disposing the blooms so that
one stalk is supported by another, after a little practice progress
is made quickly. There is no doubt that when one is able
to arrange flowers skilfully, more natural effects are obtained than
when recourse is had to the use of artificial aids. Still, the latter
are most useful, and to those who are not expert in the art of flower
arranging I can confidently recommend them. The chief thing to
remember is that the more lightly and, in reason, loosely disposed
the Sweet Peas are the more delightful will they appear.

Flowers and Foliage.— Then there is the question of what
to arrange with Sweet Peas or whether to use the flowers alone.
It is an axiom of flower arrangement that no foliage is so well suited
as that of the plant itself, but I think so far as the Sweet Pea is
concerned, one may venture to modify this slightly. Only so far
as to say that if Sweet Pea foliage is used it must be on the same
growth as that carrying the blossoms, or, in other words, the tops
of the shoots — flowers, buds and leaves together, must be cut off
(see illustration, page 38). If pieces of the haulm, or growth, are

FOR TABLE DECORATION 41

inserted amongst the flowers the result is seldom satisfactory, and
the vase has a heavy, unnatural appearance. When flowers and
leaves' are on the same shoot the result is quite different. Of
foreign material to arrange with Sweet Peas there is nothing better,
or, I think, nothing so good, as sprays of Gypsophila, which bears
an elegant mass of small flowers on slender, branching shoots.
These associate admirably with Sweet Pea flowers and are very
generally employed. One variety might be mentioned as especially
suitable for table decoration, although it is perhaps invidious to
make the distinction since there are now so many very beautiful
sorts, numbers of which are especially well adapted for home
decoration ; it is the variety Mrs. Alfred Watkins, a lovely pink
Sweet Pea, shown in the illustration on page 37. One peculiar
characteristic of this sort is that it has gracefully curving stems
which seem to lend themselves particularly well to use in vases.
This peculiarity may be readily noticed in the photograph.

CHAPTER VI

A Chat About Varieties

IT is no light task to write a chapter on varieties of Sweet Peas
in the. year 1909 : not only are they innumerable, but some are
scarcely distinct from others, although different names distinguish
them. There are waved forms, forms with plain standards, and
intermediates which are neither the one nor the other. In fact,
so numerous "are the aspects of the subject of Sweet Pea varieties
that not only a chapter, but a whole book might be written about
them. Most of the new . varieties which are put on the market in
large numbers every year are of the waved standard form, and it
seems to be indisputable that this is to be the Sweet Pea of the
future, and that those who practise cross-fertilisation are working on
these lines. Still, it would be a thousand pities if we were to lose
sight of the plain standard forms, and not for a moment do I think
such a thing probable, for not only are there many very beautiful
varieties among them, but they possess certain advantages to which
the waved varieties are strangers. For example, as a rule their
petals are thicker, of greater substance than the latter ; they
last longer when cut, and are less likely to lose their colour in
strong sunshine, especially when this follows a spell of dull, wet
weather, than the Sweet Peas with waved standards, for many of
these are of delicate texture — perfectly beautiful, it is true, yet
scarcely so well adapted to the wear and tear of ordinary garden
conditions as the older forms.

Waved Varieties. — Having said this much in favour of the
plain standard varieties, I admit, and I think everyone who has
grown Sweet Peas must admit, that the waved varieties are far more
attractive and of greater beauty than the others. There is some-
thing very fascinating about the exquisitely waved margin to some
of the new sorts, and their shades of colouring are more tender, more
delicately beautiful than the stronger tints of the older sorts. While
we are getting away from crude colouring in the new Sweet Peas, and
are introducing some exquisitely tender shades, is there not a want

VARIETIES 43

of strong colours among them 1 It is difficult to say whether some
of the newer Sweet Peas are correctly described as " waved " or not.
Different experts hold different opinions. Take, for instance, the
lavender-coloured sort Frank Dolby ; this came out as a " waved "

SWEET PEA BOBBY K. (APPLE BLOSSOM COLOUR).

standard sort, yet there is a great difference in the waviness of
this variety and, say, Mrs. Ireland, one of the novelties for 1909.
And, as far as I can see, it is impossible to fix any definite standard
by which it shall be determined whether a variety is waved or
not, since there are several degrees of this characteristic. Another

44 SWEET PEAS

point that is now forcing itself upon the consideration of experts is
this : " Is not the * waviness ' too pronounced in some of the latest
sorts 1" If this characteristic becomes developed to an abnormal

SWEET PEA PRINCE OLAF (MARKED WITH
BLUE ON WHITE GROUND).

extent the last state of the " waved" Sweet Pea will be worse than
the first.

One of the many services which the National Sweet Pea Society
has rendered, both to exhibitors of the flower and to those who grow
for ordinary garden decoration only, is the publication of a list of too-
much-alike varieties. This is quite indispensable to all Sweet Pea

VARIETIES

growers, so that I include it here, with full acknowledgment to the
authors.

Too-Much-Alike Varieties.— The National Sweet Pea Society
brackets the following varieties as too much alike. " Not more than
one of the bracketed varieties shall be shown on the same stand
at any exhibition of the National Sweet Pea Society." Priority is
given to the first name.

( Etta Dyke

\ White Spencer

( Queen Alexandra
t Scarlet Gem

("Her Majesty
\ Splendour

(Duke of Sutherland
(Monarch

f Lottie Eckford

< Maid of Honour
( Ivy Miller

f Black Knight

< Stanley

( Boreatton

| Lord Eosebery
( Cyril Breadmore

(Mrs. Collier

Mrs. Felton

-j Dora Cowper

Ceres
I Yellow Dorothy Eckford

f Captain of the Blues
I Bolton's Blue

/Lady Grisel Hamilton
) Countess of Radnor
j New Countess
\ Princess May

( Flora Norton
1 Miss Philbrick

(Modesty

j Duchess of Sutherland

( Sensation

I Countess of Aberdeen

( John Iiigman
I George Herbert

E. J. Castle
•I Rosy Morn

Rosie Sydenham
I Mrs. W. King
I Phyllis Unwin

f Countess Spencer
I Paradise
< Enchantress
J Olive Bolton
I Codsall Rose

I Gorgeous

< Miss B. Whiley

I Mildred Ward

( Countess of Lathom
1 Coral Gem

f *Princess Victoria
| Pink Gem

The Best Sweet Peas for Exhibition.— The editor of The
Gardener .recently organised a competition amongst readers of the
paper with the object of ascertaining which were the best vaiieties
for exhibition. The following list gives the names in order of merit,

* Debbie's Princess Victoria is meant, not the old variety of the name, which is cerisa
with carmine standard.

SWEET PEAS

SWEET PEA JE ANNIE GORDON (A CHARMING
BICOLOR VARIETY).

their position being determined
received.

( Helen Lewis
\ Helen Pierce

John Ingman

Black Knight
( King Edward VII.
\ Queen Alexandra

Mrs. Hardcastle Sykes
( Countess Spencer
\ Frank Dolby

Mrs. Collier

Dorothy Eckford

Henry Eckford

by the number of votes they

( Lord Nelson

{ Mrs. W. Wright

( Jeannie Gordon

Nora Unwin

Lady G. Hamilton

Saint George

Romolo Piazzanr

Sybil Eckford

The Marquis

Miss Willmott

Dainty

Duke of Westminster

VARIETIES 47

Others following in close succession were Gladys Unwin, Etta
Dyke, Coccinea, Phenomenal, A. J. Cook. Queen of Spain, Jessie
Cuthbertson, Evelyn Hemus, Audrey Crier, and America.

The following list is that sent in by the winning competitor ; the
varieties are in order of merit. It will be noticed that while

SWEET PEA MISS WILLMOTT (ROSY ORANGE).

it approximates fairly closely to the list above a few other sorts

are mentioned.

Helen Lewis Helen Pierce

Countess Spencer King Edward VII.

John Ingman Mrs. Hardcastle Sykes

Dorothy Eckford Mrs. Collier

A BEAUTIFUL PICOTEE-EDGED SWEET PEA:
ELSIE HERBERT.

VARIETIES 49

Black Knight Mrs. Walter Wright

Jeannie Gordon Bolton's Pink

Frank Dolby Dainty

Queen Alexandra Romolo Piazzani

Henry Eckford Nora Unwin

Lady Grisel Hamilton Duke of Westminster

Dora Breadmore Janet Scott

Lord Nelson Sybil Eckford

The Best of the Varieties Sent Oat in 1908.— Another
interesting list the compilation of which was . effected in the same
way — from votes sent in by readers of The Gardener — is the
following, which may be taken to represent the best of the varieties
put on the market in the spring of 1908. It will be noticed that
owing to the restricted number of varieties several have received a
similar number of votes.

f Evelyn Hemus ( Paradise Ivory

tt Mrs. Henry Bell 1 Prince Olaf

( Etta Dyke J Cream Spencer

' St. George I James Grieve

( The Marquis f Paradise Carmine

( Constance Oliver J uferie Unwin

Prince of Asturias

;ner
Eosie Adams White Spencer

I Princess Victoria

Lord Nelson

Sutton's Queen J Jfay Ferret ;

1 Nancy Perkin

j Bobby K. Bed Flake Paradise

< Marjorie Willis | Lorna Doone

f Clara Curtis I^Miss Drayson

The following list will be found of service to those, who, in a
small way, grow Sweet Peas for exhibition. It was compiled by a
reader of The Gardener, who comments on it thus :

" My experience may be of interest and value to amateurs whose
garden space, like mine, is limited. I grew too many varieties, and
consequently, when our local show came round, although having fine
blooms, I was unable to stage the regulation number of each variety
to enable me to compete. I send herewith a list of the varieties,
bracketing those which I consider similar in colour (not too much
alike, for if I had room I would grow them all, and many others,
they are so beautiful). The first in each section proved most
successful with me. From eighty plants placed one foot apart I cut
E

50 SWEET PEAS

over 2,000 bloom spikes per week for several weeks during July and
August.

Dorothy Eckford

Nora Unwin

White Spencer

Phenomenal

Mrs. Hardcastle Sykes \

Countess Spencer > Effect, pink

Agnes Eckford J

John Ingman }

Helen Lewis V Effect, rosy orange

St. George j

Prince Olaf

Helen Pierce • Effect, blue

Zoe

Effect, lender
Spencer } ^ect, pale primrose

Effect, bright cri-nson

" Black Knight, maroon ; Lord Nelson, dark blue, and The
Marquis, rich mauve, are quite distinct."

The Best Sweet Peas of each Colour.— The floral com-
mittee of the National Sweet Pea Society recommends the following
varieties as the best in their colours :

White.— Dorothy Eckford, Etta Dyke, and Nora Unwin.
Crimson and Scarlet. — King Edward and Queen Alexandra.
Rose and Carmine. — John Ingman.
Yellow and Buff. — James Grieve an4 Paradise Ivory.
Blue. — Lord Nelson and A. J. Cook.
Blush.— Mrs. Hardcastle Sykes.
Cerise. — Chrissie Unwin.

Pink. — Countess Spencer and Constance Oliver.
Orange Shades. — Helen Lewis and St. George.
Lavender. — Lady Grisel Hamilton and Frank Dolby.
Violet and Purple. — Rosie Adams.
Magenta. — Menie Christie.
Picotee edged. — Evelyn Hemus.
Fancy.— Sybil Eckford.

Mauve.— Mrs. Walter Wright and The Marquis.
Maroon and Bronze. — Black Knight and Hannah Dale.
Striped and Flaked (Red and Rose}. — Jessie Cuthbertson and Paradise
Red Flaked.

Striped and Flaked (Purple and Blue\—Pnnce Olaf.
Bicolorm— Jeannie Gordon.
Marbled,— Helen Pierce.

VARIETIES 51

The Newest Varieties.— The five varieties described below
were those honoured by the National Sweet Pea Society, after a trial,
with many others in University College Gardens, Reading, in 1908.

George Stark (Stark and Son, Great Ryburgh, Norfolk).— This
beautiful variety was unanimously chosen as a worthy recipient of
the silver medal offered by the National Sweet Pea Society as the

THE CHARMING NEW SWEET PEA MBS. A.
IRELAND (SOFT ROSE AND BLUSH).

best novelty of the year. It might be described in brief as a
Spencer Queen Alexandra. This conveys that it is a scarlet with
a waved standard. It is a large flower of vivid colour, the blossoms
being borne in threes on a stout stem. The substance in the bloom
encourages the belief that it will stand sunshine. (Silver medal and
first class certificate.)

Mrs. A. Ireland (Dobbie and Co., Rothesay, N.B.).— A brief

52 SWEET PEAS

description of this would be "A Spencer Jeannie Gordon." But
it is a larger, bolder, and more substantial flower than Jeannie
Gordon ; indeed, it is one of the most massive and imposing
varieties yet introduced. The flowers are of huge size, and full
of substance. The remarkably broad, deep standard is a prominent
feature. The waving is not considerable, but is clearly marked.
The standard is a beautiful soft rose, the wings pale blush, or they
might be described as cream overlaid with delicate rose. The flowers
come in threes and fours. (First class certificate.)

Mrs. Henry Bell (R. Bolton, Warton, Carnforth). — The colouring
of Sutton's Queen will give an idea of the hues of this lovely
variety. It is cream, broadly bordered with pink. The rosy border
descends deeply into the heart of the standard. The flower is well
waved, and is disposed in a bold and striking manner on the stem.
Threes are plentiful. There is abundance of substance in the
bloom. The variety is exquisite in both form and marking, and
cannot fail to become highly popular. (First class certificate.)

Constance Oliver (W. Lumley, Dawn Nurseries, Denvilles,
Havant, Hants). — A charming variety, deep pink in colour, with
creamy centre, and beautifully waved. The flowers are large and
substantial, and are borne in threes and fours. The colour is a
favourite one with the public, and the variety is likely to become
very popular alike for market, exhibition, and garden culture.
( Award of merit. ) *

Paradise Ivory (Miss Evelyn Hemus, Holdfast Hall, Upton-on-
Severn). A variety of the all-conquering Spencer type, that is, with
large, substantial, waved flowers. The colour is quite distinct from
that of the so-called yellows, and is well indicated by the name.
The flowers are borne in threes and fours. It is a most pleasing
variety, and is sure of a wide constituency of growers. (Award oj
merit.)

CHAPTER VII

Raising New Sweet Peas

Cross - Fertilisation.— The cross-fertilisation of Sweet Peas,
or, in fact, of any flower, with a view to raising new varieties,
has a special charm, a charm that is largely due to the fact that one
never knows what may " turn up." Ninety-nine per cent, of the seed-
ling flowers may be worthless, most probably they will be, but the
remaining one per cent, may be worth perpetuating, and may prove
of monetary value to the raiser. I have raised many cross-bred
Sweet Peas, but, so far, I have not tasted the sweets which have
been the lot of more fortunate raisers. Now that so many are cross-
breeding Sweet Peas (and it seems as though almost everyone who
grows them is trying his hand !) it frequently happens that the
same variety comes to light in several gardens, and the grower who
is able to fix the variety first is he who may rightly claim the honour
of its introduction and whatever cash goes with it. It has been my
lot to raise several new varieties of Sweet Peas, which, to me, were
very beautiful and quite new, but, alas ! on visits to the National
Sweet Pea Show, or some other equally familiar, I have been non-
plussed and disappointed at seeing, what was to all intents and
purposes, the same new Sweet Pea of which I believed myself
to be the sole possessor ! Still I, no doubt in common with many
others, am plodding on in the hope that one day something good
will turn up— something peculiar to my own garden.

An Unstable Flower. — It is the experience of most workers
among the Sweet Pea that it is the most unstable of flowers. Mr.
Robert Sydenham, who has a wide experience of the raising and
distributing of new varieties, says that the waved varieties are not
to be depended upon to come true, and, after a season or two
of correct blossoming will break away and throw many " rogues" for
no apparent reason. The waved varieties are more difficult to fix
than the plain standard sorts. Many of the latter £re absolutely
fixed, and when stocks are obtained from reliable growers it is rare
indeed to find "rogues" among them. Who will dare prophesy

54 SWEET PEAS

when the waved varieties will cease to disappoint, since the first
waved variety known, Countess Spencer, itself still exhibits a ten-
dency to sportiveness '? There is no doubt that much may be done
to ensure true stocks by careful selection and seed saving, and
rigorous elimination of " rogues," and lastly, but by no means least
of all, by holding the stocks, and growing them on until the grower
is satisfied that he has them true. The influence of soil, or situation,
or climate, or all three combined, has a marked effect on Sweet Peas.
Varieties which have proved true when grown at home by the
raisers have sported in the most extraordinary fashion when grown
in University College Gardens, Reading, in the trials of the Sweet
Pea Society.

Self-Fertilisation.— There is no reason why anyone who grows
Sweet Peas should not attempt to raise new varieties by cross-
fertilisation if he wishes to do so, and thinks it worth while. That
is to say, there is no reason so far as the actual carrying out of the
work is concerned, for it is perfectly simple, and to a certain extent
a purely mechanical operation. All that I can attempt to do here
is to explain to the reader how the actual cross-fertilisation is
effected. It is for him to make a study of the matter if he wishes
to achieve the best results. Mr. Biffen, of Cambridge University,
who carries out cross-fertilisation and selection on Mendelian
principles, is credited with the statement that any variety, even
waved sorts, may be fixed absolutely. So far as my experience and
observation go, the fertilisation of the Sweet Pea is effected while
the flower is still in the bud stage. One has often been told that
bees have been noticed busily at work among the flowers, carrying
pollen from one to the other, and this has been taken by many
amateurs as conclusive evidence that cross-fertilisation is effected
by bees. But such observers fail to take into consideration the fact
that the bee can only get the pollen when the flower has passed the
bud stage, and experience goes to show that self-fertilisation has
then taken place.

There is, however, one point that I have never seen touched
upon and that seems to leave a loophole for some slight doubt as to
whether the action of the bee at so late a stage must be void. It has
been proved (not with Sweet Peas, but with other flowers) that when
cross- fertilisation has taken place a short time after self-pollination,
a cross-bred progeny has resulted, owing to the action of the foreign
pollen being stronger than that of, the flower's own pollen. But
I should imagine in the case of the Sweet Pea self-fertilisation

RAISING NEW SWEET PEAS 55

would actually have taken place before foreign pollen could possibly
be introduced by insect agency, since at any rate several days
elapse between the period of self-fertilisation and the opening of the
bloom sufficiently to admit of the stigma being reached by the bees.
It is generally admitted that a small beetle which is fond of Sweet
Pea blooms can have no part in effecting cross-fertilisation. In fact,
I, in common with the great majority of Sweet Pea growers, feel
convinced that cross-fertilisation of the Sweet Pea is possible only
by artificial means.

Cross-Fertilisation Explained.— It will be gathered from
these remarks that when one wishes to impregnate the stigma of one
Sweet Pea with pollen from some other distinct variety with a view
to effecting a cross, the anthers must be removed from the seed-bearing
parent early. In fact it is necessary to do this just as the petals
begin to show colour. One first removes" the petals (although when
one has become expert in the work this is not found necessary) with
a small pair of scissors with long pointed blades. It is then easy to
get at the stamens and cut off the anthers which bear the pollen.
It is most necessary to make sure that the pollen is not already
shed, otherwise the labour will be vain. By stripping off the petals
from the flower to be used as the male or pollen parent the anthers
are exposed, and all one has to do is to transfer the pollen to the
stigma of the flower which is to act as the seed-bearer. That is an
explanation of the operation. The proper moment when the stigma
is ready to receive the pollen can only be ascertained by experience,
and the state of the pollen is also important. It should be used
when of a bright yellow colour, invariably to be found in young
though properly opened blooms. When it has lost its yellow colour
and becomes greyish or white it is useless. In order to make sure
that no foreign pollen is introduced by insect agency after cross-
pollination has been effected each of the flowers so treated is
enclosed in a small muslin bag.

To those who are altogether new to the practice of raising cross-
bred Sweet Peas, the first year's crop of bloom from the seeds of the
cross-fertilised flowers will be disappointing, for it usually consists
of blossoms of uniform colouring, ugly purple, or maroon or mauve.
The colour varies in different crosses, but in my experience seed
from the same cross produces flowers of similar colouring. But
seed saved from these blooms of disappointing colours gives in the
following year a variety of flowers, possibly one or two good and
many bad. It is then that one must determine whether or not

56 SWEET PEAS

any one variety is worth saving. The accompanying illustrations
and explanations should serve to elucidate any points not already
made clear.

A Simple Exposition of the Meiidelian Theory in
Cross-Breeding.— In view of the widespread interest taken
in Mendel's theory relative to the cross-breeding of plants, a few
elementary observations may be welcomed by raisers, or would-be
raisers, of new Sweet Peas. To follow out Mendel's laws to any
extent is an exceedingly intricate study, for it leads to a multiplicity
of confusing equations that are calculated to repel rather than to
assist the student.

Mendel and His Experiments.— Before considering the
application of Mendel's laws it may not be out of place to take a
passing view of Mendel himself. George Johann Mendel was a
priest in an Augustinian foundation at Alt-Briinn. In 1851 he
moved to Vienna and spent four years there studying physics and
natural science. From the report of the Royal Horticultural

FIG. 7.— CROSS-FEBTILISATION OF THE SWEET PEA

Z, external parts of flower or parts of corolla : k, vexillum or standard ;
i, alee, or wings ; j, carina, or keel. A, other parts of blossom :
k, calyx, composed of leaves called sepals ; I, stamens, ten in number,
nine of them being joined into a tube by their jila ments or stalks, the
remaining one is free ; m, pistil, consisting of a solitary carpel, which
even at this early stage is seen to be a young pod, inside which are the
ovules, destined to become seeds ; n, anthers of stamens by which
pollen or fertilising " dust " is carried ; o, stigma of pistil or receptive
organ.

B, flowering stem : p, flower at stage when usually self -fertilisation has

been effected ; q, blossom at stage when emasculation (removal of
anthers of stamens), must be effected, the wings being held open by
Chrysanthemum flower-dressing tweezers, and the keel depressed by a
needle; the anthers are removed from the flower before pollen cases
burst ; r, wings ; s, keel.

C, flower before emasculation (shown in section for clearness) : t, sepals ;

u, standard ; v, wing ; m, keel ; x, carpel or pod ; y, stamens from
which anthers are to be cut off.

D, emasculated flower (in section) : z, feathered stigma to which pollen of

desired variety is to be applied liberally by means of a camel-hair
brush.

E, result of effective pollination and fertilisation : at pod open ; b, seeds.

FIG. 7.— CROSS-FERTILISATION OF THE SWEET PEA.

58 SWEET PEAS

Society on the Conference on Plant Breeding in 1906, it appears
that it was during Mendel's sojourn at Vienna that he became
interested in the problems of hybridisation, for he afterwards
returned to Briinn and at once began in the gardens of the Cloister
a remarkable series of experiments. The first series was in con-
nection with the edible Pea, and so closely is the subject of his
early experiments related to the Sweet Pea that something more
than brief mention of his work is appropriate here. We can
picture Mendel tending his plants and making exact notes upon
their characters, for he was a keen observer. As a result of these
experiments Mendel discovered certain laws that govern the results
of cross-breeding. As to how far these laws can be applied to
Sweet Peas, a great deal still remains to be found out. Mendel
worked continuously with Peas, and followed their behaviour
through many generations. As an example of Mendel's law, his
experiments in crossing green-seeded with yellow-seeded Peas are
tabulated on the opposite page. It should be mentioned that both
types were in the first place taken from true stocks, also that the
results are the same whichever parent is made the seed-bearer.

From this table it will be seen that when once the character is pure
it will continue to breed pure; in other words, it is fixed. Mendel
obtained similar results by crossing other pairs of characters, for
instance, round or wrinkled seed, tall and dwarf growing kinds, and,
singularly enough, white and purple flowers. It is not the syste-
matic relationship of the two parents chosen that decides whether
the result in the first generation is to be entirely dominant, but
only the occurrence of the same quality, in the one in an active, and
in the other in an inactive, condition. Hence, whenever this relation
occurs in the parents it is the active or the dominant character
which is alone revealed in the cross.

Balanced and Unbalanced Crosses.— We can now proceed
to see how far these laws of heredity can be, or have been,
applied to Sweet Peas. Mr. Biffen asserts that successive
generations of Sweet Peas follow the Mendelian laws in regard
to certain pairs of characters, while, on the other hand, most
raisers of Sweet Peas are agreed that it is impossible to foretell the
nature of a cross with any degree of certainty from its parents.
Messrs. Mackereth, of Ulverston, announce that they hope soon to
bring some startling results to light bearing upon Mendel's laws
which will simplify the process of fixing Sweet Peas. With these
somewhat conflicting statements before us it may be of interest to

RAISING NEW SWEET PEAS

— PH-

.pc;.

fl} C}

S-. -—_

O. P-

f±j P3

— Q'

-PH

A -2

.§

-Q-

a -d
o a?

.S a

§1

| S

.3 Sg 5

rt a>

5 I

60 SWEET PEAS

note the evidence there is either for or against Mendelism and its
application to the crossing of Sweet Peas. A remarkable instance
in support of Mendelism is recorded by Mr. C. C. Hurst, Burbage,
among the following varieties ; specimen flowers of Black Knight,
Sadie Burpee, Pink Cupid, White Cupid, Salopian, and their
hybrid forms, showing Mendelian dominance in Fa (first gener-
ation) of red over white, purple over red, tall over Cupid, long over
round pollen grains, whilst the segregation in F2 (breaking up in the
second generation) and the purity of recessives in F3 were in
accordance with Mendelian laws. But Mr. Hurst also found that in a
few cases the hybrid characters were like neither parent, but appeared
to revert to an older or ancestral form, e.g. Black Knight x Pink Cupid
gave all wild purple cross-breds. A similar result was obtained at
Cambridge by crossing White Cupid (dwarf habit, round pollen
grains) with White Bush (tall growing, long pollen) ; the hybrid was
much taller than the taller parent and had purple, flowers, being,
therefore, a reversion both in height and colour.

Yet another case of reversion even more remarkable than the
foregoing was obtained by two independent workers on Men-
delian laws. Most Sweet Peas it might be observed have long
pollen grains, but the white Emily Henderson has usually round
pollen. A few plants of this variety were found to have long pollen,
like most other Sweet Peas. Now, the round pollen variety was
crossed with the long pollen variety. Not losing sight of the fact
that both varieties were one for practical purposes and having white
flowers, nevertheless the result of crossing gave seed, all of which
produced plants bearing flowers with chocolate purple standards
and purple wings. Although these instances of reversion do not
conform to the law already described, yet Mendelian workers reason-
ably claim that such cases may occur in accordance with relative
laws so far imperfectly understood, and here it might be pointed out
that this study is still quite in its infancy— to which its many imper-
fections should be attributed. Strange to say, Mendel's work,
conducted over fifty years ago, remained practically unknown to the
world until the year 1900, when his patient investigations were
re-discovered and made known to science.

In conclusion, let it not be imagined that by crossing, say,
Countess Spencer with Lady Grisel Hamilton that the resultant
crosses will be all pinks or all lavenders. Some Sweet Peas never
have been, and probably never will be, fixed, and to none does this
apply more than those of the Countess Spencer type. In crossing

RAISING NEW SWEET PEAS 61

varieties unfixed in their natures one is obviously dealing with
characters quite outside the scope of Mendel's laws, and there is no
limit, at least in the first generation, to the diversity of colours so to
be obtained. The whole cause of confusion between scientists and
horticulturists is that the former in following in Mendel's footsteps
select characters which are at once single and constant, and deal
only with pairs of characters which are of antagonistic qualities •
whilst horticulturists, regardless of these rules, cross qualities which
do not find an opponent in the other parent.

CHAPTER VIII

"Don'ts" for Sweet Pea Growers

DON'T sow the seeds before digging the soil at least two feet deep.
DON'T sow the seeds in the autumn if your garden soil is heavy.
DON'T fail to sow seeds in pots in January or early February,

placing them in a greenhouse, if you wish to grow flowers suit-
able for exhibition. Plant out of doors in April.
DON'T omit the necessary item of growing the very best sorts if

you wish to compete at the National or any other show.
DON'T neglect to dig the ground at least two feet deep in the

autumn, placing a layer of well -decayed manure about eighteen

inches deep.
DON'T think you can grow Sweet Peas, say, ten feet high, if the

ground is only dug one foot deep.
DON'T forget that the deeper (in reason) the soil is cultivated the

more vigorous will be the plants, and the finer the flowers.
DON'T ignore the fact that it is possible to grow Sweet Peas with

flower stems eighteen or twenty inches long.
DON'T fail to remember that the vigorous plants to be seen in the

best growers' gardens, with leaves not unlike those of small

cabbages in size and texture, are the result of planting in really

deeply-dug, well-manured soil.
DON'T forget to plant out the seedlings the second week in April

if the seeds are sown in January.
DON'T omit to note that the middle of February is the best time

for a general sowing of Sweet Peas out of doors for garden

decoration.
DON'T fail to remember that exhibitors set out their plants some

twelve or eighteen inches apart in the row, having the rows

several feet distant from each other.
DON'T think it is absolutely necessary to practise this method if

your aim is to grow flowers for house and garden decoration.

64 SWEET PEAS

DON'T expect Sweet Peas sown in April to be as fine as those sown

in February.
DON'T forget that early sowing is half the battle in the successful

cultivation of the Sweet Pea .

SWEET PEA LORD NELSON OB BRILLIANT
BLUE (ONE OF THE FINEST BLUE VARIETIES).

DON'T imagine that you can grow Sweet Peas well on the same
plot of ground for an indefinite number of years.

DON'T forget that it would be far better to grow one or two crops
of potatoes occasionally, for there is such a thing as " land-
sickness," and this occurs when one kind of crop is grown for
a number of years on the same ground.

DON'T forget that as a rule the varieties with plain standards are

A SWEET PEA FARM.

66 SWEET PEAS

better suited to withstand the effects of bad weather than some
of the newer waved sorts, which have rather flimsy petals.
DON'T, in gathering Sweet Peas, cut or break the stalks, but gently
pull them out of the socket, that is, where the stalk joins the
stem.

DON'T forget that to have Sweet Peas in bloom from July to
October you must follow the advice given in The Gardener,
which is recognised as the Sweet Pea paper.
DON'T fail to note that it is most essential to remove all dead and

fading blossoms if a long season of bloom. is to be hoped for.
DON'T, when staking, neglect to insert the sticks firmly, putting

them nine or ten inches in the soil.

DON'T forget that most Sweet Pea growers are of the opinion that
hazel sticks are quite the best material to use for staking
Sweet Peas.

DON'T forget that The Gardener issues a special Sweet Pea Number
the fifth week in every year— either the last week in January or
the first week in February.

DON'T, if you live in the suburbs, neglect to grow Sweet Peas in
tubs, for this is quite one of the most delightful phases of
suburban gardening.
DON'T be in too big a hurry to make your Sweet Peas grow strong

and lusty by applying manure, or all the buds may fall off.
DON'T neglect to grow two or three kinds of Sweet Peas together,
for if the colours are carefully chosen the result is most pleasing.
DON'T forget that Henry Eckford, with Romolo Piazzani, Clara
Curtis with Mrs. Walter Wright, King Edward VII. with
Dorothy Eckford, are a few colour associations that give most
pleasing results.

DON'T imagine that these are the only colour arrangements pos-
sible with Sweet Peas. They are but a few of many.
.DON'T think that because nearly everyone grows Sweet Peas in

straight rows you are obliged to do the same.
DON'T forget that zigzag rows not only provide welcome relief

from the straight rows, but are themselves very attractive.
DON'T fail to try some, at least, of the new varieties every year, or
you miss one of the sweets of Sweet Pea growing. They are all
advertised in The Gardener.

DON'TS FOR GROWERS 67

DON'T, if you want to have Sweet Peas in May or June, fail to sow
seeds in September, and grow the plants in a greenhouse during
the winter.

DON'T attempt to force them by means of a high, moist tem-
perature, or failure becomes a certainty.

DON'T, if you wish to have Sweet Peas in winter, omit to grow the
Telemly or Zvolaneck varieties.

DON'T attempt the Cupid Sweet Peas on a large scale unless
you are quite sure you know how to grow them. They are
unreliable.

DON'T fail to notice that experience goes to show they need a
hot, dry position in the garden, and even then they are not
always satisfactory.

CHAPTER IX

Sweet Peas in Suburban Gardens

IF your garden is in the suburbs, and has less than its fair share
of light and sunshine and good soil, this is scarcely a good reason
why you should not attempt the cultivation of Sweet Peas. I am
inclined to think that the tremendous stir which Sweet Peas have
made during the last few years has tended somewhat to create an
impression that these flowers are difficult of cultivation. Perhaps
it is that the standard of well-grown Sweet Peas has been raised, and
that even small growers have come to expect more from their own
efforts. The Sweet Pea is one of the easiest of flowers to grow, and
needs only the most elementary cultivation to give most satisfactory
results. Yet is not this the reason so many achieve results which
can only be described as mediocre ? For I think it will most
generally be found that failures, not only with Sweet Peas, but with
all kinds of flowers, are attributable to the neglect of elementary
details.

And the chief of these is digging, for even the free application
of manure cannot make up for neglect of digging. In fact heavy
applications of manure to undug soil are liable to render the latter
sour and altogether uncongenial to the roots of plants. A mesure
(as the French gardeners would say) as the conditions of soil and
atmosphere decrease in suitability, so the value of digging is en-
hanced. Therefore, in the suburban garden it may be said to have
reached the maximum of usefulness. So the very best advice I can
give to any suburban gardener who wishes to grow Sweet Peas
really well (and they can be grown well in the suburbs) is to dig, dig,
dig. Dig the border where the seeds are to be sown, not one foot
deep, but two or even three feet deep. The deeper in reason the
soil is dug, the higher will the Sweet Peas grow. For instance,
Sweet Peas in tubs 'which contain only about twelve inches of soil
grow, say, six feet high ; in ground dug two feet deep they reach
eight feet ; while Mr. T. Jones and other famous exhibitors trench the
ground three feet deep and grow Peas ten and twelve feet high.

SWEET PEAS GROWN IN TUBS AND BOXES.

(From a photograph kindly sent by Mr. Breadmore.)

70 SWEET PEAS

But in the latter case there is no doubt that digging alone does not
send them up to such a height. There is a layer of well-rotted
manure some eighteen inches or so below the surface, and when the
roots get well hold of this and the three feet of cultivated soil
it is little wonder that they rise !

Deep digging, early sowing, careful watering in spring, thorough
watering in summer, and the removal of all incipient seed pods, are
the chief items to be taken note of and practised by the suburban
grower, by every grower in fact who would be successful, but above
all by the suburban grower. Some varieties I can thoroughly re-
commend for the garden in the suburbs are King Edward VII.,
Helen Pierce, Jeannie Gordon, Mrs. Walter Wright, Queen Alex-
andra, and Dorothy Eckford, all vigorous free-blooming sorts.

Sweet Feas in Tubs and Boxes. — No one can plead lack
of space as an apology for neglecting to grow Sweet Peas, since they
will succeed even in window-boxes. I do not go so far as to say
that prize flowers may be had from the plants thus grown, but, at
any rate if kept well watered (that is to say, if the soil is always
kept moist) and all blossoms are picked off as they fade, there
will be quite a fair display. But in tubs and boxes when the plants
have, say, twelve inches depth of soil in which to root, really first-
rate plants can be had, plants that will give, at any rate, three
blooms on a stem, and with careful attention will blossom from
July until October. Ornamental tubs, such as are made for shrubs
look the best, but an excellent substitute is found in the disused
butter tubs which may be had very cheaply from the grocer.
All they need to make them look quite presentable is a coat or two of
dark green paint. They will last at least two seasons, and to make
them efficient as plant growers a few holes are bored in the base by
means of a red-hot poker. The holes are covered with a piece
of flower-pot, some rough material such as pieces of turf, or dead
leaves, or rough manure is placed in the bottom, and the tub is
ready for filling with the prepared soil mixture.

Filling the Tubs. — This should consist chiefly of turfy loam,
— turves pulled into pieces about the size of a pigeon's egg — and
above all things it must be made firm by ramming with a flat-
bottomed wooden rammer. In mixing the soil well decayed
manure may be added at the rate of one-fourth of the latter to
three-fourths of the former. Sweet Peas cannot be grown success-
fully in tubs unless the soil is made firm. The tubs are filled to
within an inch or less of the rim, for the soil will sink quite an inch

FOR SUBURBAN GARDENS 71

during the season. It is absurd to think of sowing the seeds at six
or eight inches apart, as if this method were followed the tubs
would hardly contain more than half a dozen plants each, and my
experience is that although six plants at six inches apart might
cover a certain area of ground out of doors more satisfactorily than
a dozen plants at three inches apart, the dozen plants would give
a better return in a tub. The reason is that Sweet Peas in tubs
do not grow so vigorously or brapch out so much as plants sown
in the open ground. I reckon to have at least a dozen plants in
each tub.

Essentials to Success. — The essentials to success I believe
to be these : (1) filling the tubs with good turfy soil made firm ;
(2) sowing the seeds in the middle of February ; (3) careful
watering until the plants are well rooted, copious supplies during
summer, and removal of dead and fading flowers. I have seen
various methods adopted for staking Sweet Peas in tubs, but have
not met with any superior to the use of hazel sticks. The general
appearance of the plants is improved if the sticks are pulled together
slightly by means of string, tied round them in one or two places,
not tightly but just sufficient to keep them neat. As the plants
progress any tendency to stiffness or formality of outline is soon
done away with by the shoots and flowers. The application of
artificial manures to Sweet Peas growing in tubs is a matter
requiring the most careful attention. The least overdose will cause
the buds to turn yellow and fall off. This should be given only
when diluted with water according to the makers' recommendation.
This is safer than sprinkling the fertiliser directly on the soil and
watering it in ; and so far as Sweet Peas in tubs are concerned I
have found it most advisable. As to varieties, those already recom-
mended for the suburban garden are suitable.

CHAPTER X

Sweet Pea Trials and Troubles— A Chapter of Replies
to Questions

New Sweet Peas for a Small Garden. — I should advise
Countess Spencer, Evelyn Hemus, Etta Dyke, John logman, James
Grieve, A. J. Cook, Mrs. Andrew Ireland, Constance Oliver, and
Helen Lewis. Some of these may be rather expensive, but as you
do not mention the price I assume that this will not matter.

Sweet Peas for Market.— Yes; if you are situated in a
district in which good markets for cut blooms are readily accessible
the plants will pay, but they must be well grown. Excellent
varieties are Countess Spencer, Dorothy Eckford, King Edward
VII., and Lady Grisel Hamilton, and they are procurable at reason-
able prices.

Selection of Sweet Peas.— The list is ao excellent one,
but I should substitute Etta Dyke for Nora Unwin. You ought
also to grow A. J. Cook and Lord Nelson as blues, and Menie
Christie for its colour, cerise, though the blooms are often rather
small. Rosie Adams and The Marquis are quite distinct, but both
are not required in a set of twelve. Of the three you mention I
should recommend John Ingman.

The Perennial or Everlasting Pea, — The seed pods should
be collected when quite ripe, and spread out on paper in a dry
and airy place. When thoroughly dry the seeds may be taken out of
the pods and kept dry until the time for sowing comes round.
March is a suitable time for sowing ; loamy soil, plentifully enriched
with stable manure, is the kind of soil from which the best results
are looked for. This Pea is of great service for covering arbours,
fences, and trelliswork, and it does not look amiss when allowed to
ramble over the stones of a rockery.

Manure for Sweet Peas. — Farmyard manure is excellent,
but it must be applied in the autumn, and the ground should be
worked at least 2| feet in depth. In February, or as soon
afterwards as you can get on the ground, prick in a mixture of 3

TRIALS AND TROUBLES 73

parts of superphosphate of lime and 2 parts of sulphate of potash
at the rate of 3 oz. to the square yard. Surface mulching of short
manure, with occasional waterings with nitrate of soda and soot
water, will be of great benefit. The plants should be at least
12 inches asunder, and not more than three stems must be retained.

Everlasting Peas.— These are useful and showy, and such
persistent growers that they will live and thrive in positions where
few other plants would exist, for now and then they may be seen
in courtyards sending up their shoots between the joints of bricks,
or running up and supporting themselves by grasping with their
tendrils the branches in hedgerows of cottage gardens or shrubs in
borders which they almost overwhelm but clothe with fresh
beauty. This habit and facility for taking care of themselves
render these Everlasting Peas of great value for out of the way
places, or the backs of borders in front of evergreens, in either of
which positions they are very effective.

Superphosphate of Lime for Sweet Peas.— In the event of
a hot, dry season you will find it necessary to be very liberal with
the water-can in growing Sweet Peas against a south-south-east wall ;
a mulch of long manure about the beginning of July will also be
very beneficial. You should not dig in both superphosphate and
Clay's Fertilizer at once ; the latter is very rich in the essential con-
stituents of the other — viz. phosphates — but as it also contains
ammonia it would be better used for feeding later than would the
superphosphate. Of this, I should think 2 ozs. per square yard a
very good dressing for your plot, seeing that you have well manured
it. Do not dig it in ; scratch it in with a rake.

Twenty-four Sweet Peas for Exhibition.— The following
would make a good selection: A. J. Cook, Chrissie Unwin,
Constance Oliver, Countess Spencer, Dora Breadraore, Dorothy
Eckford, Elsie Herbert, Etta Dyke, Evelyn Hemus, Frank Dolby,
Hannah Dale, Helen Lewis, Henry Eckford, James Grieve, John
Ingman, King Edward VIL, Lady Grisel Hamilton, Lord Nelson,
Menie Christie, Mrs. Collier, Mrs. Hardcastle Sykes, Mrs. Walter
Wright, Queen Alexandra and The Marquis. Most of the principal
colours are duplicated, as you wish. I am sorry to hear of your
disappointment with several varieties of the Spencer class, and
fear that others have shared it. They are certainly not fixed,
particularly Audrey Crier and Burpee's White Spencer. I note that
George Herbert and E. J. Castle have both done well with you, and
that the former is the better. As regards your complaint that

SWEET PEAS

there is too much pink and too little orange in Helen Lewis, I have
noticed the same thing in many places ; but I should like to see
what happens in 1909 before deciding that the variety is deteriorat-
ing. Meantime I suggest your trying Maggie Stark.

Pinching Sweet Peas.— That pinching Sweet Peas will make

the plants bushy, and
also induce more root-
lets to form, may be
taken as a thoroughly
established fact, but
I should not care to
say that pinching
would cause the form-
ation of nodules on
the roots. These are
due to the presence
of certain bacteria in
the soil; and though
a pinched plant may
carry more nodules by
reason of its increased
root system, yet there
is nothing in the act
of pinching directly
to promote the growth
of bacteria or the
formation of nodules.
You ask if any ad-
vantage is gained by
pinching. I certainly
think so, especially
when plants run up
weak and spindly in
pots. Why not try
both pinched and un-
pinched plants for yourself this year and note the difference 1

Sweet Peas Ruined by Mice.— I have heard of several
sowings of Sweet Peas in pots and boxes being ruined by mice. It
is wonderful how these creatures know where to find the seeds, and
growers would do well to place some poison about, or traps. I saw a
portion of a valuable sowing of novelties completely destroyed in one

SHOWING HOW THE METHOD OF STOPPING
OB TAKING OUT THE POINT OF A WEAK
SHOOT BRINGS ABOUT THE DEVELOP-
MENT OF A STURDY PLANT

TRIALS AND TROUBLES 75

night in a neighbour's greenhouse, and a well-known English
specialist writes me to the same effect. Perhaps this warning may
save others.

Sweet Peas Inoculated.— Your experience is certainly in-
teresting, but it is necessary that many more results should be
published before anything definite can be said either for or against
this new method of stimulating Sweet Peas and similar plants. We
do not, however, think that inoculation can account for the frost-
proof nature of Mrs. Alfred Watkins as against Duke of Westminster
not inoculated which subsequently succumbed to the frost (see page 76).
At the time of writing there is still much divergence of opinion as
to the merits of inoculation with nitro-bacterine : the weight of evi-
dence appears to indicate that it is of little practical value so far as
Sweet Pea growing is concerned.

Shading Sweet Peas.— You say nothing as to soil and
situation, and much depends upon these. Varieties which burn
badly in heavy soils and low-lying sites are found to escape unharmed
on light soils and breezy hillsides. In an ordinary season neither
Nora Unwin, Mrs. Walter Wright, Mrs. Collier, Mrs. Hardcastle
Sykes, Jeannie Gordon, King Edward VII., Black Knight, Countess
Spencer, nor Frank Dolby will require shading. Henry Eckford
should be shaded from the midday sun in all seasons; and from all
bright sunshine in an extra hot season. Lord Nelson burns in hot
sunshine, but not to the extent that Henry Eckford does ; it takes on
a glorious colour in light shade. Mrs. Hardcastle Sykes -often loses
a little colour in bright sun, but this can be restored by a temporary
shading. The colour of Countess Spencer can be deepened con-
siderably in partial shade, and Mrs. Wright and Black Knight are
safest with temporary midday shade in hot seasons.

Yellow Sweet Pea.— As a Spencer yellow Clara Curtis is splen-
did, I prefer Mrs. Collier to James Grieve, but the latter is excellent.

Etta Dyke and Nora Unwin Sweet Peas. — Notwithstand-
ing the undoubted excellence of Nora Unwin, I consider Etta Dyke
superior for exhibition purposes.

Sowing Sweet Peas.— In addition to the autumn sowing in
frames you should sow out of doors about the end of the third week
in March in order to have a long succession of excellent blooms.
Wood ashes are splendid, and should be worked into the ground
in the spring.

Waved Sweet Peas.— Some of the best varieties with waved
standards of the colours you name are Etta Dyke, white ; Countess

76 SWEET PEAS

Spencer, pink ; Clara Curtis, yellow ; Frank Dolby, lavender ;
A. J. Cook, blue but not dark ; George Stark, scarlet (this will not

SHOWING THE EFFECT OF INOCULATION WITH
NITRO-BACTEBINE. ON THE LEFT GROWTH
FROM INOCULATED SEED : ON THE RIGHT
GROWTH FROM SEED NOT INOCULATED. (SEE
NOTE ON PREVIOUS PAGE.)

be put on the market before the autumn of 1909). There is no
marbled variety with waved standards. I should also recommend

SWEET PEA AS GROWN IN A FLOWER POT
8 INCHES IN DIAMETER

78 SWEET PEAS

The King, crimson : Mrs. Andrew Ireland, bicolor ; Mrs. Henry
Bell, cream, with a deep border of rose ; Evelyn Hemus, cream,
pink edge ; Rosie Adams, rose standards, violet wings ; Constance
Oliver, rose, cream centre ; and Elsie Herbert, white, pink edge.
All of these are splendid exhibition varieties.

Superphosphate and Sweet Peas.— You should have taken
out a trench at least twice as wide, viz. two feet, if you wish to get
good exhibition flowers. Again, it was a mistake to mix the bone meal
with the soil at the bottom of the trench. I always believe in keeping
artificials of all sorts near the surface, as they work down rapidly
with rains, and are wasted when buried deeply. You have acted
quite correctly in scattering on and raking in the superphosphate,
and you need not have the slightest apprehension as to its harming
either the seeds or the plants. The first week in March is a very
good time to sow, but better wait a few weeks than sow if the soil
is wet and does not work easily.

Sweet Peas for Market.— There is no doubt that Sweet Peas
are a very remunerative crop if well and intelligently handled, but
so many growers now send to the London markets that competition
is very keen. If you can dispose of the flowers locally I would
advise you to do so by all means, as you will make more money first
hand and also avoid railway rates. In bunching, keep strictly to one
variety or colour in each bunch, as mixed Sweet Peas command
little sale. Cut when two flowers on a spray are opened, make
up into bunches of twelve sprays per bunch, and stand the ends
of the stems in water for a few hours before despatching them. If
the bunches are packed so that they cannot shake about, no packing
beyond a few sheets of tissue paper will be required. Prices vary
very much according to the supply, but in early June it is not un-
usual to get 2s. 6d. per dozen bunches of twelve sprays in Covent
Garden Market ; as the season advances the prices drop to about
Is. per dozen bunches. In sending to London, select only the best
flowers, for nothing inferior has a chance of selling.

Sweet Peas for Early Bloom.— If your greenhouse is very
light, efficiently heated, and well equipped with ventilators, there is
no apparent reason why you should not successfully grow Telemly
Sweet Peas. They are easy to manage and will flower from
Christmas onwards if the plants are kept clean and healthy.

Sweet Pea Seedlings and Soot.— I am afraid that you
have been far too liberal in the application of soot to the seedlings,
and this is borne out by your own experience, i.e. " the seedlings

TRIALS AND TROUBLES 79

appear to have suffered most where the soot is thickest." The
seedlings sent for examination are themselves by no means free
from soot. Now, in applying soot it should only be given as a
dressing to the soil around the plants, and if by any chance soot has
alighted on the foliage it should be washed off with a rosed water-
can. Generally speaking, soot is a perfectly safe thing to apply ;
however, it must not be given to the extent which you appear to
have done, and another thing to be sure about is that the soot
itself is pure.

Sweet Peas, Yellow Disease, and Hard Water.— I do not
think that hard water was responsible for the disease which you
describe ; neither do I think that you have cleared the ground by
allowing it to lie fallow. If Sweet Peas are planted on the same
site again this year there is every probability of their being again
attacked. If possible give them a complete change of position, and
watch closely for the appearance of the first yellow spots. As soon
as they show spray the plants with Bordeaux mixture or a solution
of sulphide of potassium, ^ oz. to 1 gallon of water. A dose of
nitrate of soda, £ oz. in 1 gallon of water would also help the plants
to fight the disease. With regard to softening of water, a simple plan
is to drop in a lump of ordinary washing soda and stir till dissolved.

Clumps of Sweet Peas for Exhibition. —The system of
growing two varieties together in the same clump is not always suit-
able for exhibition purposes. For instance you would find Mrs. Walter
Wright a much stronger grower than Queen of Spain, and Helen
Lewis taller and more vigorous than Henry Eckford ; thus you will
see that the weaker variety in each pair hardly has a fair chance.
The same remark applies to several more of your clumps ; the
colours, again, of some would not harmonise or contrast at all well,
so that the clumps would lose points for garden decoration. One
instance of this will suffice : George Herbert is of such a strong and
vivid colour that it would make Primrose Waved look like a dirty
white. I would strongly advise you, at any rate for exhibition
purposes, to have only one variety in each clump. You will require
twenty sprays of any variety exhibited, and it will have to be a
good clump to yield twenty sprays on a given day in spite of weather
fluctuations. If you are entering strong competition, two clumps of
each variety, five or six plants in each, will not be too many.

Pish Manure for Sweet Peas.— Judging from the analysis
you have obtained a very good fertiliser, and one that should be very
suitable for Sweet Peas. As you] will probably be sowing seeds

80 SWEET PEAS

within the next few weeks you should give the ground a dressing at
once. Do not dig it into the bottom soil, now or at any time, but
scatter it on the surface and scratch it in with a rake ; about 2 oz.
per square yard will be a good dressing. The manure is not suitable
for autumn or early winter application.

Fixing a New Sweet Pea. — When a new plant or variety is
properly fixed it will come true from seed year after year without
showing any great variation from the original stock. The present
system of fixing is to select and to re-select ; that is, to pick out the
true type and to discard the remainder. It is sometimes necessary to
do this for many seasons before a variety becomes properly fixed, and
Sweet Peas can never be called fixed until they have been proved so
for at least three seasons. Yes ; it is possible to take cuttings of
Sweet Peas, and it is always advisable first of all to propagate plants
in this way in the case of valuable sports occurring. You may
experience a little difficulty in procuring the old-fashioned bicolor
type of Sweet Pea, which as you say, is so sweet scented.

Preparing Ground for Sweet Peas.— As you speak of club
root being bad in cauliflowers, I infer that your land is on the light
side. This being so, you would find superphosphate of lime better
than bone-meal — you do not want both. Soot is good on any land,
and would be especially useful on yours, as land taken in from grass
generally contains a lot of insect and animal life, to which soot is dis-
tasteful. You say nothing of the quantity of lime you have applied,
but as Sweet Peas like lime and insect pests dislike it you can do no
harm by giving -another light dressing. Next year, you should
trench the Sweet Pea plot, and mix the dung with the lower spits of
soil ; I would not advise you to interfere with it further in spring,
beyond giving the soot, superphosphate and lime.

Sweet Peas on Bamboo Poles.— The system of growing
Sweet Peas which you describe is such an unnatural one that I
should not care to guarantee its success ; in any case, it will give you
a good deal of trouble. Runner Beans are very often trained up
single poles in the way you suggest, but they climb naturally, and
without assistance, by twining themselves round the pole. The
Sweet Pea climbs and clings by means of tendrils, which are borne
on the ends of the leaves and some distance from the main stem or
central axis. A vigorous plant also throws out numerous side
branches, which again carry tendrils, but still farther away from the
main stem. Thus you will see that by fixing one central Bamboo
pole to each plant you will be depriving the Pea of any support from

82 SWEET PEAS

its tendrils, and you will have to keep all growth in place by tying. Try
poles by all means, as if successful the result would be very pretty?
but be prepared for more than the ordinary amount of work. You
would find rough poles— such as larch, oak, or ash — better than
bamboos. Personally, I should prefer to give each plant a nice
twiggy hazel bough.

Sixteen Sweet Peas for Exhibition,— The following sixteen
varieties are all distinct, vigorous, and carry three to four flowers on
a stem : Lord Nelson, Countess Spencer or Paradise, Frank Dolby,
Helen Lewis, John Ingman or George Herbert, Helen Pierce, King
Edward VII., Queen Alexandra, Mrs. Collier, Nora Unwin, Mrs.
Hardcastle Sykes, Jeannie Gordon, A. J. Cook, Sybil Eckford, Black
Knight, and Dora Breadmore. The above list .includes none of the
1908 novelties, but the best of the 1907 and older varieties. They
should be quite good enough to win in all but the strongest
competition.

Red Lead and Sweet Peas.— When properly applied there
is no question that red lead safeguards Sweet Pea seeds against birds,
mice, and ground vermin generally. I do not, however, think you
will find it efficacious against slugs, as these attack the young plants
and not the seeds. To coat the seeds properly put a little red lead
in a bag, damp the seeds, and then drop them into the bag, shaking
them round and round so that they get coated all over. I do not
know in what way the red lead could be injurious to the plant ;
I have certainly never heard of any injury following its use.
It is a deadly poison, but Sweet Peas are, of course, not eaten — that
is, by their growers. On the other hand, culinary Peas: are dusted
with red lead very generally, and no harm results.

Exhibition Sweet Pea List for Criticism.— If you only
intend to exhibit in classes for twelve or for six varieties you will
probably find the sixteen'sorts you have sufficient. However, I may
point out that Countess Spencer and Enchantress are not allowed
on the same stand by the N.S.P.S., so that, reduces your varieties
to fifteen. Then, Horace Wright is scarcely likely to give you
exhibition flowers, and I would advise you to get Lord Nelson
instead. I also think that either King Edward VII. or Queen
Alexandra should take the place of Henry Eckford, as you already
have an orange variety in Helen Lewis, and no crimson or scarlet ;
if you want the latest and best in scarlets you should purchase
Miss E. F. Drayson. Audrey Crier would certainly strengthen the
list, but you do not want Bobby K. with Mrs. Hardcastle Sykes, and

TRIALS AND TROUBLES 83

Silver Wings is sold out. Countess Spencer, Audrey Crier, John
Ingman, and Helen Lewis are all likely to " sport," so grow as many
as possible of these ; probably one or two of the novelties you have
may also be sportive. You must shade Henry Eckford, Helen
Lewis, Lord Nelson, and possibly St. George from strong sun-
shine.

Exhibition Sweet Peas in Clumps.— Your plan of growing
in clumps with nine plants round the outside and one plant in the
centre of each clump is not good ; the plant in the centre would be
quite useless and would be smothered by the others. What I pro-
pose will entirely alter the arrangement of your plot, but it will give
far more satisfactory results. Limit the clumps to five plants each
and keep them all at the outside of the circle. For this system you
will require to allow about 2 feet diameter for each clump, which
will keep the plants a good foot apart. Allow 18 inches between
the margins of the clumps in the rows,' and from 3 to 4 feet between
the rows of clumps. Use the superphosphate by all means ; it is
the standard artificial for Sweet Peas, and you certainly need not
fear it will cause finger and toe disease, as this never attacks Sweet
Peas. With regard to vases, they should all be of uniform size and
as plain as possible. At the N.S.P.S. show vases are provided at a
charge of Id. each.

Sweet Peas for the Garden. — Your list is very good on the
whole, but for a garden primrose I would take James Grieve in
preference to Primrose Spencer, in spite of the fact that the latter
is, or is supposed to be, waved. The Marquis is not far off Mrs.
Walter Wright in colour, but A. J. Cook, which is waved in the
Gladys Unwin degree, is newer still, and is a very beautiful and
valuable variety, which you ought to include. Try to find room also
for Mrs. Henry Bell, Constance Oliver, and Evelyn Hemus. They
are lovely varieties. Frank Dolby .has very little waving, and I
cannot agree that it should be reckoned a waved sort, in spite of the
fact that it is sometimes described as such. Compare it for form
with Countess Spencer, the typical waved variety, and with a
recognised plain sort like Mrs. Walter Wright, and you will see ney
point.

CHAPTER XI

Autumn-Sown Sweet Peas— Sweet Peas from Cuttings-
Growing Sweet Peas in Pots

Autumn-Sown Sweet Peas.— I believe that comparatively
few Sweet Pea growers sow their seeds in the autumn, but while it
is a plan that one cannot recommend for general practice, there
is little doubt that in some gardens it is the best thing to do.
Gardens in the country which have a light soil through which
moisture passes away readily in the winter are those in which
autumn-sown Sweet Peas are likely to thrive best. There is little or
no danger of their dying off during the inclement weather of the
winter months, and they start into growth in the spring already well
rooted, and with a much better opportunity for giving a good account
of themselves in a hot, dry soil, than spring-sown seeds. For, of
course, soil which keeps fairly dry during the wet weather that

FIG. 8.— SOWING OUTDOORS IN AUTUMN AND PROTECTING

N, hedge, board fence, or wall shelter on north. O, south border with
drills at right angles to shelter : a?, rows (dotted lines) 4 feet apart-
P, row parallel with hedge (N) and 4 feet from it : y, drill 3 inches
deep ; z, seeds placed in 2 inches distance apart in alternate order ; #,
2-inch covering of fine soil ; b, 1 inch thickness of sifted coal ashes on
fine soil ; c, ashes surface ; d, soil, thus raised, not hollowed.

Q, protecting : e, spruce, yew, or other evergreen tree, preferably conifer
branches, placed on north side of row ; /, Sweet Pea plants ; g,
mulching of cocoanut fibre refuse, 2 inches thick, but not on ashes or
in contact with stems of Sweet Pea plants. Protecting the earth
ridge : h, bank formed on north side of row ; i, place from where soil
is drawn ; j, row of plants ; k, mulching of short manure or partially
rotted leaves.

R, earthing up Sweet Peas : I, ridges ; m, furrows; 1 1, rows of plants.

S, border clumps : n, tall varieties protected by Spruce branches ; o, dwarf
or bush varieties ditto ; p, tall variety protected by earth ridge ; q,
dwarf or bush variety ditto ; r, south or sunny side open.

FIG. 8.— SOWING OUTDOORS IN AUTUMN AND PROTECTING.

86 SWEET PEAS

comes in winter is also unusually dry in the summer. Thus it will
be obvious that Sweet Peas already thoroughly well rooted before
the hot days set in stand a far greater chance of giving a good
return than plants sown, say, in February.

Sowing and Winter Treatment, — But in heavy soil, soil
that keeps wet and sticky all through the winter, autumn sowing is
a mistake, for it is more than likely that the seedlings will die off —
"damp off," as the gardening term has it. I have tried autumn-
sown Sweet Peas in a garden in the suburbs, but they were not a
success. They began to damp off so badly in early December that I
took them up and potted them, and in this way, keeping them in a
cold frame, managed to save the majority. There is one important
point which those who sow Sweet Peas in the autumn ought to
observe, viz. that the seeds should not be sown too early. The
month of October is soon enough. If they are put in earlier the
plants grow rapidly during the warm weather, which is often
experienced in late September or early October, with the result that
they are several inches high before the winter, and are so much
more liable to injury from frost than dwarf plants from seeds sown
later. Earthing up the soil about the base of the stems is advisable,
since it protects from injury the most vital part of the plant — the
collar— a name commonly applied to the point of junction between
stem and root. Another, and a safer method, one that may be prac-
tised in any garden possessing a cold frame, is to sow the seeds in
pots in October, and keep them in the frame. The following is the
experience of one who annually grows most of his Sweet Peas this
way, and is altogether pleased with the results :

Injurious Effects of Applied Heat.— I would at once like
to say that Sweet Peas will not be a success if the plants are coddled
in any way ; they will not be improved but injured by forcing. If
dry, 8° or 10° of frost will not kill the plants ; but if possible they
should not be subjected to any frost. If they are frozen in the
frames some mats should at once be put on to prevent the sun
shining on the plants. The mats are kept on until the frost has
gone. When treated thus the plants will not suffer. But it would
be very unwise to place the plants in a warm frame during the
winter. They ought to be planted in the open border at the end
of March or early in April, and as we then often experience very
cold weather, a serious check to growth would result. Even when
grown in a cool frame the plants must be further hardened before
they are planted in their flowering quarters. This can easily be

CUTTINGS 87

done by placing the pots on boards, or a bed of ashes in front of
a wall or hedge, to give protection from the east and north winds
during the fortnight prior to the final planting. And for a long time
before this is done it is advisable to take off the lights altogether
every day except when frosts or heavy rains occur. There is no
need to repot the young plants.

I will state briefly how I recently treated my autumn-raised
plants, which eventually did better than any others that I have
grown. My plants were raised in pots. In January they were
carefully turned out and planted 7 inches apart in a prepared
shallow bed of soil in a cold frame. Almost immediately very
strong basal shoots commenced to grow, and the main haulm
strengthened wonderfully well too.

I was obliged to put small sticks to these plants very early in
the season, and when the time came for the final planting the plants
were grand specimens, strong and hardy. I put down a few ashes
in the frame first and made them smooth and firm ; on the ashes
I placed a thin layer of well rotted manure, and finally a good
compost 6 inches deep. It was a very easy matter to remove the
young plants by placing a spade under the soil. The roots formed
a network in the manure at the bottom, and all came away clean
from the ashes.

Sweet Peas from Cuttings.— The practice of increasing
Sweet Peas by means of cuttings is not generally known, although
it is a commendable method to adopt, especially with new and rare
varieties. When one has to pay at the rate of half-a-crown for a
dozen seeds, the fact that one can take off the tops, and insert them
as cuttings, is worth knowing. In the case of standard varieties
when practically any quantity of seeds are obtainable at a small
cost, it is not necessary or advisable to increase the stock from
cuttings. The seeds are sown in January, preferably in a heated
greenhouse. This will induce quick germination and growth. The
young plants are allowed to attain a height of 4 to 5 inches. Then
about 2 inches of the top of the shoot may be taken off to form
a cutting. This will leave at least two leaves on the seedlings, from
which two or three new growths will push out. When these are
from 3 to 4 in length 2 inches off the ends may be again
taken for cuttings. Thus one can have on an average four cuttings
from each plant ; these, with the plant itself, will make five young
plants from each seed which germinated. Many more could, if
necessary, be obtained from each seedling, but this is scarcely

SWEET PEAS

advisable, as any further propagation would probably weaken the
plants and the summer growth would be poor.

How to Root the Cuttings.— A suitable place in which to
root the cuttings is a close frame, hand light, or bell glass placed on
the greenhouse stage. Dibble the cuttings in pots filled with sandy
soil, placing four cuttings round the side of a 4-inch (large 60 size)
pot, or singly in the centre of a smaller size. If watered as soon as

SWEET PEA CUTTINGS.

inserted, and shaded from sunshine, the cuttings will root in about
ten days. Air is then gradually admitted, until finally the young
plants are ready for potting off singly, if rooted several together in a
pot. The plants rooted singly in small pots, may be moved on into
4-inch pots. When nicely rooted the plants are gradually hardened
off and transferred to a frame with the varieties raised from seeds,
the subsequent treatment being the same for both. During the
past summer we have raised a fair number of plants from

CUTTINGS AND SEEDS 89

cuttings, and these grew well and flowered profusely. In fact no
difference was discernible between the plants from cuttings and
those raised in the ordinary way from seeds.

On Sowing Seeds.— The practice of sowing Sweet Peas in pots

SHOWING HOW WELL THE CUTTINGS FORM
ROOTS.

and placing them in a cool greenhouse or frame is favoured by many
growers, especially with new or scarce sorts. When seeds cost
2^d. each, the price, for instance, recently paid for Mrs. Hardcastle
Sykes, it is risky to sow them in the open ground. With the latter

HOW TO SOW SWEET PEAS IN POTS.

THE SEEDLINGS READY FOR TRANSPLANTING
OUT OF DOORS.

SEEDLINGS 91

method there is always the possibility of the seeds falling a prey
to, mice, and the seedlings to birds and slugs. In a greenhouse
or frame these pests are easy to combat. Late in January, or early
in February is the best time for sowing the seeds. If the young
plants become drawn the tops should be pinched out. This will
cause several shoots to develop near the base, and so establish a good
foundation. Pots 5 or 6 inches in diameter are the most convenient
sizes.

For very scarce sorts pots 2j inches in diameter may be used, plac-
ing a single seed in the centre of each pot. Wash the pots clean and
allow them to dry thoroughly before using, as when dirty or wet
pots are employed the ball of soil does not leave the pot properly
when planting out. Soil for filling the pots should be prepared as
follows : three parts turfy loam, one part leaf mould, and one
part sand. Put large circular shaped pieces of crock over the holes
in the bottom of the pots, place several small ones over them, cover-
ing these with a few pieces of coarse, turfy soil. Fill the pots
to within one inch of the top, making all moderately firm. Place
four or five seeds at equal distances round the pot, and cover with ^
inch of sifted soil. As previously mentioned, one seed is sufficient
in a 2^-inch pot. Press the surface of the soil even with a round tin
having a smooth base.

Treatment of the Seedlings. — Each pot should be carefully
labelled with the name of the variety, where the seeds were obtained,
if from different sources, the date of sowing, and number of seeds
in each pot if the quantities vary. When the soil is moist it will
be better not to water the seed pots till the following day. It may
be advisable to soak the seeds in water for a few hours previous
to sowing in order to assist them to germinate more readily.
Amateurs who have no heat in their greenhouse or frame need have
no fear of failure from this cause ; this simply means that the seeds
take a little longer to germinate. If the weather is severe the frame
must be protected, for although the Sweet Pea is a hardy plant, the
plants are more liable to damage from frost in a pot than in the
open ground. Those who raise their plants in a slightly heated
greenhouse should move the pots to a cold frame when the young
plants are 2 or 3 inches in height. At this stage they will require
support of some kind. A few twigs from a half worn out birch
broom will answer the purpose admirably.

Hardening off the Young Plants.— Bear in mind that the
Sweet Pea is a hardy plant and must have abundance of air and

92 SWEET PEAS

light on all favourable occasions to ensure sturdy plants when the
time arrives for planting in the open ground. When air is given
a piece of net or wire should be placed along the opening to keep out
cats, as they are very fond of crawling in a frame and sunning
themselves under glass in spring. The lights may be removed
altogether on fine days towards the end of March, and at night
by the beginning of April. The exact date of planting them in the
flowering quarters depends largely on the weather : from April 10th
to 20th is a good time. Holes in which to place the plants should
be made with a trowel. Carefully work in the soil round the roots,
and press firmly.

HOW TO GROW SWEET PEAS IN POTS

Sweet Peas are very useful for providing cut flowers, and the
demand for them is so great that it is the aim of all cultivators
to secure as long a season of bloom as possible. To this end, where
there is suitable convenience in the shape of a good-sized, light, and
airy house, a number of popular varieties should be grown in pots ;
then they may be had in bloom quite early in the spring, say, during

FIG. 9.— GROWING SWEET PEAS IN POTS

T, section of 5-inch pot in which to sow five seeds : s, drainage ; t, rougher
parts of compost ; w, soil (four parts turfy loam, one part decayed
manure and leaves from an old hotbed, one part in equal proportions
of sharp sand and charcoal dust, with a sprinkling of steamed bone-
meal) made tolerably firm ; i\ seeds ; w, fine soil ; x, space for holding
water in watering.

U, section of small lean-to greenhouse : y, shelf near glass on which seed
pots are to be placed ; z, front sashes opening ; a, top ventilators :
temperature— night, 40° to 45° ; day, 45° to 50°, the latter with free
or full ventilation.

V, plants transferred from 5-inch to 8-inch pot : J, drainage (crocks,
oyster shells, cinders) ; c, \ inch bones (steamed) and charcoal (" nuts ")
in equal proportions ; d, rougher parts of compost ; e, soil made toler-
ably firm ; /, ball of soil and roots ; g, watering space.

W, plants after potting into 8-inch pot and staking.

X, position of plants in cool greenhouse (frost excluded), or with tem-
perature named under U.

Y, plant from seed sown in 3-inch pot, stopped at third joint and shifted
into 6-inch pot.

• SCALE i IN - I.FT

SCALE & IN.- I.IN.'

PIG. 9. —GROWING SWEET PEAS IN POTS.

SWEET PEA DOROTHY ECKFORD, AS GROWN
IN AN 8-INCH POT.

SWEET PEA TRIUMPH GROWN IN A POT.

96 SWEET PEAS

April or early May. At that time many of the forced bulbs are go-
ing out of bloom, so they are particularly welcome. Mr. Thomas
Stevenson recommends the following method of cultivation.

Sow Seeds in September.— Seeds may be sown in September,
and these, if kept growing quite steadily during the winter months,
ought to be nicely in bloom by the middle of April ; but it must be
remembered that Sweet Peas cannot be forced ; a warm temperature
weakens the plants, and at the time the first flowers begin to open
it is very apt to make the buds fall. The seeds are sown in 5 -inch
pots, placing five or six seeds round the edge of the pots in a fairly
light soil mixture that is not too rich, leaf soil and loam with the
addition of a little sand and a sprinkling of bone meal being suitable.
The seedlings are placed in a cold frame, the lights being kept off in
fine weather. In fact, they need not be put on except to keep off
heavy rain, though it is advisable to put a fish net over the frame
to protect the plants from birds.

A Sprinkling of Soot around and over the pots will ward off
the attacks of slugs. Mice are very fond of the seedlings, and a
sharp look-out must be kept for them ; if they put in an appearance
they must be trapped or poisoned. My usual practice is to place a
few pieces of bread and butter about the frames upon which has been
spread a little phosphorus paste ; by this means mice can be kept
down. When the weather begins to get cold and wet, it is as well to
remove the pots to a shelf in a cool house. In this position they
may remain till early January, when the plants ought to be from
4 to 6 inches in height. Until the end of February growth will be
slow, but if an examination is made of the roots it will be found
that they are getting well hold of the soil, and with the advent of
rather longer and brighter days, growth will be quite fast enough.
A little more heat may be given, but unless the weather is very mild
out of doors, 50° should be the maximum night temperature.

Treatment throughout Winter.— Very little water is needed
during the winter months. I prefer to keep the soil rather dry,
although, of course, not quite dry. As growth advances more water
will be needed, but at all times it must be judiciously applied,
especially when the plants just show bloom, as an overdose of water
or manure at that season will possibly make them drop their buds.
As soon as the flowers begin to open nicely they will take water very
freely, and manure water, such as cow or horse manure, with the
addition of a little soot, may be given at each watering. Also a
little artificial fertiliser, such as Clay's or any other manures jon the

STAKING 97

market, may be given, say, once a week, and this will add greatly to
the size of the flowers as well as lengthen the period of blooming.

Staking, etc. — In the young state a few birch twigs should be
put around the plants to keep them upright, but later I think the
neatest way of staking is to use four or five long bamboos to each
pot, tying the tops of each stake to a hoop of wire or hazel of about
15 to 18 inches in diameter. Matting or string may then be used to
tie round the plants as they make growth. Green fly is about the
only pest that is likely to trouble the Sweet Pea indoors ; this some-
times makes its appearance in the points of the shoots, and if left
there long enough will cripple the plants, but if syringed with a
little soft soap, or the house occasionally fumigated, green fly is
easily kept down. By following the above directions a good supply
of flowers may be had from April till the middle of July, and even
after that if necessary ; but by then, unless the weather is extremely
bad, there will be plenty out of doors. It is a good plan to save
a little seed from these pot-grown plants, especially if a new variety
is being tried in pots, as not all seasons are really favourable to
the ripening of the seed .out of doors. A few varieties which
have proved very satisfactory in pots are Gracie Greenwood,
John Ingman, Dorothy Eckford, King Edward VII., Lady Grisel
Hamilton, and Paradise. I think it is advisable to grow a number
of plants of one sort rather than many varieties.

WINTER=FLOWERING SWEET PEAS.

Comparatively few grow winter-flowering Sweet Peas ; even the
market growers are giving them up. The strains most commonly
cultivated are known as the Telemly, Zvolaneck and Engelman's.
The first originated with the Rev. Edwyn Arkwright, at Telemly,
Algiers, the second with Mr. Zvolaneck in the United States, and
the third with Mr. Engelman in England. Mr. Arkwright gives the
following interesting account of the discovery of his strain of winter-
flowering Sweet Peas :— The Telemly Sweet Peas blossom (in
Algiers) from Christmas until Easter, only ceasing in May, when
the English varieties begin. I got this treasure, as I did the White
Iris, by a happy accident. It used to be no unusual thing to see
the old-fashioned American Pea, Blanche Ferry, occasionally bloom-
ing in March, but about ten years ago one particular plant in this
garden came out in February. This was promptly isolated, and

98 SWEET PEAS

some of her seedlings blossomed the next year in January, and lo !
one of them was red. From this last has sprung one sport after
another — the Telemly strain, which now includes all the usual
varieties from pure white and pale primrose, through various in-
termediate shades to duplicates of Lady Grisel Hamilton, Salopian,
David Williamson, and Black Knight. I have of late years had so
many applications for seeds that someone suggested my advertising
them, and devoting the proceeds of their sale to the benefit of the
British Cottage Hospital at Mustapha. This I have done with
very satisfactory results, and the Telemly Peas have now found
their way to the Riviera, to Madeira, to the Cape, to Australia,
and to America.

The Value of the Winter - Flowering Sweet Pea,
from the point of view of one who grows them for market, is indi-
cated in the following notes which are contributed by Mr. C.
Engelman : I have grown the ordinary Sweet Peas for some years
under glass, sowing them in the autumn and keeping them at low
temperatures until the early spring, when with the lengthening days
the heat is increased. In this way it is comparatively easy to get
flowers in April, but almost impossible to have them sooner, for even
if the plants have reached a considerable height as early as February,
they absolutely refuse to produce flowers. Among some Peas I found,
a few years ago, one plant in a row of Captain of the Blues which —
though the flower was in every way identical with this variety— was
of dwarfer habit and did not form a bush, but simply ran up in one
shoot and flowered soon after Christmas. It was sown at the end of
October. I got a little seed, and about 75 per cent, of this kept the
parent's habit, while the rest went back to the ordinary grandiflorus
type. The following year I heard about Mr. Zvolaneck's strain of
winter-flowering Sweet Peas, and purchased some of them. I found
these to have exactly the same habit as my own. I am therefore of
the opinion that all these winter-flowering Sweet Peas are simply
sports of the ordinary L. odoratus. Since then I have also had
similar sports from Miss Willmott, Dorothy Eckford, and Lady
Grisel Hamilton ; I have also crossed these with Mr. Zvolaneck's and
the Algerian kinds, which are practically all the same, and hope to
be able to select some strong, large-flowering kinds in the course of
a year or two.

I know that some say a Sweet Pea never sports. But whoever
advances this theory evidently means that a single Sweet Pea plant
never bears two distinctly coloured flowers, such as we occasionally

100 SWEET PEAS

find with chrysanthemums, carnations, roses, etc. All the pros
and cons of this question originate with the difference of opinion as
regards the definition of the word " sport." Whatever these winter-
flowering Sweet Peas are, at present they are certainly not what they
might be, at least in the winter. Some of them are very good in
the spring, and if sown in January, planted in a cool, light, and airy
house, they will give some very good blooms about April. They can
also certainly be had in flower throughout the winter, if sown in
August or September, but owing to the lack of light the blooms are
small and open badly in midwinter. No doubt in Algiers, or under
glass in the States, where there is bright sun, even if the temperature
outdoors is low, these winter-flowering varieties can be brought to
perfection, and have doubtless a distinct commercial value. Here,
however, they are hardly likely to be of great use to the man who
grows for profit.

Cupid Sweet Peas.— Opinion as to the merits of these
appears somewhat divided, but a writer in The Gardener who has
cultivated them since their introduction in 1895, declares them to
be a " worthy race," and gives the following hints concerning them :
They are of little use for cutting, owing to their short stems, but
seeing that the tall type will give a constant supply of cut bloom, one
can well afford to use Cupids purely for garden decoration. The
great trouble is that the buds drop off before they open. After
repeated tests I consider much of this to be due to position. It
must be remembered that Cupid White first originated as a sport
from Emily Henderson, in California, and it is generally supposed
that the climate caused the break. Cupid Sweet Peas will thrive on
a dry soil quite unsuitable to the tall sorts. To plant Cupids on a
heavy soil in the ordinary fashion is to court failure, for the plants
will not stand excessive moisture. If planted on the level in such
soil the first rain will cause the buds to drop wholesale, although the
plants will grow vigorously. To succeed with them on a heavy soil
it is necessary to plant on a raised bed or bank. The water is
then carried off quickly. Rain naturally lowers the temperature,
and the dense foliage of this type prevents evaporation.

The greatest success we ever achieved with Cupids was when we
grew them on a bank. The soil was extremely poor. The foundation
of the bank was made with old raspberry roots, crowfoot weed and
the like, the whole being well trampled. The base was solid and
no attempt vras made to break it up owing to the network of tree
roots. Cupid Sweet Peas in small pots were pricked out 2 inches

102 SWEET PEAS

apart. They were three inches high. A light coating of cow dung
was dug in previously. This took place at the end of April. Water
was given, and when the plants began to grow a slight application
of nitrate of soda was supplied. They went away strongly, and in
July were one dense mass covering the soil from view.

In setting out these miniature Peas they must be placed closely
or they will not succeed. Beautiful ribbon borders can be made
with them by sowing 1 inch apart and allowing them to grow
at will. For cultivation in pots no special treatment is necessary,
but deep pots must be used ; an 8-inch pot will take a dozen seeds.
A cold frame gives them all the protection necessary, but they need
shelter from rain. Plants may be lifted from the open and potted.
There are quite a number of varieties, and when grown in blocks
of separate colours the effect is delightful.

CHAPTER XII

Insect Pests and Diseases

OLD meadow land is not at all good for Sweet Peas, that is, in the
first year of taking it in from pasture. After it has been used for
another crop and lain fallow for a while, it makes excellent Sweet
Pea soil. I know that many people hold a contrary opinion, and
argue that as stock has fed on the ground for years it must, of
necessity, be rich in manurial constituents. This I grant, but the
benefits of the manurial deposit are far more than outweighed
by the immense number of insect and animal pests always present
in such land. Of these

Wire-worms, Leather Jackets, and Slugs are sure to be
abundant. Cockchafer grubs, too, may be present, and one or two
of these will eat more plants in a week than the cultivator can grow
in a month. Millipedes are also likely to be lying in wait to
complete the work of destruction that other pests begin, and that
omnivorous devourer of all garden stuff, the caterpillar of the
cabbage moth. But most of the above are well known and of good
size. Not so another pest, or perhaps two other pests, which are
far from uncommon on newly broken grass land. These are the

Stem Eelworm and White Worm.— These do a great deal
of harm to Sweet Peas. The stem eelworm is responsible for that
scourge of the farmer, the clover sickness, and its presence in
pasture land is more or less regulated by the quantity of clover
in the grass. That the clover and the Sweet Pea are allied
is common knowledge, so that the fact that a pest which attacks one
should also attack the other need cause no surprise ; what does
cause surprise is the terrible amount of damage which such tiny pests
can do. They are not visible to the naked eye. The rate at which
a large, healthy plant will collapse after attack is all but astounding.
The white worm— shall I say fortunately 1— is much larger and can
be readily detected in the tissue of the stem attacked. Unlike the
eelworm, it is supposed only to attack vegetation already in process
of decay, generally through some other pest's attack ; whether this

103

104 SWEET PEAS

is so or not I would not care positively to say, but I know that when
once a plant has been fastened on by these white worms there
is very little hope of its recovery. This pest is commonly found
in cow dung, hence its presence in old pasture land is readily
accounted for. Both these pests accomplish the death of the plant
in what may be called a mysterious way, i.e. there is nothing on
or near the plant to account for its collapse. I have seen plants
collapse at all stages from a few inches to 2 feet or more high.

Remedies.— The best thing to do when an attack of either
pest is noticed or suspected, is to grow the plants on as quickly
as possible. This is best done by feeding them, and there is
no better food for the purpose than nitrate of soda. In warm
weather this makes its presence felt in the soil in a few hours, and
the effect upon the plants is almost immediate. Half an ounce
should be stirred into a gallon of water, and this quantity given to
each clump or 6 feet run of row. Three such waterings on alternate
nights will have a wonderful effect upon the plants — in fact, so good
is the result that I would advise all readers who want first rate
flowers to adopt this practice as a preventive until the plants are
nearing the flowering period. At that time nitrate is dangerous to
some varieties in some hands. I have also used the patent
destroyers, Vaporite, Slugene, Kilogrub, Alphol for both of these
pests and I think I can say with good results. Sulphate of iron is
also exceedingly valuable against eelworm, and for this reason

FIG. 10.— SWEET PEA PLANTS INFESTED BY STEM EELWORM

(TylencJius devastatrix)

F, infested plant : c, top growth stunted ; d, collar, or ground level, above

which eelworms are seldom found in stem of Sweet Pea; <?, under-
ground or root stem, usually somewhat swollen, and in which eelworms
are found when plant is in a state of decay ; /, " shell " of seed ; g,
nodosities on roots caused by eelworm, cutting off supplies of nourish-
ment.

G, plant collapsed from an attack of eelworm : h, top withered ; i, root

stems and roots decayed, nodosities rotted away, and eggs and larvae

passed into soil.
H, bit of decayed root stem : j, sound plant cells ; &, destroyed tissues ;

Z, ova, or so-called eggs of eelworm ; m, young eelworm.
I, embryo of eelworm developed in egg or ova case.
J, stem eelworm in mature state (female).

X4-00

X200

FIG, 10r — SWEET PEA PLANTS INFESTED BY STEM EELWOBM.

106 SWEET PEAS

Mackereth's Sweet Pea manure, which contains this substance, is
one of the best fertilisers the grower can stock.

As a Preventive either gas- lime or the patent destroyers may
be used in the winter, but Sweet Peas should not be grown on
the same ground again for at least three years. The white worms
are so commonly introduced with animal manure that it is a good
plan to mix with this equal parts of soot and lime, at the rate of
about 2 Ib. to the barrowload of dung. This should be done while
the manure is in the heap, well mixing the whole together.

Diseases of the Sweet Pea.— Fortunately for the grower of
Sweet Peas the plants have been attacked by few diseases. Whether
in a few years, if the present high cultivation continues, some dread
disease may appear can only be conjectured. Mycologists tell
us that too liberal treatment is responsible for many diseases
now prevalent in gardens. Some sensation amongst growers was
caused in the spring of 1908 by several writers in The Gardener
discussing what they called " Streak Disease." Judging from the
flowers staged at the principal shows in the same year only an

FIG. 11.— LEAF-SPOT DISEASE OF SWEET PEAS

(Peronospora trifoliorum var.)

K, infested seedling : n, cotyledons in which may have been latent
mycelium of fungus ; o, disease spots on radicle, first yellowish then
dark brown or black ; p, infected plumule or underground stem ;
q, growing point often does not extend but plant collapses, sometimes
not appearing above ground.

L, young plant infected when a few inches high : r, pale yellow spots or
blotches on stem and leaves— early stage of infection, ultimately
brown or black ; s. under side of leaf where spore-bearing condition of
fungus produced ; t, stunted growth, the plant seldom advancing to
satisfactory flowering.

M, portion of flowering stem infected by fungus : ?/, pale yellow spots on
leaves ; v, brown blotches on under side of leaf on which spore-bearing
condition of fungus produced.

N, seed pod apparently sound externally but fungus growing within the
pod and on some of the contained seeds.

O, seeds from diseased pod (N) : w, perfect seed and normally healthy ;
x, seed partially affected by fungus at point of line ; y, seed destroyed
by disease and with " stubble " of conidiophores on surface.

P, cluster of conidiophores bearing conidia or spores of Sweet Pea leaf-
spot fungus.

Q, Oospore or resting spore.

X£50

K-N REDUCED

FIG. 11. — LEAF-SPOT DISEASE OF SWEET PEAS.

108 SWEET PEAS

isolated case here and there could have appeared. From the
description it was probably the

Seedling Pea Blight (Brachysporium pisi). — This disease
attacks the young seedlings. Mouldy black patches appear on the
leaves, which turn yellow, and the plants soon collapse. The way
to prevent the disease from spreading is to burn all the young
plants attacked and spray those remaining with a solution made by
dissolving 1 oz. of liver of sulphur and 3 oz. of soft soap in
2 gallons of water.

Mildew (Erysiphe polygontf.—The principal cause of mildew
is found in sudden climatal changes. A spell of damp, cold
weather after a few bright days often causes mildew to appear.
The usual remedy is to dust the plants with flowers of sulphur.

FIG. 12.— ROOT-ROT FUNGUS AFFECTING SWEET PEAS

(Tliiela/oia, syn. Torrila, basicola)

R, plant collapsing when 12 to 18 inches high : z, growing point stunted,
having ceased to develop ; a, leaves browned and curled upwards ; b, side
or axillary shoots browned and withered ; c, dark spots on stem near
collar ; d, blackish spots on root stem ; <?, roots more or less blackened
and destroyed ; /, extremities of roots killed.

S, collapse of young plant when just springing above ground : g, black and
killed underground stem; h, not seriously affected; i, remains of
seed-leaves where mycelium probably passed from saprophytic to
parasitic mode of life in Sweet Pea stem ; ./, ground level.

T, plant killed when only a few inches high : k, top growth ceased ; I,
blackened stem ; m, roots killed ; n, radicle least affected ; o, remains
of seed-leaves.

U, bit of rather fresh stable manure showing : p, mycelium of fungus as
saprophyte.

V, portion of leaf mould only partially rotted, with #, mycelium of fungus,
as a saprophyte.

W, vegetative portion of fungus from bit of diseased stem of R : r, septate
threads, which penetrate the tissues of the host plant

X, special thread of mycelium pushed externally and prod ucing endospores :
«, threads bearing the endospore case ; t, point where endospores
are pushed out ; u, endospores,

Y, chlamydospores borne on same mycelium as the endospores : v, endospore
thread ; m, chlamydospore thread ; x, chlamydospores ; y, the same
breaking up, and acting as resting spores, brown or blackish.

Z, ascospores containing eight spores : z, free ascospores.

FIG. 12.— BOOT-ROT FUNGUS AFFECTING SWEET PEAS.

110 SWEET PEAS

Mildew is fairly common on the plants in late autumn, but then does
little harm for that season. The Sweet Pea haulm however, should
be burnt, for the mildew has a resting stage of existence, and will
live in the ground during the winter. To guard against a repetition
of the disease in the following year, give the ground a dressing
of quicklime in the autumn, and fork it in soon afterwards.

Blight (Peronospora trifolioruni). — This disease is common on
many leguminous plants. The first indications of its presence are
pale yellow blotches on the leaves, and, in bad cases, on the stems
and flower buds. When mature a greyish mould forms. This is the
fruiting stage ; the spores then blow about, and infect neighbouring
plants. The diseased parts should be removed before this stage is
reached, otherwise, the whole row, or clump of plants may soon be
ruined. In moist weather the disease is likely to spread rapidly.
Badly attacked plants ought to be burnt. In addition to the
summer stage of this disease there is the winter, or resting stage.
If all the old plants are not burnt, the disease will most probably
reappear in spring. As a preventive in addition to removing all
the affected parts, those remaining should be sprayed with a prepara-
tion made by dissolving 1 oz. of sulphide of potassium and 4 oz.
of soft soap in 3 gallons of water.

Spot (Ascochyta pisi). — This disease usually attacks the pods,
and occasionally the stems and leaves. Pale spots form on the pods
and cause them to be stunted and deformed. As these spots de-
velop dark dots form which indicate the fruiting stage. These soon
spread to the surrounding plants if the pods are not removed. As
it is the practice of many growers to pick all their flowers, and
not to let them seed, little harm, if any, can be done by this disease.
As recommended in the case of the other diseases all the affected
plants should be burnt to assist in stamping it out entirely. Spray-
ing with a weak solution of Bordeaux mixture is recommended.
This consists of 1^ Ib. of copper sulphate and 1 Ib. of slaked lime to
16 gallons of water. Spraying with the solution recommended
for Sweet Pea blight is also beneficial.

INDEX

Arrangement, The Art of Flower,

36, 38
Autumn, Sowing in, 84 ; Work,

Beginner's Guide to Sweet Pea

Growing, 28

Birds, Protection from, 6
Blight, 110

Blooms, How to Gather, 35
Borders, Sweet Peas in, 14

Colour Association, 36
Cross Fertilisation, 53, 55, 56
Cultural Details, 10, 18, 24, 29,

Cupid Sweet Peas, 100
Cutting and Packing for Exhi-
bition, 26
Cuttings, Sweet Peas from, 87

Decoration, Sweet Peas for Home

and Table, 35
Diseases, 106

" Don'ts" for Sweet Pea Growers,
2

Earthing Up, 31
Eckford's Great Work, 3
Eelworm, 103
Everlasting Peas, 72, 73
Exhibition, Sweet Peas for, 18,
26, 45, 73, 79, 82, 83

Flower Arrangement, 36, 38
Frost, Inoculation against, 75

Garden Decoration, Sweet Peas

for, 8
Ground, Preparing the, 29, 80

Home and Garden, Sweet Peas
for, 5

Insect Pests, 103

Leaf Spot Disease, 104, 106
Leather Jackets, 103

111

112

SWEET PEAS

Manure for Sweet Peas, 72, 73, 80
Manures, Use of, 30, 71
Market, Sweet Peas for, 72, 78
Mendelian Theory, The, 56
Mice and Sweet Peas, 74
Mildew, 108

New Sweet Peas, Raising, 53
Newest Varieties, The, 51, 72

Pests, Some, 31, 103
Pinching Sweet Peas, 32, 74
Planting, 31
Pots, Growing Sweet Peas in, 20,

33, 92

Preparing the Ground, 29, 80
Protection from Birds, 6
for Autumn Sown Peas,

Raising New Sweet Peas, 53

Seedlings in Pots, 20

Red Lead, Use of, 82
Root-Rot Fungus, 108

Seedling Pea Blight, 108
Seedlings, Treatment of, 20, 91
Seeds, Sowing, 5, 8, 22, 3i, 75, 84,

86, 89

Self -Fertilisation, 54
Shading Sweet Peas, 75
Slugs, Treatment for, 96
Soot, Use of, 6, 78, 96
Sowing Outdoors, 8, 31

Spot, 110

Staking, 8, 10, 32, 97

Stopping and Thinning, 14, 32

Story of the Sweet Pea, 1

<; Streak Disease," 106

Suburban Gardens, Sweet Peas

in, 68

Summer Treatment, 24
Superphosphate of Lime for Sweet

Peas, 73, 78
Sweet Peas of each Colour, The

Best, 50

Table Decoration, Sweet Peas for,

Temperature for Seedlings, 92
Thinning and Stopping, 14
Too-Much-Alike Varieties, 45
Transplanting Seedlings into

Open Ground, 22, 26
Trials and Troubles, Sweet Pea,

72
Tubs and Boxes, Sweet Peas in,

Varieties, A Chat about, 42 ;
Newest, 51, 72 ; The Best, of
1908, 49; Too-Much-Alike,
45 ; Waved, 42

Waved Sweet Pea, Introduction

of, 3 ; Varieties of, 42, 75
White Worm, 105
Winter-Flowering Sweet Peas, 97
Wireworm, 103

Yellow Disease, 79
Sweet Pea, 75

PRINTED BY CASSELL AND COMPANY, LTD., LA BELLE SAUVAGE, LUDGATK HILL, LONDON.

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Sweet Peas and How to Grow Them

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