The Sweet Pea.

Horowhenua Chronicle, 16 August 1911, Page 4

The Sweet Pea.

ADDRESS BY MR .1. WYX iin\'i.\. It was of that popular flower the sweet pea. that Mr -i. Wyn Irwin had to speak to members of the Horticultural Society on Wedne-daj night, says th;>- Ohristchurch levelling News). The secret of suceos in'the cultivate:;: of the swivt pea, Mr Irwin said, hy in the cultivation of the .!.>,;:•'ii !. and no .subsequent feeding '-'. Vi .•Inimical or animal manures eo.i'd wake up for poorly prepared :.il. Sweet peas delighted ie ". ;Ni .'irgin soil, and while giv ' i.',.. :•;; might be obtain-

Ed from :'-• : , :".uu ground for scve- I ral year, if p>> :tv of manure was added, 1. ■ penn who desired to exhibit M.>:;ns :.T i':.' ; "'';.'iest duality must be prep^rei t:> :'o harder work t'Yi.i «•:•!-■ r C| died i'.:r the cultivation of a.vy ;;t':e-r annual. Not one year only but every year, he must tre'iHi new "round or renew the soil in the old trench. After | hew l-->- t::ii(-h and to plan the garden. Mr Irwin said that two periods were favourable for the sowing -of sweet peas, and. each had its advocates. Exhibitors mostly favoured autumn sowing, but the majority of gardeners sowed in the spring. Autumn sowing allowed the roots to obtain a firm hold of the ground, with the result that when warm weather arrived the plants made very rapid growth and produced strong, thick vines. Moreover, their roots early reached .a good depth, and the plants suffered very little from the effects of dry weather in tho summer. Autumn sowing was not successful, however, in those parts of the garden that were exposed to driving rain and southerly winds. He would therefore -advise beginners to grow half the number of seeds of each variety in warm sheltered positions during the autumn, and the remaining seeds in the more exposed parts in early spring. As the autumn sown seeds flowered about a month before those planted in the spring, a succession of first-class blooms might be obtained Ivy cutting back the older plants as soon as those planted in spring began to show colour. Mr Trwin also desalt with sowing in pots and boxes, soil For pots and boxes, lead coating, planting out. manuring, thinning, cutting, and scalding away, shading, and the best varie'ties to grow.