The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1892-05-08
Sweet Pea Gardens.

In the second or third week in May you
may transplant your sweet peas from the
housesboxes to the open-alr garden.
People do not generally know that sweet
peas are most easily and successfully trans
planted. I discovered it for myself acci-
dentally-in fact, I was driven to it by my
little friend. the song-spRrrow at the Isles
Of Shoals. The place is possessed by these
dear, friendly little birds whose song il
sweeter than words can express, but they
will hardly let me plant at all ont Of doors,
as / can put them in! They are 10 tame,
they sit on the fence Of my little enclosure
and eye me, askance il they soc me at work
putting in seeds in the Rlound, and the mo-
ment ! leave the spot, or they think I have
left it. down they swoop and 90 from one
end to the other Of my carefully planted
burrows and a every seed, leaving only
the empty hollow groove freshly dug out BY
Aheir little feet.
Il 10 trying. and when / do plant ont OF
doors ! am obliged to have a corner of
woven wire to fit oyer my lower beds to
keep off the dear little pests.
They are especially trying IN the case Of
sweet peas. for they wait till the peas begin
to sprout and then they devonr every single
on &.
Now for the fun Of transplantiug! II is
tho most enchanting work in the world.
II the day Ia overcast very good, but il it 10
tho sunniest that ever dawned no matter;
teach you they will not droop \ Leaf in this
hottest sun.
your little garden bed is all ready, your
boxes of treasures about you. Now take
your hoe and make a straight line about
four inches from the edge Of your bed,
lengthwise; if you find difficulty in making
it straight, take a string tied to two sticks,
push the sticks into the ground, drawing
the string tight between, and you will have
your straight line. Take the hoe and out
down evenly from this line, drawing the
earth toward you and leaving the smooth
cutting six inches deep against which to
stand your plants for support.
Slip your hand into one corner of your
plant box down to the very bottom and
take up very carefully a few pea plants,
Once a few removed, the rest will come ur
easily.
Don't break the long white roots or dis
lodge the little pea still c~lingin1 there If
You can help it. stand enoh plant against
the wall you have sliced down smooth with
your hos. Put the plants in, not more
than three inches apart. with the roots
straight down. but If very long, no matter
II the ends lis horizontally an inch in the
bottom Of the trench; draw the earth half
in place. and then gently fill tho trench
with water, draw tho est of the earth about
the roots, press it firmly with your hands
about each separate plant, making eaoh
stand perfectly strnight and even. md BIO
careful That all the root ia perfectly covered;
indeed the earth may come up nm inch
about each slender stem without doing any
hahn. This is delightful work, and when
your first row 10 done you will look at it
with joy and pride, 80 green, so fresh. 30
promising it will be. Do this till YOUR bed
ia full and then leave the plants to ''set.''
In q few days they will begin to grow again
In their new quarters. But during this
time you must not forget to water them at
evening. unless it rains. Sweet peaH love
moisture and flourish best when You give
them all they Dan take.