Audubon Republican. [volume] (Audubon, Iowa) 1894-1925, 1905-04-06

Inc original species was introduced to
gardens in 1900 of which there were
four varieties-white. pink and white,
deep purple and a dull red. Previous
TO 1850 there were perhaps dozen
recognized varieties-viz.: Painted
Lady, rose and white; Butterfly, white
laced with lavender; Fairy Queen.
pink; lnvinc.ble, striped red and
white; Scarlet Gem, scarlet; King OF
Prussia, purple; Violet Queen, and a
variety which was nearly black, be-
sides few other varieties, names OF
which do not now recall.
In coloring sweet peas have wild
er range, with more numerous shades,
than any other single group of plants.
1t is true we have not a scarlet as
bright as Lobelia cardinals or yell
low as glittering as sunfower, or a
blue as dense as Delphinium formo-
sum. The best scarlet is King Ed
ward VII; the best yellow, the Hon.
Mrs. McKenyon; the best blue, Flora
Norton; and the best white is Dor
othy Eckford. Mr.. Eskford, in Eng
land, has done more in sweet pea de-
velopment than any other person. and
that within the last twenty-five years.
The exquisite shades between the
blues, reds and yellows can scarcely
be imagined, especially among the
mauves, Bluffs and pinks 1t is not
alone in the coloring that such adj
yances have been made, but the indi-
vidual flowers are nearly twice as
large, and three and four are often
open at one time, whereas with the
older kinds there were scarcely ever
more than two flowers, and often one
flower, on each stem. The delicious
perfume has been maintained with all
these changes.
The enormous quantities of sweet
peas sown all over the temperate
world seem incredible. California is
now the center where the most sweet
pease are grown, some firms growing
as many as 800 and 400 acres each.
These are grown for seed, of course.
Now if we expect to have fine sweet
peas they must be we'll and properly
treated, otherwise we cannot get the
best results. Sweet peas delight in
good living-good and deep soil, we'll
drained, plenty of half rotten manure,
and lots and lots of water, and they
must have something to cling to. The
quantity to be grown depends upon
the amount of room at disposal, the
convenience for growing them, and
perhaps the size of ones pocketbook.
Where the good soil is not deep it
is best to dig trench eighteen inches
deep and foot wide, throw out and
take away the poor soil, be it sand or
clay, then fill in with old sods, rotten
manure, and other good soil to with
in six inches of the top. Tread this
down lightly, then on this sow two
rows of peas, each row three inches
from the outside, LEAKING about six
inches space in the cehtar OF the
trench. Cover the seed an inch d. ep,
and as soon as the plants are three or
four inches high draw the soil from
the top of the ground among them
and at the time you will prepare to
put in the wire trellic. Secure this
thoroughly in the center of the
trench, so that the peas can cling on
either side. With copious watering
and keeping the flowers picked off,
there should be good picking into the
middle of October.
Whether the soil is poor or not, the
whole of the ground should have a
good heavy dressing of manure and
then dug in. Keep the ground
smoothly raked between the rows. A
sprinkling of artificial manure two
or three times during the season will
also be of great benefit to them. Yet
another way to grow sweet peas is in
isolated groups in the mixed border,
each group of separate colors. and
these to be supported by shrubbery
brush, giving the same attention as to
those grown in trenches.
The best sweet peas have yet seen
were grown in the city prison garden
of Toronto, Canada. The vines were
twelve to fourteen feet high. and the
flower stems eighteen inches long or
longer.
Some of the new varieties of 1905
are as follows:
Dorothy Eckford-This is a magnif.
cent pure white variety of the largest
size.
Flora Norton-The best blue 70
date, an exquisite shade.
Florence Fraser-Tall, strong grow
er, color clear white and clear pink;
the flower stems are IL to IA inches,
stout, and bear three and four flowers
at one time; quite early.
Golden Rose-A gem. beautiful
form, color deep buff yellow flushed
with rosy pink.
Gladys Unwin-A lovely shade Of
rosy pink, carrying three or four flow.
ers on stem.
King Edward VII.-The largest, the
brightest and the best scarlet.
Mrs. George Higginson, IRA
clear, delicate light blue flower, pure
in color; a charming and most desir.
able kind.
Nymphae-Strong growing variety,
having four flowers on stem, open
ing white and turning pink.
Sunrise-Large. bright pink, sui.
fused with primrose; gem.
White wonder-A great novelty:
the flowers are large. pure white, fire.
quently having six and eight flowers
on stem.
A dozen distinct superb sweet peas:
Blanch Burpee-Pure white.
Blenche Ferry-Pink and white; ex.
ira early.
aptivation-Deep magenta.
Countess Cadogan-Violet and sky
blue.