The Rice belt journal. (Welsh, Calcasieu Parish, La.) 1900-19??, 1905-04-14
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IGe botanical name OF sweet pea Is
Lathyrus Odoratus (sweet scented.
The original species was introduced to
gardens in 100, of which there were
toEr varleties-wkite, pink and white,
deep purple and q dull red. Previous
to 1850 there were perhaps a 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 c0loring sweet peas have wild
er range, with more numerous shades,
than any other single group Of plants.
1t is true We have not scarlet as
bright as Lobelia cardinals or a yell
low as glittering as a sunfOwer, or
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.. Eckford, in Eng
land, has done more in sweet pea de-
yefopment than any other person, and
that within the last twenty-five years.
The exquisite shades between the
blues, reds ard yellows can scarcely
be imagined, especially among the
mauves, Bluffs and pinks 1t is not
alone in the cOloring that such al.
Tances have been made, but the ind
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
rease 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 well and properly
! treated, otherwise we cannot get the
best results. Sweet peas delight in
good living-good and deep soil, well
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 he it sand or
clay, then fill in with old sods, rotten
manure, and ether 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. leaving about six
inches space in the center Of the
trench. Cover the seed an inch deep,
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
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.
Some of the new varieties of 1906
are as follows:
Dorothy Eckford-This is magnifi-
cent pure white variety of the largest
size.
Flora Norton-The best blue to
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 a stem.
King Edward VII.-The largest, the
brightest and the best scarlet.
Nymphae-Strong growing variety,
having four flowers on stem, open.
ing white and turning pink.
A dozen distinct superb sweet peas:
Blanch Burpee-Pure white.