New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1914-04-05
A WELL ARRANGED, Wttl CARED FOR BED OF SWEET
PEAS IS ITS OWN REWARD - AND A NOBLE CNt. 100
Co,urtery Of Noudle0IY @Se Go

the very early spring Therefore. as
soon as you can safely dig in your soil
without danger Of causing il TO form clods
and bake start your sweetpea bed l..
d. s. Commence by removing the top
layer of soil two feet wide and ten TO
twelve inches deep for the full length OF
the row. Place this all on one side Of the
trench IN fiat ridge.
Now secure some we'll decomposed
stable manure. preferably COW manure.
Place a layer of this i'm the open trench
five or six inches deep. Use a fork and
dig the manure into the bottom of the
trench, thoroughly mixing the soil with
the manure TO a depth OF ten or twelve
inches
If this work Of preparing the soil IS
done in early spring, three ounces Of un-
leached wood ashes TO every yard OF
trench should be forked into the subsoil
after the manure has been spaded in The
lime in the wood ashes will correct any
acidity in this part OF the trench.
THE top layer of soil should receive
special treatment before il is returned 10
the trench, as follows: Spread it out in a
fiat pile along the side OF the trench. For
every yard of the soil spread evenly over
the surface three ounces of unleached
wood ashes and two ounces OF bonemeal.
These must be thoroughly mixed with the
soil before it is put back into the trench.
DO not quite fill the trench with this soil.
Leave a space of three inches between It's
top and the surface of the soil in ii. The
ba ,1a along
each side. II will be needed later to draw
up around the young plants when they
have made a few inches Of growth.
Much of the success in sweetpea cult
ure depends on the method and time OF
planting the seed. Expert growers en-
deavor TO get a good. active root growth
before the plants have made much growth
above ground. DO not wait until all dan
ger of freezing weather has passed. II
the trench has been prepared in the
spring, then the seed should be planted
as soon as it Is ready. If the work OF
preparing the soil has been done in the
fall, then the seeds may be planted JUST
as soon in March as the soil becomes dry
enough to be worked.
After thoroughly firming the soil IN
the trench make it neat and level. To
plant the seeds make a drill III the centre
of the trench one and one-half to two
inches deep. Avoid the very common
mistake Of planting too thickly. Drop the
seeds not closer than one inch apart IL
is wasteful TO throw in a lot OF seed, and
overcrowdng is fatal to success in the
culture OF sweetpeas If long stemmed,
large Powered sprays are desired. Cover
the seeds and firm the soil down again
over them by carefully treading the
whole length OF the drill.
1T Will be noticed that some varieties
have light colored seeds and others will
have dark colored seeds Usually the for
mer are not quite so robust as the latter,
and should therefore be given d little
more care in planting; that is, not putting
them in so deeply or not planting quite so
early IL the ground Is wet
III the peas are desired In clumps, in
stead OF rows, holes not less than three
feet in diameter should be prepared In
exactly the same way as the trenches.
The seeds may be planted one inch apart
in q circle eighteen inches from the CEN
ire Of the whole.
"Realizing the advantage OF getting a