Evening star., 1925-10-06
THIS AND THAT
BY CHARLES E. TRACEWELL.

Sweet peas are perhaps the hardest
to grow in the District Of Columbia
OF any of the old favorite flowers
This II unfortunate, since they are
among the most beautiful of our an.
nuals.
Every garden In the better for a
row OF them displaying their pastel
shades amid their rich green foliage
Yet so trying are they to mature
that one sees them In few back yards
The writer is among the number
who have been trying for several years
to raise sweet peas with indifferent
success. Each year. however. we
learn something new. so that our ex-
pectatfons are kept on a stretch.
Next year" we fondIy say, I'VE
will have some real sweet peas"
When Spring comes. our peas do fine
ly. for time. but at the first touch
Of drought turn brown. get all with
cred looking" as we say among our.
selves.
What is the matter. and what shall
We do for next year?
These are the questions | would en-.
deavor to answer here, for the benefit
Of the reader whose letter was printed
IN this column yesterday. in which
was asked more definite information
In regard to your method of growing
sweet peas in this climate"
Some time ago l made general
suggestion that these seed should be
planted in the Fall
Autumn planting. I feel convinced
now. is the secret OF good sweet peas
In this particular section Of the coun.
try. We have tried various methods
OF Spring planting with uniform fail
Ire.
The only decent sweet peas to be
seen In two years in a certain neigh
borhood We're Fall planted. Perhaps
thlS one success is not conclusive. but
combined with repeated failures from
Spring planting. il is sufficient evi.
dence 10 determine us to try 1t out
ourselves.
So. in this matter Of sweet peas. we
may seem as the blind leading the
blind; yet. II thought can do the trick
we can tell others how TO raise them
even II We have not been able to do il
ourselves as yet,
fof we have put an immense
amount OF thinking lately upon this
very question. being determined to
raise some good peas or bust In the
attempt as the saving is
The truth is that Washington, d G.
is not good sweet pea country. our
Springs are bit late. and our Sum.
mer suns too hot for them, ordi-
narlly.
Sweet peas demand water. and plen.
~ OF 1t. but you cannot give it to them
by watering them. This somewhat
paradoxical situation is explained by
the root systems of the sweet pea.
These plants root deeply, and must
ger their water down where they are.
l have always thought that il one
could put Layout" of water pipes
rlSht down where their roots grow he
could raise sweet peas in fiourishing
condition.
Since most OF us. however, will not
be able to install such system of
Underground irrigation, we must fall
back on Fail planting. The later the
better. for we do not want them to
come up until Spring.
Some time around Thanksgiving fs
the best time to plant the seed. Just
before the first freeze. which can only
be determined by keeping close watch
on the weather forecasts. 1t NAV be
necessary to cover the ground with
leaves. or some other mulch, in order
TO prevent it from getting too hard to
dig.
The seed ought TO be planted at lea st
inches deep-perhaps an inch or two
deeper would not hurt-for it must be
kept in mind that our big idea" is to
get those roots down as deep rs pos