368 STATE HORTICQLTUKAL SOCIETY. 



quality was not noticeable this year. Too late to grow except in the south- 

 ern part of the state. 



Michigan Danvers. — A strain of Yellow Danvers, said to be particularly 

 suited to Michigan soils. No difference between the two could be noticed 

 except that the Michigan Danvers was a little more spherical and slightly 

 lighter in color. 



Red Victoria. — A strain of White Victoria from which it differs only in 

 color; its flesh is juicy, mild, and as white as that of the White Victoria, 

 Both of these onions are well worth growing; they are globular in shape; 

 of large size and excellent quality; rather late; need good care. 



PEAS. 



Forty varieties of pea, mostly those introduced during the last few 

 years, of which ten were this year's, novelties, were grown. Several of 

 the older varieties were used as standards with which the newer kinds were 

 compared. The objects in view were to determine the relative merits of 

 the peas for the market gardener and the farmer; to ascertain what varie- 

 ties were synonymous; and to observe the behavior of the various kinds 

 tinder cultivation with the view of obtaining hints for their further 

 improvement. 



The peas were planted in double rows, 3|- feet apart, 200 peas of each 

 variety being planted. The planting was done the 11th of May. Unfor- 

 tunately a cold rain set in and continued for several days, owing to which 

 many of the seed, especially of the late and wrinkle^ varieties, rotted, so 

 that the percentage of germination was extremely small. In a few cases 

 none of the seed grew, notably four of the ten novelties. 



Good growing weather followed, and conditions were favorable for a test 

 of the early varieties. About the middle of June a drouth began which 

 lasted until the end of July. The midsummer and late varieties suffered 

 much from the drouth and the results obtained may not do them justice, 

 though they will certainly indicate the value of the varieties for a dry 

 season. The counting and weighing was done with the greatest care possi- 

 ble and the data given in the table indicate pretty correctly the relative 

 merits of the different varieties; attention is especially called to the table 

 for facts regarding maturity, productiveness, and quality. 



Though a great number of new peas are being introduced yearly during 

 the last two or three years, none have been put upon the market that are 

 likely to supersede the so-called standard sorts. Most of the newly intro- 

 duced smooth, white and blue varieties, are identical with older sorts, or 

 differ but little from them. 



Special attention is called to the edible-podded peas. Market garden- 

 ers, farmers, and consumers pay too little attention to this class of peas. 

 They deserve to be more generally grown. If used when young enough 

 to be free from the membianous lining, from strings, and to be brittle and 

 succulent, they are excellent, especially for family use. There are several 

 varieties listed in the seed catalogues, of which the best are: Melting 

 Sugar, Tall Sugar, Mammoth Sugar, and Dwarf Sugar. The first three 

 are much alike and of equal merit, the preference, if any, being for the 

 Mammoth Sugar. The last variety differs from the first three mostly in 

 being a dwarf grower. 



Below is a brief description of several of the newer varieties of pea: 



Paragon. — A late, or medium late, half-dwarf pea, of the smooth, blue, 

 wrinkled type. This year a failure. 



