12 THE FLOEAL WORLD AND GARDEN GUIDE. 



give some results in a few words, and it may serve some useful purpose 

 to readers of the Floral World to be advised of a few good sorts which 

 are adapted for the supply of private tables. Let me suppose that I 

 have done with horticulture, except as an amusement, and desire a 

 supply of peas, without reference at all to the determination of the 

 relative merits of many varieties. Then I think I should be content 

 with seven sorts at the utmost, and I would do very well with four. 

 I should arrange my seven as follows: 1, SuUoii'sItinrjleader; I, Early 

 Emperor; 2>, D icJc son's Earl ij Favourite; 4, Paradise Marrow ; 5, Veitch's 

 Perfection; 6, Ne Plus TJltra ; 7, British Queen. Such would be their 

 order of coming into use, and I should make several sowings at 

 intervals, beginning (soil and climate permitting) in November and 

 continuing to sow till the last week in May. At Stoke ISTewington 

 November sowing would be absurd ; the first of February is as early 

 as we dare sow peas under the best of circumstances ; but on the 

 west side of London, where the soils are light, November sowing of 

 the earliest sorts answers admirably, and the result is, peas on the 

 table in the month of May. 



I should prefer Sutfo!i''s Bingleader (which is the same as Carter's 

 First Crop) for my first early pea ; it behaved well here in 1865, 

 and has but one fault, that of growing in a very irregular manner, 

 the result of which is that some plants bear very early close to the 

 ground and others shoot up and top them and bear three weeks later, 

 so that there are two good gatherings. This pea would render unneces- 

 sary the dozen or so first early varieties that are classed with it, and 

 I should prefer Early Emperor to follow, because of its large pods 

 and abundant production. It would succeed Kingleader if sown 

 the same day, there being about a fortnight difference in their dates 

 of first podding. 



Dickson's Early Favourite is a most productive second early pea. 

 I was greatly disappointed in my first trial of it when I saw the 

 small pods it produced. Indeed, I felt disappointment at the 

 smallness of the seed, and did not sow much of it. But it proved in 

 the end one of the most useful peas I ever grew ; its fruitfulness was 

 something remarkable, and though a small pea, it is of excellent 

 flavour, and comes to table a good colour, which is a matter of no small 

 importance. 



Princess Royal is certainly one of the finest peas known. It is 

 described as growing two feet, but in my well-manured soil it rises 

 nearer three feet, and is tremendously prolific ; the pods large, well 

 filled, and the peas make a fine dish. 



Paradise Marrow succeeds Princess Eoyal closely ; and it is well, 

 if constant supplies of peas are required, to sow both sorts the same 

 day, and a fortnight afterwards to sow a few more rows of Paradise. 

 This is a tall pea, rising five to six feet, the pods are large, the peas 

 large ; when cooked, sweet, marrowj^, and melting. I prefer a sweet 

 flavoured pea, and therefore recommend this, but many people object 

 to sugary peas, and to such I should recommend instead Champion of 

 England. 



VeitcWs Perfection rises two to three feet, bears profusely, the 

 pods are short, the peas large, a fine colour and quite marrowy. I 



