July U, 1863. 



JOURNAL OF HORTICULTUEE A2«) COTTAGE GAKDENEE. 



23 



Songster's No. 1 at the hack and Eclipee in front, 3 feet from 

 the glase, in a Boil rather poor, and a foot deep. Expose, 

 taking off the lights, to the fiiU eun and air, watering if 

 necessary, and not putting on the lights until heavy rains 

 and strong frosts render them necessary ; but always take 

 them off again when the weather is di^ and mild. If all 

 be well, little fire wUl be required, but if the Peas are not in 

 bloom in the latter part of October fire heat must be applied, 

 allowing a current of air to blow through the Peas day and 

 nit^ht ; even during fog, frost, and snow, air must be given. 

 If the autumn be hot they may need retarding : a shading 

 with mats after flowering will keep tjiem back, and liberal 

 supplies of water will keep them cool, and help to fill the pods. 

 This crop wiU, if all go on right, afford a dish on Christmas- 

 day, New Yeai-'s-day, and now and then throughout January. 

 The pit should be 30 feet long to do this. 



In another pit Peas should be sown on the 1st of Septem- 

 ber, this tiuie using Tom Thumb, and they will afford a few 

 Peas at the beginning of March, but not if the lights are 

 half wood, and the other half opaque through age. Tom 

 Thumb may be sown again on the 1st of October, November, 

 and December in pits as before, after which Sangster's and 

 Eclipse win do better, and two sowings of these are enough, 

 on the 1st of January and 1st of February. The latter sow- 

 ing -nill give Peas iu May, and those on the south-wall 

 border will follow them. 



The late Peas being liable to be cut off by early frosts, 

 and being difficult to cover up, a sowing of the eaily kinds 

 made under the shelter of a waU in July where they can 

 readily be covered up, or in fr'ames, will pretty nearly enable 

 the gardener to have Peas all the year round ; but they are 

 had at such a cost aud in so small a quantity that few can 

 indulge in them. Luniries, however, are not measured by 

 cost. 



Pots 9 inches in diameter are best for Peas. Good drain- 

 age and rich porous soil ai'e requisite. FUl the pots three- 

 parts full with soil, and place the Peas all over the surface 

 an inch apart. Cover thinly with light soU, half an inch 

 deep or so ; wateiing when necessary, and when the plants 

 are 3 or 4 inches high earili them a little, and place some 

 fir twigs round the sides of the pots. In all stages they 

 must have abundance of au- and light. If confined they 

 become di-awn, and attacked by green fly ; if hot and dry, 

 thrips and red spider will soon end them ; and if kept in a 

 cold, moist, confined atmosphere, mildew will paralyse them. 

 Thirty pots sown on the 1st of September htU give a dish of 

 Peas on New Year's-day, if the pots ai'e placed by a south 

 wall, and not housed until the weather render it impera- 

 tively necessary. 



A few sown about the 1st of August, kept out of doors 

 until fi'ost comes, and then moved to an orchard-house, will 

 afford Peas in November. Sowings can be made in October, 

 November, December, Januaiy, and February, and those 

 being in pots can rea<lily be moved about from one house to 

 another as theii' wants may render desii'able. A row sown 

 in an orohai'd-house will give Peas in the beginning of May 

 if sown in October, and protected with a little dry coarse hay 

 strewed over them in severe weather. 



The months in which Peas are obtained with most diffi- 

 culty are Febraary, March, and April. To have them in the 

 other months is merely a question of time, labour, expense, 

 and appliance or convenience. One point more and I have 

 done. In cold soUs, aud bleak and wet situations, it is a mere 

 waste of seed sowing Peas in November. It is better to sow 

 on reversed tiu-fs 6 inches wide — 3 inches will do — making a 

 hollow iu the centre lengthwise, and then sowing the Peas 

 in the hollow, and covering T^'ith soil. A sowing made in 

 tliis manner in February, brought forward ta a vinery until 

 the plants are a couple of inches high, and then removed to 

 an orchard-house, int. or fi'ame, where they can remain until 

 the beginning of April, when they will be hardened so as to 

 beai- planting out, will succeed better than rows that have 

 stood the winter. I do not know who was the first to intro- 

 duce the system, but be he who he may he certainly deserves 

 honourable mention. 



Sowing Peas in pots to plant out is a good practice — in 

 fact, a few hundi-eds of pots sown in February under glass, 

 and the plants gradually hardened-ofl', often afford more 

 Peas, cont inuin g longer in bearing, and giving larger pods 

 than Peas autumn-sown. 



The following list includes the best varieties, and the 

 length of time each variety takes to mature, all the varieties 

 being sown at one period — the 20th of March. TTie datet; 

 refer to the time most condacive to their well-doing, or 

 necessary to secure a supply. 



Name and DeBcription. 



Time of 

 Bowing. 



Weeks 

 required 



to 

 matnre. 



1 Nov. 10th 

 ( under a 

 vail. 



SrCTlON I.— EARLIEST VARIETIES. 

 Tom Tbumd (Beck's Gem, orKoyal Dwarf). 



^ Very early, dwaif, useful for pots, 



growing in frames, and in warm 



situations ! January. ... 



DiLLiBTOHii'fi Earlv Pbolific. — Blooms \ 



in a raaes, pods small, all the crop ( j^^^^ jq^jj 



(fathered at once. The earliast Pea in i ^ 



cultivation / 



SANiiSTEH's No. 1 (Suttou'B Early, Con- ) Nov. lOlh. 



queror, Champion, & Daniel O'Rourke). > Feb. and 



—The beat of the earliest ; Maj . 10th ... 



Early Frauk (Double-bloasomed Frame, \ y^y [Q[_|j^ 



Charlton, Hotspur, ^Varwick).— Good J J^^j.',jj ^g^* 



cropper; stands severe weather well...... ; 



S'CTION II.— SECOND EARLY. 



Coining into use in June and July, 

 Dickbon'p Favodriti: (Auvergne, Sickle). ) M^iroh Ist, 



— Extra lone pojs, containing nine to > loth, 21st, 



tenFeas. Fine flavour ; KAprillst... 



\ March 1st 

 BisHOr's Dwarf.— Largepods, good crop- ( to April 



per and quality ( l^th. 



; Junel5:h...l3toU . 

 Paradise Maerow (Champion of Ptris, \ jj^^ ^fj ^nd 



Excelsior).— Good cropper and excellent > .ipiii. 



flavour / 



Climax (Napoleon).— Blue wrinkled Har- 1 i^ 



row; requires rich soil j April 15th ,, 



Burbriboe'b EcLirsE (Stubb's Blue Mar- ) March and 



row).— Itich-flavoured large Pea; long- .April. 



pods, dwarf, robust^growing ) June IJth .. 



Bkllamy's EARLYGBKiN Marhow (Prize- ) jj|i,.j), and 



taker).— Great bearer, pods good size, :■ ^^.j^ji 



Peas dark grten. Keeps long in season. ) ' 

 Flack's Imierial Victory. — Branching, |^ April and 



fine flavour, and good cropper > -May. ...14 to 15, 



Chami'ion of Enqlakd. — Most delicious i )_ April and 



good bearer )' May. ... 14 



Section III.— GENERAL CROP. 

 Blue Prus,*ian (Prolific).— Round, pro-\ April and 



hfic; excellent Havour ) May. ... 15 



Scimitar (similar to Bedmau's Impmal f ^^ jj ^^^^j 



and Klacli's Victory).— Round bluepods, - *\ij,y_ ^j 



long and curved ) 



Fairbeaeu's Blue Surprise, — Long well- 1 



filled pods, containing seven to nine'- .\pril. .,,14 to 15. 



Peas; good quality ) 



Fairbeard's Konpareil, — White,wrink- (^ April and 



led J good bearer j May. ...14tol5. 



Lord Raglan.— Worthy of the veteran) j^^jji jnd 



Marshal. Green- wrinkled, fine flavour ; j '^^ jj 



keeps long in season ) 



Thurstone's Reliance (Dancer's Monas-) April and 



tery).— Large ana good | Mdy. ... 16 



Veitchb Peeeectio.n.- Delicious flavour, i 



robust branching habi!, fine foliage, [ Aprillstto 



large n ell-filled pods. A better Pea ^ May 30th ,,, IG . 



cannot he } 



WooDioBO liREEs Marrow (Nonsuch),— 1 Anril and 



Rich flavour and productive ; liable to !■ 'jiar 15 



mildew : ) -,-..- 



Sectios IV.— LATE CROP, 

 i British Qoeen (Defiance, Carter's Vic-) , ., ...^ 

 toria. Tall Mammoth),-Fine flavour, ! ^P"! uiu 



Height 

 in feet. 



1 to Li 



12 



13 



14 



14 



13 



14 



14 



4 to 5 



to 16,,, 3 to 4 



., 3 to 4 



toria. Tall iuamuiuiuj, — mn: ija*ua;,' , 



very large Peas and pods; bears till!' nf^v tlst 



killed by frost ) '"J' •^'-'- •• 



Ne Plus Ultra (Jeyes' and Payne's Con- J 



queror. Incomparable), — Deep green, f May 1st tn 



great bearer, very superior flavour ; best 1 June 1st. ,, 



for late crop. Will not bear cold and wet, ) 

 Geni HAL Wyndham. — First-claES ; glossy, l_ April 15th 



dark green pods ) to June. ,. 



Victoria Marrow (Waterloo, Gibb's^ , ,.j j^^^q 



Defiance), — Fine flavour, large pods, '> ,! jq.jj 



abundant bearer.., ) ^ 



Mammoth Dwarf Green Marrow. — 1 



Strong, dwarf habit, branching from - May. 



near the ground ; tine flavour ) 



Mammoth Tall Green Marroav (Mon- 1 April l.')th 



arch, Strathmore Hero.)— Fine flavour, |- to 



very prolific; large size ) May 00th , 



Mammoth Tall White Marrow (Cham- "i April l5th 



piun of Scotland). — Sp endid Pea; fine [■ to 



cropper ) June 1st. ...16 to 17,,, 



White Scimitae (Sugar Pea).— Eaiable) April and 



pods ; the best of Haricots ) May. .,, 15 



Palates vary more than tlie quality of Peas. The best 

 way to t-est Peas is to sow a small quantity of each, and so 

 suit the appetite, and learn the kinds best adapted to the 



17 



17 



17 



16 



16 



6 tot 



6 to 8 



6 to 7 



6 to 7 



, 2J to 3 



..IG to 17... C to7 



6 to 8 

 3 to 4 



