The Canadian Horticulturist. 



i6i 



aged to look upon it as a cheap and necessary food, rather than as a luxury, 

 their condition would improve in many respects. It now rests with our fruit 

 growers to so educate the public mind, that the present state of things will be 

 altered. 



Clarenceville, Que. 



Wm. Mead Pattison. 



ABOUT GARDEN PEAS- 



FTER numerous trials with various sorts of the extra-early 

 peas, I have discarded the whole lot, with one exception, 

 and that is Vick's Extra early, and as this needs sticks or 

 supports 1 do not plant it every year, as the Wonder 

 usually gets round by the last days of June. After trying 

 a score or more of varieties, within the last dozen years, I 

 have settled down upon the following sorts : 



I will let Vick's Early head the list because it is one of 

 the finest of the extra early sorts — generally the small 

 early peas are of rather poor quality, but the Vick's is very good quality, and 

 quite prolific, with long pods alwaj's well filled. 



The American Wonder is yet the stand-by, although it has a strong rival in 

 Nott's Excelsior, which is one of the best peas of recent introduction. The 

 claim that it is earlier than the Wonder does not prove true with me, but it comes 

 along about the samejtime ; it is a strong grower and fully prolific as the one it 

 rivals. In quality it ranks with the best. 



From a single season's experience I am inclined to name the Heroine as 

 the next medium early pea. It is a strong grower and fairly prolific, but what 

 it lacks in number of pods it surely makes up in size, the pods often being over 

 four inches long, bearing lo to 12 peas. This is a green wrinkled pea, grows 

 about 2^ ft. high and is of a rich marrow-like flavor. 



Bliss's Abundance comes next in my plans this year, although some might 

 prefer to omit this for the Champion of England, an old and good sort when 

 the vines do not mildew. 



The three last-named varieties of peas may best occupy the ground exclu 

 sively, but with the Dwarf Wonder and Excelsior I have found it convenient to- 

 alternate the rows with strawberry plants, making the strawberry rows 23^ feet 

 apart with two rows of peas intervening. By the middle of July the pea haulm 

 is raked off the ground and the strawberr)' plants will begin to put out runners. 

 Thus there is no great loss of ground in waiting for the first year's development 

 of the strawberry plants. — American Agriculturist. 

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