96 THE BOOK OF USEFUL PLANTS 



and field crops of the world has spread through the 

 temperate regions, everywhere. 



Field peas are grown as a green and a dry crop 

 for stock, as pasture, ensilage and as green manure. 

 Foreigners are not above eating them, but we feel 

 squeamish about it, though as split peas we do 

 consume in soups field peas without knowing it. 



Garden peas are more delicate and sweet, and 

 we consider these, in a multitude of varieties, 

 among the choicest and most nutritious of all 

 vegetables. Quantities are canned commer- 

 cially, the smallest being the most expensive, the 

 petit pois, of French cookery. We must believe 

 that the sifting out of imperfect, undeveloped 

 seeds of standard canning varieties supply a 

 product that is inferior, and yet this grade often 

 poses as the imported article from France. 



A tremendous acreage is planted to peas as a 

 market garden crop. The gardeners of all coun- 

 tries grow them for home use. They are a great 

 crop for soil renovation, and for green manure in 

 young orchards. 



The sugar peas have sweet, edible pods, and 

 are used as snap beans are. Among the numer- 

 ous varieties, those that have wrinkled seeds are 

 sweeter and have less starch than those that are 

 globular when dry. 



