PEAS. 



360 



PELARGONIUMS. 



taming the peas. A third method is to 

 use small 3-inch pots, in which clumps 

 of peas are sown, which may be turned 

 out into the ground, without disturbing 

 the roots. Where the garden soil is cold 

 and heavy, it is advisable to adopt one 

 or other of these methods for securing 

 early peas. 



Sorts. For sorts now in the market, 

 see the price lists of the principal nursery- 

 men and seedsmen. They are very 

 numerous, and aew varieties are constantly 

 being introduced. 



Peas for Autumn Crops. The produc- 

 tion of peas in autumn requires considerable 

 attention, especially on light porous soils, 

 and even on soils which produce good 

 spring and summer crops. By the follow- 

 ing process fine crops of peas may be pro- 

 duced till October. Manure and trench a 

 piece of ground in the ordinary way, and 

 make a trench 9 inches deep and 15 inches 

 wide ; a coating of cow dung six inches 

 thicic is forked into the trench, and covered 

 with a few inches of soil ; upon this soil 

 the peas are sown. If late in the season 

 and in dry weather, soak the peas for a 

 day or two in water before sowing ; but for 

 early crops, or in moist weather, the pre- 

 caution is unnecessary. When in full 

 bearing, a thorough soaking with liquid 

 manure, or a sprinkling of guano over the 

 trenches, and a copious watering with soft 

 water afterwards, will not be thrown away. 

 A row or two of peas, according to length, 

 sown every month until August, will give 

 a plentiful supply for an ordinary family, 

 and good succession throughout the season. 

 Plants sown in August, in pots filled with 

 rich manure planted out on a south border 

 previously trenched and well manured, the 

 whole ground being thoroughly soaked 

 with weak manure water, and mulched* 

 several inches thick with well-rotted 

 dung, will yield an excellent crop through 

 October. 



Pegs for Bedding plants. 



Various expedients are resorted to by 

 gardeners to peg down the different sorts 

 of bedding plants verbenas, petunias, c. 

 Some use ladies' hair-pins, and some use 

 small pegs made of hazel or other wood ; 

 but the neatest, the cheapest, and most 

 efficient pegs which have come under the 

 writer's notice are cut from the brake, a 

 wild fern which grows freely in every lane 

 and on almost every common in England. 

 Many a poor boy might earn an honest 

 penny by cutting these in autumn, when 

 the wood is tough, and selling them in 

 bundles for next summer's use. Galvanised 

 wire pegs are very durable, and may be 

 bought at 35. a thousand. 



Pelargo'niums, Culture of. 



June and July are the best months for 

 increasing pelargoniums for ordinary 

 purposes. Cuttings struck at this season 

 from plants which have been forced, and 

 the wood thoroughly ripened, produce fine 

 plants for autumn flowering and early 

 spring forcing, supplying the want of 

 flowers in the conservatory in winter and 

 spring. The pots being prepared in the 

 usual manner, and well supplied with 

 drainage and other loose material for one- 

 third of their depth, fill up with a compost 

 composed of equal parts turfy loam and 

 silver sand well mixed and sifted, so as to 

 keep back the large lumps. Select cuttings 

 from strong short- jointed shoots three or 

 four inches long, removing the lower leaves 

 so as to leave the base of the cuttings clear ; 

 place them round the edge of the pot about 

 an inch or an inch and a half deep. When 

 planted, water freely to settle the soil round 

 them, and place them in a cold pit or frame. 

 Sprinkle them occasionally overhead till 

 rooted ; afterwards give air gradually to 

 harden them for potting off into 3-inch 

 pots. 



When well established in the small pots 



