753 



PARMER'S REGISTER— VARIE'J'IES OF THE INDIAN PEA. 



to 2000 lbs. coffee: blooms from early in July to 

 November, and ripenp from early in August till 

 frost. The grains are about the eize of a grain 

 of wheat, but more the shape of the nux vottiica; 

 it grows in pods containing from 40 to 60 grains 

 each. It must be gathered as fast as it ripens. 

 Neither horses, hogs, or cattle will eat it; nor is it 

 disturbed by caterpillars or insects. It returns 

 abundant foliage to land — better for befs than 

 buckwheat, as pure honey rises from the plant. 

 It may be cultivated to advantage on land ex- 

 hausted by the cultivation of corn or cotton, and 

 with low fences, as horses, cattle, of hogs will not 

 eat it. 



Huckersville, Ga. 



AMOS W. HABIMOIVD. 



THE INDIAN PE.\j 



To the Editor of the Farmers' Register. 



Among all tlie various plants of the leguminous 

 kind, known to us southern people, I deem the In 

 dian pea by tiir the most valuable: and having 

 paid much attention, for many years, to its culture 

 and uses, I have concluded to offer you the result 

 of my observations, as the season lor planting 

 them is close at hand. I ought to have said — the 

 commencement of the season; for you may begin 

 in April and continue to plant the different varie- 

 ties until late in June. 



Nothing cultivated by us southern farmers and 

 planters, furnishes a stronger proof of the great in- 

 convenience and disadvantage of having many 

 difierent names tor the same plant, than the Indian 

 pea. Every man's experience must have con- 

 vinced him of this; for there is scarcely a single 

 variety — of which I myself know at least fifteen, 

 that has not two, three, or four difierent names for 

 it. Hence there is great difficulty in procuring the 

 kind you want, unless you can succeed in a par- 

 ticular description of the pea itself. 



It may possibly be a vain attempt to reduce this 

 chaos of names to any thing even approaching to 

 regular order and certainty; but the effort is worth 

 making, if I can succeed only partially. How 

 many varieties of this valuable esculent there may 

 be, I will not venture to affirm; neither will I un- 

 dertake to give all the names by which I have 

 heard each variety called in particular counties or 

 neighborhoods; for some would have as many 

 "aliases," as the most famous of our swindlersever 

 had. But I believe I can suggest a general term, 

 in the suitability of which, all will concur, that 

 will comprehend at least six of these varieties 

 known to myself For instance, the term "crowd- 

 er" may be applied with perfect propriety certainly 

 to that number; because its ordinary meaning 

 indicates a peculiar circumstance which dis- 

 tinguishes the whole of them from all the other 

 varieties yet cultivated among us. It is, that they 

 grow so much closer together in the pod, as to flat- 

 ten each other at the ends, and hence, called '^crow- 

 ders." Of course, they contain more peas in a 

 pod of the same length, than any other variety, 

 and are, in general, more productive; although 

 they differ somewhat from each other in this re- 

 spect. The varieties of the crowder peas which I 

 have seen in cultivation are — the jet black, the 

 white with a black eye, (now very scarce) the 

 gray, the straw colored or sugar-pea, the claret 



colored, and the yellowish brown. All of these 

 are early peas, except the claret colored; but the 

 last, is earlier not only than any of the crowders, 

 but than any other kind that I have tried. Some^ 

 however, think the red and white (not a crowder,) 

 the earliest of all the varieties. All the crowders 

 are goodff)r table use; but the sugar and the gray 

 are generally deemed the best — better in fact, thail 

 any, unless perhaps, it may be what we call the 

 North Carolina pea, merely because it was intro- 

 duced among us from that state. It is a white pea 

 with a pale greenish eye., and longer than 'tis 

 thick. The other varieties which I have seen cul-- 

 tivated are — the conunon black-eyed pea, in such 

 general demand among our sailors^ Of this kindy 

 there are two varieties: one much larger, but less 

 productive than the other; In preferring the' 

 black-eyed pea, I beg leave to tell our sea-fiirin^ 

 people, that they cheat their palates most egre- 

 giously; for there are at least four or five better va-^ 

 rieties for table use, which might be. procured iii 

 equal abundance, and equallj^ cheap, if there was( 

 a demand for them. The smaller black-eyed pea 

 is very productive; but as an improver of land, it 

 stands at the bottom of the scale, having less 

 vine than any other kind. Another variety is thti 

 ladies'' pea, as some call it, or the gentleman pea,- 

 as 'tis called by others. It is the smallest I kliow; 

 except the dark bottle green, and is used only for" 

 the table; but is actually the most tasteless- of atl 

 that I have ever tried. It makes, however, a 

 handsome dish from its peculiar Vi'hiteness, and is 

 therefore preferred by those who had rather grati- 

 fy their eyes than their palates in such matters, 

 which I confess is not my taste. There is another' 

 variety difFerins' from that last mentioned, only in 

 size, and in being somewhat longer in proportioft 

 to its thickness. The only name wliich 1 have 

 ever heard criven to this, was, "<Ae gentleman pea^^ 

 and 'tis well christened, if the term gentleman, ac- 

 cordinsr to little Harry Sandford's notion, means 

 something that is good for nothing. Another va- 

 riety is a white pea with a brown colored eye, 

 which is the only circumstance by which it can be; 

 distinguished from the white North Carolina pea 

 already mentioned— //taf having a pale green eye;- 

 but in color, size, and shape therein no perceptible? 

 difference. I have heard it called, the yohorn — a 

 name by the way, sometimes applied to two other 

 very different varieties. The red and white pea 

 already mentioned, is very early in coming to ma- 

 turity; but I know of no other remarkable quality 

 that it possesses. Another variety is the well 

 known cow-pea of the Carolinas, by which name' 

 it is known in the southern part of Virginia. Bui 

 in the counties on the Rappahannock, and between 

 that river and the Matapony, it in best known 

 by the name of the Yeatman pea, from the cir- 

 cumstance, (as I have always heard) of a Mr.- 

 Yeatman having intoduced it into Matthews^ 

 county, some thirty odd years ago, from the East- 

 ern Shore of Virginia. It is of a yellowish color,- 

 is very productive both in vine' arid seedy unusual- 

 ly hardy in remaining uninjured by rain, after be- 

 ing ripe, and is equal, for table use, to several of 

 the other varieties. Another kind is the claret co- 

 lored crowder, which, although already mention- 

 ed, deserve? a more particular notice, from its pos- 

 sessing all the most valuable qualities of the cow 

 or Yeatman pea, together with such a decree of 

 hardiness that many of them will remain m the' 



