232 CALIFORNIA VEGETABLES 



winter in the warmer parts of the state may be effected with little 

 loss of moisture to the trees. Growing the pea crop in the orchard 

 to be gathered green for canners' use has also been successfully done 

 in this state, when the trees are small. The pea is probably one of 

 the least injurious of the inter-cultures and under certain conditions 

 may be of actual benefit to the trees. For this purpose the crop 

 should be gathered and the green vine plowed in as early as possible. 



No Support for Peas. Peas are chiefly grown as a prostrate 

 crop in California both in garden and field. The preference is for 

 the dwarf or medium high kinds and they are allowed to stand or 

 mat down as they see fit. It better suits a climate where reclining 

 on the ground very rarely induces mildew and where the covering 

 of the ground assists in maintaining the coolness and moisture of 

 soil which delights the pea. 



Varieties. Of the two main divisions of pea varieties, the 

 smooth and the wrinkled skins, the smooth are the more hardy and 

 can be safely grown early. The smooth pea may resist decay and 

 grow where the wrinkled seed will perish. And yet the wrinkled 

 pea is so popular that wrinkled varieties have almost excluded the 

 smooth kinds from growth as vegetables. Our enterprising seeds- 

 men are continually offering new varieties, but the older sorts still 

 prevail largely, as follows : 



Alaska : tall-growing, small smooth pea, pod short, well filled ; very early. 



American Wonder: dwarf, wrinkled, very compact growth, productive 

 and early, fine quality, very sweet ; the leading early pea in California. 



McLean's Little Gem: dwarf, wrinkled, very early, productive, rich and 

 sweet. 



Nott's Excelsior: resembles American Wonder; larger growing and more 

 productive ; fine quality ; long bearing period ; excellent home garden pea. 



Gradus : earliest of its height ; pods large ; peas delicious. 



Premium Gem: an improved Little Gem with larger pods; popular for 

 home gardens. 



Yorkshire Hero (also called Alameda Sweet) : later than dwarf varieties; 

 most popular in all parts of the state for main crop; strong grower, with 

 branching habit; large pods well filled with large, wrinkled peas; keeps in 

 condition on vine longer than other varieties. 



Stratagem: strong grower, with large showy pods; peas large, of good 

 flavor. 



Champion of England : well-known late variety, largely used by canners. 



Telephone : late, very productive, large pods ; peas sugary ; largely grown 

 and sometimes very profitable. Dwarf Telephone or Daisy is the same variety 

 of low growth. 



Edible Pod or Sugar Peas. Although California interest is al- 

 most wholly centered in the shelling varieties of peas, there has re- 

 cently been some attention paid in home gardens to the edible pod 

 varieties which are used in the kitchen as are string or snap beans. 

 They are available because of their hardiness at times of the year 

 when string beans can only be had from frostless regions if at all. 

 Their culture is the same as for other kinds of peas. 



