94 THE CULTURE OF VEGETABLES 



finished. All that remains is to visit them daily, and as soon as they 

 show flower nip out the tops. 



Main crops require plenty of room, and that is really the chief 

 point in growing them. We will suppose the ground to be well pre- 

 pared as already advised ; the next matter of importance is the 

 distance between the rows. The market gardener is usually under 

 some kind of compulsion to sow Peas in solid pieces, just far enough 

 apart for fair growth, and to leave them to sprawl instead of being 

 staked, because of the cost of the proceeding. But the garden that 

 supplies a household is not subject to the severe conditions of the 

 case cited, and Peas may be said to go to the dinner table at retail 

 and not at wholesale price. Moreover, high quality is of import- 

 ance, and here the domestic as distinguished from the commercial 

 gardener has an immense advantage, for well-grown ' Garden Peas ' 

 surpass in beauty and flavour the best market samples procurable, no 

 matter how or where. To produce these fine Peas there must be 

 plenty of space allowed between the rows, and it will be found good 

 practice to grow Peas and early Potatoes on the same plot, and to 

 put short sticks to the Peas as soon as they are forward enough to 

 afford shelter to the Potatoes, for by this management the first top 

 growth of the Potatoes may be saved from the late May frosts, and 

 the Peas will give double the crop of a crowded plantation. As 

 regards the time of sowing, seasons and climates must be considered. 

 But we may offer advice of general value by saying that there is 

 nothing gained by sowing main-crop Peas so early as to subject the 

 plant to a conflict with frost. It should be understood that the 

 finest sorts of Peas are somewhat tender in constitution, and the 

 wrinkled sorts are more tender than the round. Hence, in any case, 

 the wrinkled seeds should be sown rather more thickly than the 

 round, to allow for losses ; but robust-habited Peas should never be 

 sown so thickly as the early sorts, for every plant needs room to 

 branch and spread, and gather sunshine by means of its leaves for 

 the ultimate manufacture of superb Green Peas. The months of 

 March, April, May, and June are the times for sowing main crops of 

 Peas. After June early sorts may be sown again, and will require 

 more than ordinary care to insure profitable results. Late sowings 

 should be kept as cool as possible by screening them from the sun, 

 for the young plant cannot endure the full force of the summer 

 sun. 



On the first appearance of the plant, a slight dusting of lime 

 or soot will be of advantage to render it distasteful to slugs and 



