1226 



PEA 



PEA 



recognized by printed descriptions. This accounts for 

 the confusion in varieties of Peas, particularly in the 

 dwarf or extra-early types. The varietal names are 

 many. In 1889 (Annals Hort.) American dealers cata- 

 logued 154 names. L. H. B. 



1. Peas for the Home Garden. Green Peas are at 

 their best when perfectly fresh, and should come to the 

 table within 5 or 6 hours from the vine. Those bought 

 in the market can rarely be served until 24-48 hours 



1658. Pea, Champion of England (X 



after picking, when they necessarily have lost much of 

 their good quality. It is, therefore, a great advantage 

 to have a home-grown supply. Though they are of 

 easy culture, it is not always feasible to give them a 

 place in one's own garden, because they require consid- 

 erable space, 1-2 yards of row being necessary to produce 

 a single "portion," and it is rare that more than 2 or 3 

 pickings can be made from the same vines. Peas need 

 a rich, friable soil, but an over-supply of nitrogen or 

 the use of coarse and fresh manure will result in a rank 

 growth of vines, with few pods and Peas of inferior 

 quality. The best manurial condition for Peas is found 

 where a heavy dressing of fertilizer has been applied 

 the previous year. If such a soil is not available, the 

 application of 3-6 bushels of well-rotted stable manure, 

 or, in place of this, about one-half bushel of wood ashes, 

 3 or 4 pounds of salt and 5-10 pounds of ground bone 

 or other commercial fertilizer to the square rod, and 

 well worked into the surface soil just before planting, 

 will give good results. Most of the cultivation for 

 Peas should be done before they are planted, and it 

 is more important for this crop than for most that the 

 ground should be well worked and made as friable as 

 possible before the seed is sown. While Pea vines will 

 be killed by a hard freeze, they will endure a slight 

 frost with but little injury, and thrive best in a cool, 

 damp soil and atmosphere. It is, therefore, desirable 

 to plant as early in the spring as the soil can be worked. 

 The writer likes best to plant in double rows about 6 

 inches apart, with the distance between the pairs about 

 equal to the height to which the variety grows. If the 

 soil is sandy and well drained, form a trench 4-6 inches 

 deep and drop 10-20 seeds to the foot according as the 

 variety is a tall- or dwarf -growing one, and cover about 

 an inch deep, gradually filling the trench as the plants 

 grow. In proportion as the soil is heavier and less 

 porous and well-drained the trench should be shallower 

 until, on tenacious clay soils, the seed should be within 

 an inch of the surface. 



All the garden varieties, if planted in the way sug- 

 gested, will give a fair return without trellising, but 

 those growing over 2 feet high will do better if sup- 

 ported. There is nothing better for this purpose than 

 brush, but this is not always available, and the vines 

 can be well supported by driving stakes 2-4 inches 



wide 12-20 feet apart in the double rows, and as the 

 vines grow inclosing their tops between wires or wool 

 twine stretched opposite each other on either side of 

 the stakes. 



Anything more than mere surface tillage is apt to do 

 the Pea crop more harm than good, but any crust 

 formed after rain should be broken up, and the vines 

 will be greatly benefited by frequent stirring of the sur- 

 face soil. 



2. Peas for Market. The above notes will suggest 

 the best methods of culture for market, and profit will 

 depend largely upon the selection of varieties suited to 

 the needs of the trade, and the use of pure and well- 

 grown seed. 



3. Peas for Canning. The quantity of Peas canned, 

 and the popularity of such goods, has been largely in- 

 creased by the use of the machines known as viners, 

 in the use of which the vines are cut when the green 

 Peas are in the best condition for use, and fed into the 

 machine, which by a system of revolving beaters and 

 cylinders separates the green Peas as effectually as a. 

 threshing machine does those which are ripe and dry. 

 As the vines will begin to heat and spoil within a few 

 hours after cutting, it becomes essential to get them 

 through the viner and the Peas into the cans the same 

 day they are gathered, and the canned Peas come to the 

 table fresher and better in quality than from most of 

 the pods obtainable in market. When grown for can- 

 ning or for seed, Peas are usually sown broadcast or 

 with grain drills and no farther culture given, though 

 the crop is improved by a judicious use of the roller 

 after sowing and a weeding harrow just after the plants 

 are up. 



4. Varieties and the Growing of Seed. There are 

 few vegetables in regard to which there is greater dif- 

 ference in tastes as to desirable qualities. To some 

 people tenderness is the most essential quality ; to 

 others sweetness, while still others care most for a rich 

 flavor and marrow-like texture. Varieties have been de- 

 veloped to meet all these wants, as well as those vary- 

 ing in growth from 6 inches to 6 feet in height and of 

 great diversity in the size, form and color of the pods. 

 In this vegetable the quality and purity of the seed 

 used is of great importance, for every "mess" of Peas 

 consists of the product of many seeds, and as the pods. 

 are so near alike that it is impracticable to separate them 

 in gathering, the product of a single inferior seed may 

 injure the entire picking. Again, Peas grown for seed 

 return a very small fold, very rarely as much as 20 and 

 more often less than 5 times the seed planted ; so that it. 

 is impracticable for the seedsman to offer his customers 

 seed grown direct from the seed of individually selected 

 plants, as can readily be done in the case of tomato, 



1659. Pea grown by the Chinese gardeners in the 

 neighborhood of New York City (X%). 



squash or other vegetables,, which give a larger seed 

 return. The most that can be done is to use the greatest 

 pains to keep the varieties pure and of high quality by 

 constantly renewing stocks by selection and the pre- 

 venting of deterioration or mixing while growing and 

 handling. With none of our common vegetables is the 



