PEA 



[ 085 ] 



TEA 



single rows, ranging north and south, 

 and the sticks alternately on each side 

 of the row. If the rows range east and 

 west, put the sticks on the south side. 



When the summer sowings are made, 

 if dry weather is prevalent, the seed 

 should he soaked in water for two or 

 three hours previous, and the drills 

 well watered, 



When the plants have advanced to a 

 height of two or three inches, they are 

 to he hoed, and earth drawn around 

 their stems. This should he done 

 twice or three times gradually as they 

 ascend, previous to the sticks heing 

 placed. It should be performed in dry 

 weather ; for the winter-standing crops 

 it should be especially attended to, as 

 it protects them greatly from frost. 



Sticking is not required until the 

 plants show their tendrils. If during the 

 time of blossoming or swelling of the 

 fruit, continued drought should occur, 

 water may very beneficially be applied, it 

 being poured between the rows, if they 

 are in pairs, or otherwise in a shallow 

 trench, on one side of each. Watering 

 the leaves is rather injurious. Failures 

 in the rows of the earliest crops may 

 be rectified by transplanting. This is 

 best performed in March : the plants 

 thus removed must be watered until 

 they have taken root, and also shaded 

 if the weather is hot. It is a good 

 practice to nip off the top of the lead- 

 ing shoots of the early and late crops 

 as soon as they are in blossom, as it 

 greatly accelerates the setting and ma- 

 turity of the fruit. Too much care 

 cannot be taken, when the pods are 

 gathered, not to injure the stems. We 

 know, from lengthened experience, that 

 if the pods are cut off with scissars, the 

 plants produce one-fourth more than 

 when roughly gathered from. 



The more regularly the plants are 

 gathered from, the longer they con- 

 tinue in production, as the later pods 

 never attain maturity if the earlier ones 

 are allowed to grow old before they are 

 gathered. In very severe weather, the 

 winter-standing crops require the shel- 

 ter of litter or other light covering, 

 supported as much as possible from the 

 plants by means of branches ; ropes or 

 twisted straw -bands are good for this 



purpose, to be fixed along each side of 

 the rows with wooden pins driven into 

 the ground. Whichever mode of shelter 

 is adopted, it must be always removed 

 in mild weather, otherwise the plants 

 will be spindled and rendered weaker. 



To obtain Seed, leave some rows that 

 are in production during July, or sow 

 purposely in March. Care must be 

 taken, however, that no two varieties 

 are in blossom near each other at the 

 same time. The plants intended for 

 seed ought never to be gathered from. 

 When in blossom, all plants which do 

 not appear to belong to the variety 

 among which they are growing should 

 be removed. They are fit for har- 

 vesting as soon as the pods become 

 brownish and dry. When perfectly free 

 from moisture, they should be beaten 

 out, otherwise if hot showery weather 

 occurs, they will open and shed their 

 seed. 



Forcing commences in December, in 

 the early part of which month they 

 may be sown in a hotbed to remain, or 

 thick to transplant, during the succeed- 

 ing month, into others for production. 

 These may be repeated in January, 

 and the transplanting takes place in 

 February. It is also a common prac- 

 tice to sow in a warm border during 

 October, and the plants being cultivated 

 as a natural ground crop, are removed 

 into a hotbed during January. 



The hotbed must be moderate, and 

 earthed equally over the depth of six 

 or eight inches, with light fresh mould 

 not particularly rich. The seed must 

 be buried one inch-and-a-half deep. 

 The frame, which is required to be two 

 feet- and- a-half high behind, and one- 

 and-a-half in front, ought to be put on 

 three or four days before the crop is 

 sown, that the steam and heat may 

 abate. Seed may likewise be sown at 

 the above times in pots or pans, and 

 placed round the bins of the stove. 

 At the close of September, also, some 

 peas may be sown in pots and sunk in 

 the earth of any open compartment ; 

 when the frost commences, to be re- 

 moved into the greenhouse. A border 

 of fresh earth being made in the front 

 of it early in December, the plants are 

 removed into it, in rows two feet asun- 



