PEAS. 93 



a good deal of satisfaction, and with much profit to the 

 crop of seed. 



PEAS. 



The market gardener, and in fact all the gardeners, 

 take great pains to get Peas as early as possible. For- 

 tunately the seed is very hardy and will germinate at a 

 low temperature, except some of the late and large vari- 

 eties, such as the Veitch's Perfection. In three seasons 

 out of four, the seed of these is apt to rot in the ground, 

 but the moderately sized, early varieties, which, unfor- 

 tunately are not, and I fear never can be, so sweet as the 

 large and later kinds, can be planted the moment the 

 frost is out of the ground. Last year I planted my peas 

 in February, and I do not think one in a hundred failed 

 to germinate. For early peas, therefore, it is necessary 

 to prepare the soil the autumn previous, taking just as 

 much pains as if you were going to sow the crop at that 

 time. I would even mark out the rows where the seeds 

 are to be sown; then in the spring, open a row, or drill, 

 two or three inches wide with a hoe, about two inches 

 deep, and sow the peas, not more than half an inch apart, 

 or five or six peas to each lineal inch of this wide row. 

 Thick seeding is very desirable, not only for early peas, 

 but for nearly all early crops; the seeds in germinating 

 give out heat, and when thick in the row or bed, they 

 help to keep each other warm. 



Early peas should be sown on the warmest and dryest 

 land, it does not make much difference whether it is light 

 or heavy, provided it is dry and can be readily worked 

 in the spring without afterwards baking. A sandy loam, 

 and from that to a light sand, is best, but whatever the 

 character of the soil, a good crop of very early peas can 

 not be grown unless it is rich. For a second early crop, 

 it is not necessary to take so much pains; still, the better 



