94 Comparative earliness of 



6. Early Dwarf. Synonymes. Earliest Dwarf. Rus- 

 sell's Early. Early June. About 4| feet high and of 

 strong growth. Pods long, narrow, not very full, contain- 

 ing 6 or 7 peas. A moderately good bearer of good quality 

 and very hardy. This variety seems nearly allied to the 

 Hotspur or Early Charlton, from which it probably origi- 

 nated. 



Although our experiments were principally confined to 

 the above six varieties of early peas, yet, for our own in- 

 formation, we also made a sowing of the Blue Imperial 

 and Dwarf Marrowfat, at the same period of the above 

 sorts, with a view to obtain the exact period at which the 

 pods were fit to gather for the table, in comparison with 

 the early kinds ; and as this may be of some interest to our 

 readers, who may be desirous of planting their peas so as to 

 obtain a crop in succession, we add the results of our ex- 

 periment here, viz. — 



Blue Imperial. — Sown May 3d — in flower June 26th — 

 pods filled for eating July 18th. Time from date of sowing 

 to period of gathering for the table, 76 days. 



Dwarf Marrowfat. — Sown May 3d — in flower June 28th 

 — pods filled for eating, July 20th. Time from date of sow- 

 ing to period of gathering for the table, 78 days. 



From this it appears that the Blue Imperial were of suf- 

 ficient size to gather for the table, in 23 days after the 

 Prince Albert, the earliest pea : and 9 days after the Ear- 

 ly Dwarf, the latest of the early varieties. The Dwarf 

 Marrowfat is only 2 days later than the Blue Imperial. 



From this table any cultivator may make such sowings 

 as will give a succession of peas throughout the season. 



The cultivation of the pea is so very general and simple, 

 that it may be thought superfluous to add anything on this 

 head. Yet the familiarity of the subject is no reason 

 why we should omit it. Peas, it is true will grow and bear 

 under almost any management ; but they will produce bet- 

 ter crops with some cultivators than with others. 



Sowings of peas may be made as soon as the frost is out 

 of the ground, in warm and sheltered situations ; as early 

 as the latter part of February or March in some localities. 

 In West Cambridge, on the sunny slopes and light soil at 

 the base of the hills, sheltered from all cold winds, peas are 

 often planted in February, and brought to market from the 

 4th to the 10th of June. Oftentimes they are checked with 

 severe frost for several days, but being so very hardy and 



