No. 151.] 407 



a quick maturity. As the name indicates, it had filled for the table 

 in forty days. 



Eighteen years ago, I got some of this seed from the late Mr. 

 George Murdock, near Faneuil Hall, Boston, with whom it had been 

 left for sale by Mr. Lowell or Mr. Prince.* I sowed four rows of 

 about thirty feet length on the 10th of June. The ground was well 

 , prepared and open to the sun from East to Southwest. On the 4th 

 of July, r gathered sufficient for my own large family, and a quan- 

 tity for a celebration dinner on that day. Some of *the first and fair- 

 est pods I left for seed. My family was supplied from this patch till 

 early in August; I had besides a large surplus for sale. I pulled 

 up the vines, cleared and prepared the ground well, and sowed in 

 the same ground, the seed I had saved from ihe first crop. The se- 

 cond crop matured in about thirty days; I continued to gather from 

 it through September. The vines became injured by mildew, and 

 were less fruitful than the first. 



The quality of this pea is hardly inferior to the marrowfat The 

 vines very tall; for the first crop, my sticks were not long enough. 

 In fruitfulness it far excels any other pea I ever saw. The pods are 

 large, well filled and hang in amazing abundance. In both cases, I 

 soaked the seed well, to swelling, in brook water. 



The green prolific is a late, low bush pea — the pod flat, and of 

 a deep green, and can or could usually be had in the Boston market 

 till October. It is very rich, opens well, and commands at that sea- 

 son a high price. An early frost injured my crop. My garden was 

 on high land in Worcester county, Mass. 



If this account be of no other service, it may induce attempts to 

 prolong the season for this favorite and delicious vegetable, by suc- 

 cessive crops and by introducing new varieties. 



Respectfully yours, 



FRANCIS WHITBY. 

 T. B. Wakeman, Esq. 



