VEGETABLES DESCRIPTION AND CULTURE. 393 



soil between the drills, destroying every weed, liepeat 

 this once or twice before brushing, which should be done 

 when the plants are six or eight inches high, or as soon 

 as the tendrils appear. This may be done by sharpened 

 branches of trees prepared fan-shaped, and of a height 

 proper for the pea to which they are to be applied, or 

 stakes may be driven down every six feet each side of the 

 drills, and lines of twine stretched from one to the other. 

 Pea brush is, however, the best, as the vines lay hold of it 

 more readily. It should be placed firmly in the ground 

 between the drills. After brushing, draw up the earth on 

 each side to help support the vine. Market gardeners do 

 not employ brush or twine, but let them fall over and 

 bear what they will. This does tolerably well with the 

 early varieties, if the spaces between the rows be filled 

 with straw or leaves. 



Peas are forced by planting under glass m pots, 10 be 

 transplanted, when the season permits; but in mild lati- 

 tudes this is needless, as the pea, when young will survive 

 a temperature but two degrees above zero if not in a state 

 of rapid growth. If a hard frost occur when the plants 

 are in bloom the crop is lost. 



Seed. — The plants of the rows intended for seed should 

 not be gathered from for any other purpose. When the 

 pods begin to dry, gather and dry them thoroughly, and 

 store the seed in bottles, pouring into each a little spirits 

 of turpentine, as directed for preserving beans. 



Some think that peas are earlier if the seed has been 

 obtained from a more northern locality than the one in 

 which they are planted. The garden pea is very whole- 

 some, and an almost universal favorite. To have them in 

 perfection, they should be freshly gathered, and by no 

 means allowed to stand over night before use. They can 

 be shelled and dried in the shade, and form a tolerably 

 agreeable dish in winter, but they are much inferior to 



