450 0)1 the Culture of the Pea. 



Art. IX. On the Culture of the Pea. By A. Forsyth. 



The best sorts that I am acquainted with are, the early 

 frame, early Warwick, Bishop's early dwarf, Spanish dwarf, 

 Knight's wrinkled marrow (tall and dwarf), blue Prussian, 

 dwarf green imperial, Charlton. 



Peas are forced, in pots (about 12 plants in a 16-sized pot), 

 placed on the shelves, or planted out in the area of the peach- 

 house, or any other forcing-house where a mild temperature is 

 maintained ; and, if plenty of air can be given, without injury to the 

 fruit trees, and the pea blossoms can be brought anywise near 

 the glass, most of the early varieties will succeed well : early 

 frame and early Warwick I should prefer. 



To obtain an early crop in the open border, the simplest and 

 surest system that I have proved is as follows : — About 

 Martinmas, sow a bed of peas, as thick as one seed can lie 

 by another ; say, nine seeds in a square inch : at this rate, a 

 square foot of seed-bed will plant 54 ft. of row, at two plants to 

 au inch; or, a bed 13 ft. long, and 5 ft. wide, will give plants for 

 20 poles of ground; and can be protected (see my article on 

 strawberries) with four mats, erected on a few straight sticks, 

 which any labourer may get up in one hour ; and can be covered, 

 or uncovered, in one minute. Early in March, they maybe planted 

 out in drills, 6 in. and 3 ft., alternately, apart ; and 1 in. lower 

 than they stood in the seed-bed. 



About Christmas, another sowing may be made in the matted 

 bed, for a succession, and treated as above ; and a third, in the 

 open ground, about Candlemas, in drills, as above, running 

 north and south, about 3 in. deep, and three seeds to an inch, 

 longitudally. A row of plants, of Bishop's early dwarf, may 

 be planted in the slip close to the wall, on a south border, early 

 in March, without being injurious or unsightly, on account of 

 their dwarf habits : it is a very common and sure-footed rule, 

 to sow a successional crop as soon as the plants of the preced- 

 ing, are I in. above ground. As the plants advance, let the 

 ground between the rows be frequently stirred, drawing it to- 

 wards the rows of peas, which, when about 6 in. high, will re- 

 1 equire to be supported by sticks, corresponding in height with 

 their respective habits of growth. Peas may be dwarfed a 

 little, and somewhat forwarded into fruit, by topping their 

 leaders a little before the blossoms appear. For late peas, 

 take out trenches, 3 ft. apart, 9 in. wide, and 9 in. deep ; in the 

 bottom of these, lay a layer of old hot-bed dung, 3 in. deep, 

 and over this a layer of soil, 3 in. ; then sow the peas as directed 

 above, and cover them with about 1 in. of soil ; give the whole a 

 good drenching with water ; fill in the rest of the soil, and pass 

 the roller over the whole square. This stratum of dung, when 

 thoroughly wetted, will retain a moisture under the peas, which 



