Deeamtier 13, 1864. ] 



JOURNAL OP HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 



467 



EARLY PEAS. 



At a time when public and private enterprise seem deter- 

 mined to leave nothing untouched that there seems any- 

 chance of improving, it is not to be wondered that Peas 

 have also come in for their share of the universal pro- 

 gressiveness, which whether real or ideal is constantly at 

 work. Unfortunately, every assumed advance does not prove 

 to be so, and now and then an absolute retrogression takes 

 place ; but, on the whole, progress is made, or what is almost 

 an equivalent thereto, a backward tendency is prevented by 

 the movements of those whose efforts are directed to the 

 improvement of the varieties of fruits and vegetables so 

 numerously put forth year after year. That Peas have been 

 no exception to this rule I need hardly affirm. On the con- 

 trary, each returning season adds one or more kinds to the 

 class of early ones, and two or three, perhaps, to that of 

 general croppers. On the latter section it is not my purpose 

 to make much comment at present, but I will take the former 

 as possessing claims to attention which cannot be over- 

 looked by even the most careless of cultivators. It will, 

 therefore, be no waste of time to examine the conditions 

 which favour earliness in this vegetable, as well as to name 

 some of the kinds most suitable in this respect. 



In the first place let us take a survey of the district which 

 has the reputation of furnishing earlier Peas than others 

 equally favourably situated as regards latitude and local 

 shelter, and one of the main features which constitute early 

 maturity will be at once apparent. Some few years ago I 

 visited a nobleman's gardener who had an extensive kitchen 

 garden as well as other grounds to manage. The kitchen 

 garden had the reputation, and deservedly so, of being one 

 of the best in the neighbourhood; it comprised an area of 

 some six or seven acres, and had good walls all round, and 

 one or two crossing it in a transverse direction, with external 

 shelter on the west, north, and east sides, while the soil 

 was of a kind that produced some of the best vegetables 

 and fruits in their season, and the whole was well managed. 

 Of course, early Peas were always aimed at, the various 

 modes by which they are expected to be obtained adopted, 

 and all the new kinds sown which are every year offered ; 

 but the gardener candidly told me, and the admission did 

 him honour, that one of the tenants on the estate always 

 gathered a dish of Peas in the open field earlier by four 

 or five days than he could from the garden, although he had 

 adopted the most approved methods of obtaining them. He 

 had planted them on a south border, and had tried the 

 various methods of autumn and spring sowing, and planting 

 out in various ways ; but the result in six out of seven years 

 was always in favour of the farmer. 



Now, this may raise a doubt that something was wrong, 

 though the garden was really a good one. The walls pro- 

 duced good Peaches, and the open quarters excellent vege- 

 tables, Strawberries, and other small fruits, and skill and 

 good cultivation were everywhere visible ; but Nature had 

 denied the garden the means of maturing a crop of Peas early 

 in the season. The soil was heavy, stiff, and cold, useful 

 qualifications for a summer garden, as the general crops 

 testified by their good appearance, but adverse to the winter 

 and spring growth of such vegetables as have to make their 

 growth then — as the Pea has to do. I need hardly say that 

 the garden was well drained in so far as mechanical means 

 could accomplish that object, there being no stagnant water 

 for artificial conduits to take away, neither had good cul- 

 tivation left anything undone to secure the speedy sinking of 

 rain water. The subsoil was stiff, an excellent qualification 

 by-the-by for nine-tenths of the crops cultivated in the gar- 

 den, taking everything into consideration ; but, as before ob- 

 served, adverse to the early maturity of Peas, while the soil 

 which possessed the contrary qualification was deficient in 

 most of the properties which rendered the other so service- 

 able in many ways — for instance, that of retaining mois- 

 ture to supply the wants of vegetation in the dry weather 

 of the dog-days. The soil which produced the early crop 

 alluded to was of a light gravelly nature, resting also on 

 gravel, which would drain off every drop of moisture which 

 fell on its thin covering, and at the same time carry away 

 those fertilising matters which might be artificially applied. 

 In fact, a dry gravelly soil, which in local phrase is described 

 as a hot burning one in summer, was the soil which pro- 



duced the early Peas, beating those on the gardener's south 

 border. From such ground London is supplied with basket- 

 fuls of early Peas at a time when they are far from plentiful 

 in places equally favoured in all other respects than those of 

 soil and subsoil. 



It being shown that a dry, open, stony soil is the best to 

 furnish early Peas, it follows that unless a soil of this kind be 

 at command, an early crop cannot be depended upon, unless 

 expensive operations be undertaken to imitate it, and such 

 being seldom convenient, those having a stiff, cool soil must 

 rest satisfied, that though unable to furnish Peas as early 

 as their neighbour, they will most likely gain on him in 

 summer Cauliflower, Lettuce, and many other things, as 

 well as in the prolongation of the main crop of Peas. Some- 

 thing, too, may perhaps, be done to encourage the early ma- 

 turity of Peas in unfavourable places, by adding large quan- 

 tities of sand or sandstone shatter, if it can be had, to the 

 stiff soil ; and as much of the latter material as can be pro- 

 cured, put in the bottom of the trench, would do much to- 

 wards improving the drainage, and increasing the power of 

 the surface soil to absorb the heat of the sun in early spring. 

 Manure, too, is less wanted for the early crop than for later 

 ones, early maturity rather than prolonged growth being 

 the object. It likewise happens sometimes that means 

 taken to check growth are not without their benefit. Thus 

 cutting the roots of Tomatoes in autumn checks the growth 

 of useless vine, and hastens the maturity of the fruit, and in 

 like manner where slates or flagstones are plentiful, a few 

 laid along under the row check the downward tendency of 

 the roots, and the plant being compelled either to send its 

 roots farther for its food, or hurry on its functions, the 

 latter being the more easily accomplished, a few days are 

 gained in the crop. The soil should also be lighter than 

 the surrounding medium, the row raised above the gene- 

 ral level into something like a ridge, the slate or stone 

 bottom but slightly depressed from the surface, and all the 

 growing material raised above it. Observe, I by no means 

 affirm that this method will insure success in all cases, but 

 in some it may be beneficial, and is worth a trial. — J. Robson. 

 (To be continued.) 



FUMES OF CHAECOAL AMONG PLANTS. 



CUCUMBEBS 1ST DUNG-BEDS — WINTERING COLETJS BLTJHEI 

 AND VEESCHAFFELTT. 



I have a lean-to house 40 feet by 10 feet, but not heated, 

 and in it I am obliged to keep all my bedding plants 

 through the winter, and if a sharp winter some of the 

 tenderest of them are severely cut, if not entirely killed. Do 

 you think the fumes of charcoal would injure the plants at 

 all if used merely to exclude frost ? As that would, I sup- 

 pose, be the only thing I could use, would it be injurious to 

 heat the house with it a degree or two above freezing ? 



When would be the earliest time I could sow Cucumber 

 seed with any hope of success ? I should grow the plants 

 on dung hotbeds, and should like to commence as soon as 

 possible. I suppose the Improved Sion House is the best 

 for early forcing. 



I had a fine lot of healthy young plants of the Coleus 

 Blumei and Verschaffelti, in three-inch pots in a cold 

 greenhouse, but am afraid I shall lose them all, as several 

 of them are already dead, and the others are dying off; the 

 points of the shoots mildew, and the stems rot off, although 

 they are kept almost dry. Would you tell me how I could 

 winter these pretty plants ? — A Young Gardenek. 



[Burning charcoal in an unheated greenhouse will always 

 be injurious in proportion to the closeness of the house, and 

 the nature of the plants. Some leathery-leaved plants, and 

 even soft-leaved ones like the Scarlet Geraniums, will stand 

 much more than any others. Merely to heat a degree or 

 two above freezing, is rather close sailing, unless you stay 

 beside your charcoal pans all night. Would it not be better 

 for such a nice house at once to purchase one or two small iron 

 stoves, which you might do for from 30s. to 35s. each, with a 

 funnel to go outside ? The advantage of two would be that 

 you would never require to make either of the stoves very 

 not. If the house is not lofty, one fair-sized brick Arnotf s 

 stove would answer to keep out frost, and a pan of water on 

 the top would give a nice moist atmosphere. We need say 



