70 The Philippine Journal of Science isis 



found in a wild state, and there is considerable disagreement as 

 to whether this pea has been developed from the field pea {Pisum 

 arvense) or was distinct in nature. It is believed that the 

 garden pea first existed in a wild state between the Caucasus 

 and Persia. The Aryans are supposed to have first introduced 

 it into Europe. 



Garden peas are divided into two very distinct types: the 

 wrinkled and smooth-seeded. The latter are hardier than the 

 former, but on the other hand are considered much inferior 

 in flavor. There are tall and dwarf varieties under each type, 

 the former usually being much later than the latter. 



The pea is distinctly a cool-season crop and it is grov^n exten- 

 sively in northern Europe and America. However, in India 

 the pea has been acclimatized, until good crops are now secured 

 in that country. 



Lentil or lens {Ervum lens). — The lentil is the standard 

 legume of both Palestine and Egypt. It is also a leading crop 

 in India during the cool months. (6) The Hindoos consider the 

 lentil the "most nutritious of pulses." The plant is a much- 

 branched, tufted annual, ranging from 30 to 50 centimeters in 

 height. The pods are short, broad, and very flat and contain 

 two flat seeds. The seeds are rounded and convex on both sides. 

 The ancient astronomers named them "telescope glasses," i. e., 

 lenses, because they were shaped like the seeds of Ervum lens. 

 The dry seeds are eaten. 



Soy bean IGlycine max (G. hispida)']. — The soy bean is a 

 native of China and Japan. (5) It is an erect annual varying from 

 50 to 100 centimeters or more in height. The pods are short and 

 hairy and contain from 2 to 4 pealike seeds. The seeds vary 

 in color from white to black. These are prepared for food in 

 various ways, being roasted, ground into flour, or boiled. The 

 soy bean contains little or no starch. 



Velvet bean (Mucuna nivea) . — The velvet bean is a strong 

 climber that produces clusters of hairy pods about 6 centimeters 

 long and 1.25 centimeters in diameter. This bean is grown 

 extensively in China, where it probably originated. The pods 

 are either green or black and contain beans that correspond to 

 the pods in color. Each seed is covered by a tough coat, which 

 must be removed before the beans are edible. In China the 

 beans are used extensively for food, and in India both the beans 

 and the young pods are eaten. 



Of the fourteen species of legumes discussed, a goodly number 

 are now successfully grown in the Philippines on a commercial 

 scale. These are the Lima, the lablab, the cowpea, the winged 



