LEADING VEGETABLE CROPS I95 



proper state for use, accounts for their successful 

 cultivation over a wide range of latitude. The soils 

 best adapted to the cultivation of the pea are the 

 well-drained clay loams. These soils are retentive 

 of moisture and are cool in their character. When 

 grown as an early crop, especially in the South, the 

 more sandy loams are usually preferred on account 

 of the earlier preparation possible and the quicker 

 results secured. While the soils for peas should be 

 rich in vegetable matter, excessive quantities of 

 nitrogen are not desirable because likely to produce 

 excessive vine growth at the expense of pods. Heavy 

 manuring the same year the crop is to be grown is 

 not generally considered advisable. Land highly 

 manured the preceding year usually furnishes the 

 best condition for peas. 



Commercial fertilizers are usually depended upon 

 as the common source of plant food. Although the pea 

 belongs to the Leguminosse family, the early crops are 

 started long before nitrification is active; hence light 

 applications of nitrate of soda in these cases may be 

 very profitable. Planting for the earliest crop is usually 

 done in March or as soon as the ground can be pre- 

 pared ; therefore it is well to plow the soil in the fall of 

 the year. No harm will be done the plants if the soil is 

 frozen two or three inches deep after planting. 

 Shallow planting should be the rule with the earliest 

 crops, while the later crops, especially on sandy 

 soils, should be planted three or four inches deep. 



The distance between the rows will depend upon 

 the nature of the growth of the varieties planted. 

 Dwarf varieties should be planted in rows from 24 

 to 30 inches apart. Those of medium growth from 

 30 to 36 inches apart, while the tall-growing va- 

 rieties should be given not less than four feet. 



