PEA FAMILY 



cessful experiment of growing it in California. The demand has 

 increased until now practically the world's supply is produced 

 by the California seed-growers, and amounts to hundreds of tons 

 annually. Such an enormous growth of plants naturally led to 

 the production of new sorts; the number of named varieties is 

 now legion. 



The first Dwarf Sweet Pea, a sport, was discovered in a Cali- 

 fornia field in 1893, and since that time the dwarfs appear in all the 

 colors of the standard. In this form the plant makes a mat of low 

 foliage; the blossoms are of the usual size but the stems are short. 



Fortunately no encouragement has been given by the public to 

 a double Sweet Pea. . The large single form is the approved type 

 as it is certainly the most graceful. The aim of the florist is to 

 obtain two to four large flowers on a single long stem. 



Many flowers clearly force cross-fertilization; the Sweet Pea 

 blossom, on the other hand, shows itself independent and self-fertil- 

 izing. The keel is a sac containing the stamens and pistil and 

 in a healthy blossom the latter is rarely exposed. So jealously 

 does each blossom fertilize itself that it sheds its pollen when half 

 open and the sac at the upper end draws snugly up around the 

 anthers pressing them closely about the stigma. 



Everlasting Pea, Lathyrus laiifdlius, is the common perennial 

 pea, native to the woods of Europe and one of the hardiest and 

 most easily cultivated species, thriving in almost any location. 

 It succeeds in shade and grows rapidly, but is impatient of re- 

 moval owing to the size and length of its roots. The stem is 

 winged and tendril-climbing and the leaflets ovate. It produces a 

 full raceme of beautiful rose and white blossoms and the pod is 

 four to five inches long. 



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