1124 



PB ACTIO AL GUIDE TO GARDEN PLANTS 



PEA 



sticks should interlace or cross each other 

 at the top, and so that the Peas may climb 

 them properly, small twigs or brushwood 

 may be stuck to the plants at the base 

 leading them in the right du-ection. As 

 a rule the sticks should be long enough 

 according to the variety, say 3-5 ft. high, 

 although now there are dwarf varieties 

 that scarcely require staking at all — but 

 they are all the better for short stakes. 



The distance between the rows may 

 vary from 4 to 6 ft. according to the height 

 of the variety, so that one row will not 

 shade another from the sun. The inter- 

 vening space between the rows need not 

 be wasted, and may be cropped with 

 Lettuce, Eadishes, Cabbage, Spinach &c. 

 if desired. 



Protection. — All sowings up to March 

 require more or less attention when the 

 seedlings are above the ground, according 

 to the severity of the weather. In the 

 event of hard frosts the young plants 

 shotild be protected with a layer of clean 

 straw, litter, or bracken fronds, which, 

 however, may be removed on bright 

 days. 



Maincrop sowing. — About the middle 

 of March, say St. Patrick's Day, March 

 17th, is a good time for sowing, and in 

 about 3 months from that date, say about 

 the middle to the end of June, the Peas 

 ^vill be fit for use. The plants may be 

 mulched and staked as described above 

 in due course. 



Late crops. — ^The seeds of these are 

 sown up to the end of June, and they 

 are fit for use about 3 months from the 

 date of sowing. The end of September or 

 middle of October is therefore the latest 

 period to have Peas out of doors in most 

 parts of the kingdom, and m northern 

 localities scarcely so late as this. 



General treatment. — Beyond mulch- 

 ing the young plants, staking, and keep- 

 ing the weeds down between the rows. 

 Peas require little attention. Hot dry 

 seasons, however, necessitate frequent 

 and abundant waterings, and an extra 

 mulching round the base of the plants 

 will keep the soil cool, and prevent exces- 

 sive evaporation. 



Pea picking. — As soon as the pods 

 attain a fair size they should be picked. 

 This is a great boon to the plants, as their 

 strength is not exhausted in the process 

 of ripening seeds. Fresh fiowers are also 

 developed as a result of frequent picking, 

 and the crop by this means can be ex- 



tended over a longer period than if the pods- 

 are allowed to remain untd they approach 

 the seed-ripening stage. 



When the plants are in bloom some 

 gardeners pinch out the points of the 

 shoots, with a view to having the sap 

 diverted to the quicker formation of pods. 

 The same practice applied to Dwarf, 

 Broad, and Eunner Beans has the same 

 beneficial result. 



Enemies So. — Among the worst of 

 these may be mentioned mice, mOlipedes, 

 slugs, and snails, which eat the sprouting 

 seeds ; Pea and Bean Weevils destroy the 

 young plants by feeding on the leaves, as 

 do also the caterpillars of various moths. 

 Indeed there is no part of the Pea, from 

 the sprouting seed to the swelling pod, that 

 is not liable to attack from some foe or 

 another. Wireworms eat the roots, and 

 Green Fly (aphides) smother the young 

 shoots. 



Bemedies. — A good sprinkling of hme 

 and soot in the drills may be given before 

 and after covering the seeds, and in the 

 event of caterpillars, weevils &c. attacking' 

 the stems and leaves, a dusting of hme and 

 soot when the dew is still on the plants 

 wUl prove a good remedy. Where mice 

 exist, they must of course be trapped, and 

 birds must be checked by placing wire 

 guards or netting with narrow meshes 

 over the rows of young plants. Netting 

 may also be required when the pods 

 are sweUing. Thin black — not white — 

 cotton stretched over the rows is an ex- 

 cellent preventive against birds. They do 

 not readily see the black cotton, and in 

 their hurry to devour the plants become 

 entangled in the threads, apparently much 

 to their astonishment. After one or two 

 attempts they generally desist. 



Besides insect pests Peas are often 

 subject to attacks of Mildew (Oidium 

 Tuckeri), hronght about by dryness at the 

 root, or great variations in temperature, 

 and inclement weather. Syringing the 

 plants with a fine spray of hot water 

 (about 150° F.) will check if not kill the 

 mildew ; or the leaves may be dusted 

 with sulphur early in the morning when 

 the dew is on the leaves. Watering, 

 mulching &o. should also 'be looked to if 

 they have been neglected. 



VARIETIES OF PEAS 



These are now becoming simply be- 

 wildering in number, and every year each 

 tradesman has his own list of new varie- 



