HISTORY OF THE GARDEN PEA 



sown by Gosnold on the Elizabeth Islands off the coast 

 of Massachusetts, according to Smith; in 1629, in 

 Massachusetts, there was a ' store of green peas,' 

 • as good as ever I eat in England,' growing in the 

 governor's garden, according to Rev. Francis Higginson. 

 In 1614, peas were mentioned by Smith as grown by the 

 New England Indians. In 1690, Bancroft says Spanish 

 peas were grown by the Indians of Mexico, and in 1775, 

 Romans says green peas were obtained the year round 

 at Mobile, Alabama. In 1779, Gen. Sullivan's expedition 

 against the Indians of western New York destroyed the 

 growing peas of the Indians who occupied the territory 

 near Geneva." 



Most of the peas grown in America are varieties 

 which originated in England, where, at any rate until 

 recently, pea-breeding has received much more attention 

 than on this side of the Atlantic. Still many admirable 

 varieties are of American origin: as Landreth Extra 

 Early, East Hartford Extra Early, Ferry First and 

 Best, Rural New Yorker, Pedigree Extra Early, Rice 

 Extra Early, Lightning Excelsior, Extra Early Market, 

 Dexter, Maud S., Alaska, Klondike, Winner, Nonpareil, 

 Hustler. Horal, Rice No. 330, American Wonder, Old 

 Glory, New Era, Nott Excelsior, Dwarf Perfection, 

 Dwarf Telephone, Blue Bantam, Surprise, Canners Gem, 

 Canners Perfection, Allan Canner, Horsford Market 

 Garden, Admiral Dewey, King of the Dwarfs, Eclipse 

 (wrinkled), Potlatch, and many other varieties of tem- 

 porary or local distribution. 



The histories of these American peas, with others 

 of lesser note, are traced in the discussions of varieties 

 and form an interesting contribution in the history of 

 American vegetables. 



This brief sketch of the pea in America should not 

 close without noting the names of some of the men and 

 companies who have been or are now seeking to improve 

 peas: David Landreth, John H. Allan, Chas. Arnold, 

 A. B. Cleveland, Rogers Bros., N. B. Keeney, Wilbur 

 Brotherton, F. H. Horsford, D. M. Ferry, Richard 

 Nott, Geo. Starr, E. J. Delwiche, W. Atlee Burpee, 

 Robt. Buist, Jas. Vick and many too little recognized 

 breeders, selectors and guides in roguing who have been 

 associated with the wholesale growers of seed peas. 



To illustrate the advance made in the improvement 

 of the pea since Gerarde's Herbal in 1597 the number of 

 varieties listed by garden writers may be given. Gerarde 

 numbered four sorts, all of which probably correspond 

 to groups of modern peas. Parkinson, 1629, names 9 

 kinds; in 1683, Meager, 9 kinds; in 1765, Stevenson, 

 34 kinds; in 1778, Mawe, 15 kinds; in 1807, Miller, 

 17 kinds; in 1859, Thompson, 36; in 1883, Vilmorin, in 

 France, 149. In the United States McMahon in 1806 

 names 22 kinds; in 1824, Thorburn, 24; in 1863, Burr 

 described 72 kinds; in 1884, the New York Agricultural 

 Experiment Station 93 varieties; in this text more than 

 1,000 are listed. Of these varieties, 350 are now com- 

 pletely out of cultivation; and 110 have been grown 

 only in tests or to a very limited extent. 



