APRIL, 1916 
Sutton’s Excelsior, just as it grows. Early wrinkled 
the best; to-day Prolific Extra Early is my 
choice of this type. 
The extra few days which 
it takes to bring Prolific Extra Early to the 
table, as compared 
with other strains of 
smooth seeded peas, 
are well spent in 
waiting, when the size 
of the pods, the num- 
ber of peas per pod, 
and the quality of 
peas in the pods are 
considered. 
The early wrinkled 
class offered some pe- 
culiar problems. i- 
nally, in the “process 
of elimination,” I had 
to argue that. if 
THE GARDEN MAGAZINE 
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Prolific Extra Early is adjudged by last year’s trials 
to be the best smooth seeded early pea 
Pioneer is superior to Laxtonian and Blue Ban- 
tam is better than Pioneer, the thing to do is to 
“boost” Blue Bantam. Since this splendid sort 
is a better yielder than Gradus (with a dwarfer 
vine and of about the same season of maturity) 
it would also make Gradus superfluous, which 
may or may not prove quite a “shock” to thou- 
sands of American planters. 
But in peas, as well as in everything else, 
it will pay us to more rigidly observe the law of 
the “survival of the fittest.” Why should we 
worry over six strains of Telephone, called 
THE MERIT MEASUREMENT OF PEAS 
EARLY SORTS 
SMOOTH SEEDED VARIETY 
+ Best Extra Early } t 
¢ Philadelphia Extra Early 
¢ Pedigree Extra Early 
§ Prolific Extra Early 
+ Ameer 
t Alaska 
Smooth seeded kinds 
are hardier than wrink- 
led, and so are ‘“‘first 
early” 
Be sure to put in brush early; don’t wait till the vines 
{ Gradus 
§ Thomas Laxton 
*Premium Gem 
{ Laxton’s Superb 
7 Boston Unrivaled >t 
t Duke of Albany 
Alderman, Boston Unrivalled, Admiral Dewey, 
Duke of Albany, etc., when there are some ele- 
gant sorts with dwarfer vines maturing at 
about the same time and requiring far less 
labor, space, and time to mature 75 per cent. of 
the pods? Home gardeners are the moulders of 
the seedsmen’s opinion. So long as public de- 
mand lasts for antiquated sorts, so long will 
there be seeds to supply it. But let the home 
gardener analyze clearly in his mind what he 
wants and when he wants it and the seed-world 
will gladly give him what he ought to have for 
perfect success in the garden. 
Please note that, with one exception, all the 
peas bore the cream of their crop a few days 
apart. This is not altogether the work of 
chance, but rather of careful calculation based 
on previous records. Alderman (as a type of 
Telephone) is rather slow in maturing the crop 
so that Buttercup was planted to Sy ee 
the yield at that particular time. Dwarf Cham- 
pion is of only fair quality as compared with 
the rest of the “aristocracy.” But I consider 
it as invaluable to complement Potlach which 
I think is easily the finest of all late dwarf 
mid-season peas. 
* Champion of England 
§ British Wonder 
Tt Sutton’s Discovery 
§ Dwarf Champion 
*Long Island Mammoth 
t Varieties braced together thus are “‘too much alike” to be considered separately. { Superfluous. * Obsolete. § Merit (roo pointers) 
163 
Little Marvel has been well named. Pods well filled 
Make allowances in connection with the time 
required from sowing the seed to the time 50 
per cent. of the pods were ready. On lighter 
soil, containing more 
humus, and in a more 
southern latitude, the 
MIDSEASON SORTS LATE SORTS time of maturity can 
WRINKLED SEEDED VARIETY be beaten by five days 
* Nott’s Excelsior { Admiral + Telephone t t ee gb ee ] apere us 
§ Little Marvel t Advancer ty 7 Admiral Dewey also no doubt im my 
+ American Wonder + Horsford’s Market Garden f */§ Royal Salute mind but that both 
§ Sutton’s Excelsior § Alderman * Bliss’s Everbearing Quite Content and 
Royal Salute will bear 
§ Blue Bantam § Quite Content § Buttercup longer if given the 
{ Laxtonian * Improved Stratagem chance. Are a few ad- 
{ Pioneer § Potlach ditional pods sufficient 
compensation for the 
loss of a second crop 
on the same space? 
Even dwarfs do better 
Give brush whenever possible. 
actually need it thus. Climbing is the pea’s happy habit 
THE ARISTOCRACY IN PEDIGREED PEAS 
PODS s LAST AVER. 
AV. NO. OF PEAS 509 PICKING YIELD i 
VARIETY NAME ee SSS AV. PER | LENGTH PER POD READY DAYS FOR I5 Quarry NOTES 
VINE IN IN’H’S LATER FT. ROW 
Prolific Extra Early April 17th | 24 feet Five 3 7 medium size June 20 5 8 qts. | fair Only Smooth Seeded Extra Early 
Little Marvel April 25th 14 feet Eight 33 7 large uly 3 7 8 qts. | excellent Pods in pairs ’ : 
Sutton’s Excelsior April 25th 13 feet Six 4 i gts July 5 4 10 qts. | excellent Light green pods in pair 
Thomas Laxton April17th | 3. feet Seven 4 U July 1 6 9 qts. | excellent Dark green pods in pairs 
Blue Bantam April 18th 13 feet Six 4 Eyl bias July 6 6 8 qts. | excellent Dark green pods singly 
Alderman April 25th 5 feet Eight 4i Stee July 15 8 8 qts. | excellent Dark green pods in pairs 
Quite Content April 25th 5 feet Eight 53 eee July 20 6 10 qts. | excellent Dark green pods singly 
Buttercup April 16th 2 feet Six 43 leet July 15 6 8 qts. | excellent Light pods in pairs 
British Wonder April 25th | 2 feet Ten 34 Gymnas July 20 5 9 qts. | excellent Dark pods borne singly 
Potlach April 16th 2} feet Ten 4, fey July 12 8 12 qts. | excellent Dark pods in pairs 
Dwarf Champion April 19th | 3 feet Seven 33 le he July 16 7 10 qts. | fair Dark pods in pairs 
Royal Salute April 25th 4 feet Ten 4 th July 23 5 | 9qts. | excellent Dark pods in pairs 
Sees eee SSeS OOO_=SO—_S_S— 
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