PEAS 



767 



of the soil taken out of the trench may be thrown back and worked 

 up with the compost as will fill the trench to the original level. 

 The bottom of the trench should also be broken up. The stations 

 for late peas should also be got ready at the same time, and a peg 

 driven down at the end of each row, so that when the time arrives 

 for sowing all that is necessary is to stretch a line from end to end 

 and draw a drill 5 in. to 6 in. in width and 3 in. to 4 in. in depth. 



Sowing and Gathering. — The large Marrow Peas should be 

 allowed room to branch out, which must be provided by sowing the 

 seed thinly in the drills. From 2 in. to 3 in. apart all over the 

 drill is not too much space to allow ; and this will necessitate 

 the careful distribution of the seeds individually by hand. In dry 

 weather the drills should be soaked with water and the Peas 

 covered with the dry soil drawn from the drills. If mice are likely 

 to be troublesome, dress the seeds with red lead or else keep traps 

 set in the vicinity of the Pea rows. To do late Peas justice the 

 rows should when possible run north and south and stand from 

 6 ft. up to 21 ft. apart. Dwarf-growing crops of other vegetables 

 can be grown between them. Mulching with manure is a useful 

 expedient, and in connection with a good preparation of the ground 

 at this season should render watering, except in very hot weather, 

 unnecessary. The mulch, which should consist of half-decayed 

 stable manure or similar material taken from an old hotbed, should 

 be spread on either side of the rows of Peas 18 in. or so wide and 

 3 in. or 4 in. thick. Gathering should be done carefully and as 

 soon as the Peas in the pods are sufficiently large enough for use. 

 Allowing them to become too old before doing so not only renders 

 them of less value and unpalatable, but by impoverishing the 

 plants causes a considerable reduction of crops. In some cases a 

 secondary crop of young shoots and blossoms will develop and a 

 further yield of Peas, which will be very useful, will be produced. 



Tall and Dwarf Peas. — Dwarf and half-dwarf Peas are very 

 useful where sticks or supports cannot easily be obtained ; but 

 where sticks do not cost much they are best for the main crop tall 

 Peas, which are more prolific. In case of all Peas requiring support — 

 and if possible even those of dwarf habit should be supported — the 

 sticks should be placed to the rows early and the tops levelled off 

 with a pair of shears. The pieces cut off should be used between 

 the large sticks at the base to prevent the plants straggling through 

 and to induce them to grow in an upright direction. Nearly all 

 market gardeners near London grow Peas largely ; and although 

 French Peas are sent to market early in May and sold at cheaper 

 rates than English growers could afford to produce them, prefer- 

 ence is always given to home-grown Peas, for which there is always 

 a good demand until about September. Until the end of October, 

 however, fine samples of the Ne Plus Ultra type may be obtained 



