LEGUMINOUS PLANTS. — THE PEA. 



49 



before Christmas." Bonnefonds, in his " Jardi- 

 nier Francais," (1651), describes the skinless pea 

 as the Dutch pea, and remarks, that until lately 

 they were exceedingly rare. They appear to 

 have been introduced into France from Holland 

 about 1600. Green pease became a popular 

 delicacy in England soon after the Restoration 

 of Charles II.; and, strange enough, even for 

 late ones so early as 1769, as it is a matter of 

 history that on the 28th October of that year, 

 a guinea a pottle — not quite half a dish — was 

 given in Covent-Garden market ; and as much 

 as ten times that sum has been paid since 

 in the same market, for a quart of green pease 

 shelled. 



Use. — Pease in their dried state are used in 

 soups, either whole or split ; in the latter form 

 they are generally preferred. They are also 

 made into puddings, and occasionally ground 

 into meal : in either way they form an agreeable 

 and nourishing food — not, however, well-suited 

 to those of weak digestion. Old pease are often 

 difficult to boil ; indeed, sometimes no boiling 

 will render them soft. This has been said to 

 ensue when they have been kept more than one 

 year ; and also that those grown on land which 

 has been manured with lime, marl, or gypsum, 

 will even not boil at all, whatever their age may 

 be. That such a circumstance sometimes oc- 

 curs as their not boiling, is pretty well known 

 to dealers; but that either of the causes assigned 

 is the true one, seems to us to be doubtful. 

 All the varieties of garden pea are esteemed for 

 their seed while in a young state ; indeed, for 

 the tables of the great, they can hardly be either 

 too small or too young. In their second state 

 or size, they are used for green-pea soup ; and, 

 in their third state, when fully grown, but still 

 quite green and soft, they form an ingredient in 

 hodge-podge. In gathering, the young gardener 

 should be informed for which of these purposes 

 they are intended ; for whether for the one or 

 the other, the pease should be of a uniform 

 size and age. We may here also observe, that 

 several of our largest-growing varieties are ob- 

 jected to merely on account of size, and there- 

 fore it is unwise to indulge exclusively in such 

 sorts ; for although excellent, and most profit- 

 able to those who wish a good comfortable 

 family dish of duck and green pease, they would 

 be considered unfit for a first-rate table. The 

 marrow-fats, although much prized by some on 

 account of their peculiar fine flavour and deli- 

 cacy, must give way, in this respect, to Sutton's 

 early champion, Beck's morning star, early 

 Frame, Prince Albert, Auvergne, and such like 

 smaller sorts ; while Bishop's new long-podded, 

 Thurstone's reliance, Hair's dwarf mammoth — 

 all first-class pease for profitable culture — must 

 not be calculated upon to afford a supply for 

 mouths genteel. In a sanitary point of view, 

 pease cannot be eaten too young, nor too soon 

 after they are gathered ; and hence people who 

 have to depend on the public markets for their 

 supply, seldom taste this very popular vegetable 

 in perfection, and too often have it only when 

 it is almost unfit for use. This is a formidable 

 objection to imported pease. It is, of course, for 

 the interest of the producer to keep back his 



pease till they are fully grown, because they mea 

 sure better, and we believe with many take bet- 

 ter, as they get greater bulk for their money. This 

 may be so far excusable on the part of such ; 

 but it is inexcusable that a gentleman, having a 

 private garden of his own, should be served 

 with pease otherwise than in the very highest 

 state of perfection — which they are not, if allowed 

 to become too old, or even too large. Mint is 

 usually boiled with pease. It improves the 

 flavour of them while young, and very much 

 enhances the flavour of pea-soup ; it also cor- 

 rects flatulency. A few sprigs of mint should 

 accompany the pease to the kitchen. 



There is one section of garden pease called 

 sugar-pease, the pods of which have the inner 

 film wanting, or much less tough than usual. 

 The pods in this section are used with the 

 young seed within them, and are cooked and 

 eaten the same as French or kidney beans. 

 This is a mode of using pease we would like to 

 see much more generally in use : dressed in 

 this way, they afford a delicious and economical 

 dish. 



Regarding the nutritive properties of the pea 

 in a green state, we have never met with a satis- 

 factory analysis. In a ripened state, the flour 

 of pease is as three to two of bulk in grain ; and 

 when dressed and split for soups, as four to two. 

 According to Sir H. Davy, 1000 parts of pea- 

 flour afforded 574 parts of nutritive or soluble 

 matter ; viz., 501 of mucilage, 22 of sugar, 35 of 

 gluten, and 16 of extract, or matter rendered 

 insoluble during the operation. The sugar-pease 

 are much more used on the Continent than with 

 us. The dwarf crooked sugar-pea (pois sans par- 

 chemin ou mange tout — zwerg zuckerchoutte), 

 and the tall crooked sugar-pea (pois sans parche- 

 min a grandes cosses — grosse schottige zucker- 

 erbse), are met with at every table d'hdte. 



Yet how seldom do we see such a dish in our 

 own country. This may be looked upon as the 

 more singular, as Gerard, writing in 1597, in 

 speaking of the different sorts of pease, or "pea- 

 son," as he has it, says there are " some with 

 tough skins, or membrances in the cods ; and 

 others have not at all, whose cods are to be 

 eaten with the pease when they be yoong, as 

 those of the yoong kidney-beane : " than this 

 nothing can be clearer. Hoffman and Simon 

 Paull treat largely on their medical proper- 

 ties ; and Lemery, u On Foods," remarks that 

 pease contain a viscous and thick juice, which 

 causes flatulency, and produces gross humours ; 

 and therefore they are not good for those that 

 are troubled with gravel." Green pease may be 

 preserved for winter use if dried in a cool oven, 

 and afterwards placed in paper bags suspended 

 from the roof in a dry room. 



Propagation. — All the cultivated pease, 

 being annuals, are propagated by seed. 



Sowing. — The earliest crops to be pro- 

 duced in the open garden, without artifi- 

 cial aid, are obtained by a judicious selec- 

 tion of the most approved early varieties, 

 choosing a favourable soil and situation, 

 and committing the seed to the ground in 



