856 



JOURNAL OF THE ROYAL HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



ground should be firm. The varieties I rely upon are ' Veitch's Main 

 Crop,' 'Sutton's A 1,' and 'James's Keeping,' with a few of the small 

 'Silver-skinned' for pickling; these form the main crop. Fcr the 

 autumn sowing ' Giant Rocca ' is preferred, but any of the ' Red Tripoli ' 

 breed are hardy, and may be used. The time for sowing them at Belvoir 

 is the third week in August ; they are ready for use in the following June, 

 and generally give a supply until October, and as the spring-sown ones 

 are ready in August, there is but little difficulty in having Onions for use 

 throughout the year. 



Parsley (Apium Petroselinum). — The supply of this herb often fails in 

 severe winters, chiefly owing to growth being almost absent during 

 I December, January, and February. It is a good plan to sow a plot of suit- 

 able size to be covered with frames during severe weather, as severe 

 frost damages the leaves ; it should be sown early in the year, and is ready 

 for use three months afterwards. 



Parsnip (Pastinaca sativa). — There is but little demand for this 

 vegetable in most gardens. To have it in a good tender condition in 

 spring it should be stored out of doors when lifted in the autumn. A 

 sheltered corner, where it can be covered with soil, is all that it requires ; 

 it should be sown early in April, and may be had fit for use eight months 

 in the year. 



Peas (Pisum sativum).— This is perhaps the greatest favourite among 

 vegetables, and a good supply as long as it can be maintained is required 

 in all gardens. By sowing dwarf varieties, such as 'Chelsea Gem' or 

 1 Sutton's Forcing,' in pots, in January, and growing them on shelves of 

 vineries or peach-houses, they may be had fit for use early in April ; 

 succession crops of the same varieties may be sown in heated pits so as to 

 carry on the supply until June. On referring to my cropping book I find 

 the first Peas have been ready outside at Belvoir from May 30 to June 30, 

 a difference of one month in the ten years 1894 to 1903 for early Peas. 

 I still practise the old system of sowing on a warm border early in 

 November, and the best variety I have found for that purpose is the old 

 ' Laxton's Standard.' Having a very cold clay soil, I find many varieties 

 will not survive the winter which would be hardy elsewhere. 1 Standard ' 

 is not a marrow Pea, but it is of much better quality than ' Sangster's 

 No. 1,' and similar varieties which used to be the favourites for autumn 

 sowing; it comes into use a fortnight before 'Criterion,' which is good 

 for "> in i n I use in early summer. For the main crop we have nothing so 

 good as 1 No Plus Ultra,' an old variety which has been re-christened a 

 good many times ; its great fault is in growing six feet and upwards in 

 height. Messrs. Sutton have this season sent me a new dwarf variety 

 which L8 almost identical in flavour. 'Autocrat' and 'Sturdy' are two 

 <»f the best for August and September, and such as ' Standard,' 1 Exonian,' 

 and 'Criterion,' which fill well in dull weather, may be sown at the end 

 of June for the October supply. It is not possible to continue the supply 

 "f 'luring the winter months, a considerable share of sunlight being 

 indispensable for them when the pods are filling; heat alone is not suffi- 

 cient, Perhaps when electric light becomes more generally used as an aid 

 to plant culture we maybe able to extend the season considerably. Deep 

 cultivation is necessary in order to grow Peas to the best advantage during 



