382 JOURNAL OF THE ROYAL HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 
EARLY PEAS AT WISLEY, 1920. 
One hundred and twenty stocks of peas were sent for inclusion in 
the trial at Wisley in 1920. They were sown on March 3, on ground 
that had been dug and manured with pig manure in the autumn of 
1 91 9, the distances between the rows varying from 3 feet 6 inches 
for the dwarf to 6 feet for the tall varieties. Almost all stocks germin- 
ated well and made excellent growth. They were staked on April 20. 
Most varieties attained a height somewhat greater than that claimed 
for them, and they are classified below accordingly. It became 
necessary to fix an arbitrary date beyond which a variety should 
not be regarded as first early, and June 11 was chosen ; and another, 
beyond which a variety could not be included even among the second- 
early varieties, viz. June 20. The time of readiness was decided not 
by the earliest pod but by the time a good picking could be secured 
from the row (33 feet). A comparison of the classification of the peas 
in the previous trial in 191 5 with the present one shows that almost 
without exception the varieties represented in both trials have 
behaved the same as regards season in both. In some instances it 
will be seen that some stocks of a variety are earlier than others, and 
this may be due to (i) differences in the localities from which the 
seed was derived, (2) selection for earliness, or (3) untrueness of a 
proportion of the stock. The stocks were, on the whole, fairly true 
and good, but in some cases care had not been taken to rogue for 
regularity of height, or shape of pod, or colour of pod. It is probable 
that if mass selection, still depended upon by some in the " fixing " of 
new varieties, were abandoned, and the practice of growing from 
individuals adopted, and from among their progeny selecting pure 
lines, a very great deal of the necessity for continued selection and 
roguing would be obviated. 
It will be noticed that one or two varieties usually regarded as 
maincrop varieties gave crops sufficiently early to be included among 
the early varieties, thus showing their great value for several purposes, 
their season varying with date of sowing. A considerable number 
proved too late for inclusion ; these are not further alluded to below, 
viz., Nos. 15, 39, 41-43, 46, 48, 49, 52, 55, 56, 58, 60, 70, 100, 108, 
no, 113, 115-118, 120. 
The Judging Committee inspected the trial at intervals, and in 
making recommendations for awards took into consideration not 
only the cropping capacity of the varieties and their earliness, but 
also the flavour and size of the peas, the yield of peas for the volume 
of pods (green peas are usually sold by volume), the colour of the pod — 
the dark pod finding the greatest favour since it remains fresh-looking 
longer — and the ease of shelling. Upon this basis they made the 
following recommendations : 
