CHAPTER V. 
PEAS AND BEANS. 
iC Good Master Peaseblossom, I shall desire you of more acquaintance.” 
S we must begin somewhere, and a scientific arrange- 
ment of subjects is impossible, peas and beans may as 
well take the lead in the chapters on special culture, 
because, in the estimation of many, they are the most im- 
portant of all kitchen garden crops. Their near botanical 
relationship suggests a similarity of requirements, and wherever 
one is found to prosper, it will be strange if the conditions 
should prove unsuitable to the other. 
The Pea, Pisum sativum , is one of the most important of 
our summer vegetables, and the esteem in which it is held 
justifies the utmost liberality and spirit in its cultivation. The 
immense number of its varieties affords evidence of the popular- 
ity of this wholesome and savoury esculent, and may suggest to 
the cultivator that some discrimination is required in making 
a selection, when only a limited number of varieties is intended 
to be grown. It cannot be said, however, that the varieties of 
latest introduction are wholly superfluous, for in respect of 
improvement in recent years, the pea has kept pace with the 
potato, and a number of sorts that were held in high esteem 
only from ten to twenty years ago — to go back no further — 
have been quite superseded by later sorts of extraordinarily 
fine quality. A large proportion of the finest garden peas in 
cultivation were raised by systematic cross breeding by the late 
Dr. Maclean of Colchester, who devoted many years of his 
valuable life to this interesting and useful labour. Another 
successful worker, who has acquired well deserved fame in this 
department, is Mr. Thomas Laxton of Stamford. Many of 
the most celebrated sorts of peas are simply improved strains 
of old varieties, secured by careful selection on the part of the 
seed-grower, and oftentimes the strain or stock so secured 
acquires a character which places it many degrees in advance 
of the market type, or general average of the parent. Hence, 
Midsummer Night’s Dream, III. 1. 
