February 3,1881. ] JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 85 
3rd 
TH 
Royal Society at 4.30 P.M. Linnean Society at 8 P.M. 
4 th 
F 
5th 
S 
6th 
SUN 
5th Sunday after Epiphany. 
7th 
M 
[11 a.m. ; Annual General Meeting at 3 P.M. 
8th 
Tu 
Royal Horticultural Society’s Fruit and Floral Committees at 
9th 
W 
Society of Arts at 8 P.M. 
EARLY PEAS. 
AYE you picked any Peas yet ? ” is a question 
often asked early in the season among rival 
gardeners, more especially those in charge of 
comparatively small gardens. Few gardeners 
like to be much behind their neighbours with 
their vegetable crops, and friendly rivalry no 
doubt has done much to stirmilate growers to extra 
exertions in the laudable attempt to excel with all 
kinds of vegetables, and Peas in particular. In this 
district it is not the prospect of being surpassed by 
neighbouring gardeners that incites to extra exertions, but the 
certainty that if we do not pick early we shall be excelled by 
the growers for markets, and that too in the open fields. As 
Peas at all times, and especially early and late dishes, were 
much appreciated here, it has been my aim not only to have 
good early pickings from boxes and frames, but also from rows 
on the south border, before many of the market growers had 
commenced picking. According to promise I will briefly re¬ 
late my practice, which, if not novel, has at all events been 
satisfactory to my employer, and I may say profitable to my¬ 
self. According to my ideas it is a mistake to grow a few 
small dishes far ahead of the ordinary outside supply. My 
object has been to secure a moderate and continuous supply 
with the aid of boxes, frames, and sheltered positions for at 
least three weeks prior to the ordinary early crops, and the 
same results may easily be attained in many other gardens. 
With very early Peas in pots I have never done much good, 
indeed we could not afford the room for a sufficient number to 
be grown ; nor do Peas force readily. At one time our earliest 
Peas were grown in ordinary three-light frames placed on a 
slight hotbed, sowing the seed early in January. I may remark, 
that although we transplant a great number of Peas, they really 
crop most heavily if sown where they are to remain. Very little 
trouble in the way of watering and ventilating was taken with 
those in frames, no attempt being made to force the crop, and 
useful pickings were the result. Last season the frames were 
wanted for other vegetables, and our earliest supply was 
obtained from a sowing made in some old verandah flower 
boxes. These are about 9 inches wide and 10 inches deep ; 
they were lightly drained and filled with a mixture of chopped 
turf and soil from an old Cucumber bed. Laxton’s Minimum, 
kindly sent for trial by the raiser, w T as the variety grown. The 
seed was sown early in February, and the boxes were placed 
in a Peach house that was being slowly forced. When the 
young plants were well through the soil, and before becoming 
drawn, they were transferred to a cold frame, where they re¬ 
mained till early in April, when they were placed outside the 
Peach house close under the front, and protected with mats 
when necessary. The Peas were very lightly staked to prevent 
their being blown about; and water was supplied freely, vary¬ 
ing with liquid manure when the pods were forming. From 
these our earliest Peas were gathered, and I was informed that 
they proved very delicious. Minimum in habit is remarkably 
dwarf and branching, and should be sown thinly ; it is very 
prolific, and the comparatively small pots yield an astonishing 
number of sweet wrinkled Peas. I have no doubt it would 
succeed admirably in 8-inch pots, being treated similarly to 
those in boxes. Peas when established in pots require liberal 
supplies of water at the roots, and that is why boxes are prefer¬ 
able ; but where pits or frames are available it will be found 
most profitable to employ them in preference to either pots or 
boxes. 
To follow those grown in boxes we grew a crop in an old 
unglazed pit, protecting with mats. The variety preferred for 
this sowing is Laxton's Unique, a dwarf form of William I.; 
but this, unfortunately, has not found favour with growers 
generally, consequently it is eliminated from most seed cata¬ 
logues. I save my own seed, and those who intend growing 
Peas in frames and cannot procure Unique must substitute 
some other dwarf early variety. For the future we shall sow 
the seed in boxes, placing these in a cold frame if sown in 
January, or in a gentle heat if sown during February. Before 
the plants become drawn they are in the latter case transferred 
to a cold house or frame, transplanting into pits towards the 
end of March. A slight hotbed sufficient to assist the esta¬ 
blishment of the plants is previously formed ; over this a layer 
of manure and soil being spread in equal parts, and then a 
depth of about 9 inches of soil composed of old potting soil 
and loam from old Cucumber and Melon beds. The lines of 
Peas extending north and south are placed about 1 8 inches 
apart, or three to a light, and between these are planted single 
rows of spring-sown Early Paris Market Cabbage Lettuce, 
early Radishes being sown on each side of these, all eventually 
proving useful. The Peas are staked when planted out 
(Unique grows about 18 inches in height) ; they are protected 
from frosts and heavy cold rains too, as much as possible with 
mats ; water is given at any time when the soil is dry, liquid 
manure being freely supplied when the pods are forming. 
To maintain the supply another batch of plants was raised 
at the same time as the foregoing of Unique, Minimum, and 
William I. ; and these when well hardened off were, on the 
first favourable opportunity, planted out, the two former at 
the base of a west wall, and the latter near a fence facing west¬ 
ward—such sites here proving the warmest. All were staked, 
and protected with branches of evergreens when necessary, and 
copious supplies of liquid manure were also given as the crop 
advanced. Last season in this manner we secured good dishes 
fully a fortnight in advance of those Peas grown on the south 
border clear of, but sheltered by, a wall. 
The last mentioned is what may be termed our prin cipal 
early supply, which is obtained by sowing direct, or still earlier 
if a lighter crop, by transplanting from frames. In our case 
the latter is resorted to should we be unable early in February 
to work the soil into good condition. In any case I recom¬ 
mend transplanting where no other early Peas are grown, as a 
week at the least is gained thereby. Again, if early dishes 
rather than heavy crops are desired it is a mistake to sow or 
plant on a very rich loose soil, as under these conditions the 
No. 82 .—Yol. II., Third Series. 
No. 1688.—Yen. LXY., Old Series. 
