li>70. ] 
BAELY PEAS.-AGAVE BESSERERIANA. 
257 
tlieless a fact that lie depends entirely upon the purple lilac to produce the finest 
white blooms throughout the winter.” 
Let us hope that Eose-forcing near Paris and Eose-growing throughout 
France may soon again be resumed, with as much spirit as heretofore, and 
surrounded by peace and plenty.—M. 
EARLY PEAS. 
S HE season is again at hand when most gardeners will be thinking about 
sowing Peas for the first crop ; and to the amateur this is a perplexing 
f question. Some of our best kitchen gardeners hold that the only sure way 
of getting Green Peas in May, is to sow them under glass, and plant out 
in spring ; while others, and to this class I belong, maintain that, all things con¬ 
sidered, there is nothing like November sov/ings for large and early crops. No 
doubt, localities and other surrounding circumstances have much to do with both 
sides of the question, but after years of practical experience with both systems, 
I have discontinued growing under glass, preferring to sow out-of-doors, and to 
leave the plants to weather the winter. 
On referring to our Vegetable Book, I find Sutton’s Ibingleader sown November 
7, 1867, was gathered from on the 21st of the following May. On November 
10, 1868, the same sort and Beck’s Little Gem were sown, and these were 
gathered from on the 29th of May following. Again, on November 11, 1869, 
we sowed six quarts each of Bingleader and Little Gem, from the latter of which 
we gathered a peck of well-filled pods on the 23rd, and from the other a peck on 
the 24th of last May. If the weather is suitable about the 7th inst., I shall sow 
this season a peck of seed of Little Gem. I find this excellent sort quite as early 
as Ringleader., and being a green marrow, much superior to it in quality. It can 
be sown at 2 ft. from row to row, and is about as well without sticks as with 
them. Another recommendation is, that being stronger and stiffer in the haulm, 
it stands the cold, frosty winds better than any of the slender-stemmed early- 
frame sorts. I need hardly add that we don’t allow the rats, mice, or sparrows 
to do as they like with the plants during the winter. Eubbing the seed with a 
little red-lead before sowing is a most effectual remedy against the attacks of the 
two former, and an occasional use of the gun and a dusting with dry soot keep 
the birds at bay. Altogether, we have not one-half the labour involved in 
coddling them in drain-tiles, pots, boxes, &c., and yet they yield at least one- 
half more pods.—J. McIndoe, Palace Gardens., Bishoptliorpe, York. 
AGAVE BESSERERIANA. 
N the early part of our present volume (p. 41) we gave figures of two forms 
of the Mexican Agave liorrida. We now add illustrations of two forms of 
, Agave Bessereriana, for which, equally with the foregoing, we are indebted 
to M. Laurentius, of Leipsig. The plants were collected in 1868, in Mexico, 
