1875 . ] 
BECK'S GEM OR TOM THUMB PEA.—CROTON OVALIFOLIUM. 
7 
service here, beating by from four to six days both those sown in turf and in pots, &c. 
Now I must give you Mr. McEwen’s recipe. Three things he held to be absolutely 
necessary to ensure success :—First, red-lead the peas, to make them distasteful 
to the mice. Secondly, watch them daily, and as soon as they begin to crack 
the ground, put on the rows one inch of coal-ashes, to keep away the slugs. 
Lastly, when they appear above the ashes, string a piece of worsted 4 in. above 
the ground to ward off birds. The general cultivation consists in keeping the 
soil open, and in rodding them as soon as possible, with small, twiggy sticks, which 
shelter them from those greatest of all enemies to early Peas—the surface winds. 
Among the many varieties I have tried, none pleases me so much as the following 
six in their respective seasons :—First Early White, Ringleader; first Green, 
William I.; second Early, Fillbasket and Carter’s G. F. Wilson. Of later sorts, 
Omega is both hardy and prolific, and also of first-class flavour, but lacks colour ; 
while no other Pea I know, has the colour of Supreme in October, and when young 
it is not to be found fault' with as to flavour.—R. Gilbert, Burghley Gardens. 
BECK'S GEM OR TOM THUMB PEA. 
S HIS is a very excellent Pea, and well deserves a place in every garden. 
The plant is of a very dwarf stout habit of growth, branches well, and is 
f wonderfully prolific. For places where sticks are not easily obtained, it is 
invaluable, as it can be grown without any. I had it very fine last season ; 
sown on the same day as Sutton’s Ringleader and Sangster’s No. 1, in adjoining 
rows, it was but a few days later than Sangster’s No. 1 in coming into use. The 
situation being rather an exposed one, I had a few short sticks put to them to 
prevent them being blown about; they did remarkably well, and the crop was a 
remarkable one, and much admired. The rows were about 2 ft. apart, and the 
plants, which were about from 20 in. to 24 in. in height, were covered from the 
ground to the top with well-filled pods of very fine Peas. Ten or twelve acres of 
such a crop would, at that season, realise something considerable in Leeds and 
Manchester markets. Its dwarf stiff habit of growth makes it well adapted for 
growing largely in market gardens, as it requires no sticks; it is also a very use¬ 
ful Pea for private gardens, as it can be grown on borders, and in sheltered places, 
where it would be inconvenient to grow the taller varieties. As the season for 
sowing early Peas has now arrived, I would recommend those who have not done 
so before to give Beck’s Pea a trial, feeling certain that it will give satisfaction. 
—M. Saul, Stourton. 
CROTON OVALIFOLIUM. 
VERY distinct form of the Croton or Codiceum variegatum , which was ob¬ 
tained from the South Sea Islands by the late Mr. J. G. Veitch, and has 
been exhibited and sent out during the past season by Messrs. Veitch and 
Sons, of Chelsea. It is peculiar amongst Crotons for its stiff erect broadish 
Layes, which are oblong-oval in outline, with the end bluntly-rounded, It is thus 
