194 THE COTTAGE GARDENER, 
price of 50 crowns per litron” (little more than an 
English pint). 
Madame de Maintenon, in a letter, written on the 
10th of May, 1696, says, “The subject of peas con¬ 
tinues to absorb all others: the anxiety to eat them, 
the pleasure of having eaten them, and the desire to 
eat them again, are the three great matters which 
have been discussed by our princes for four days past. 
Some ladies, even after having supped at the royal 
table, and well supped too, returning to their own 
homes, at the risk of suffering from indigestion, will 
again eat peas, before going to bed. It is both a 
fashion and a madness” ( Garcl. Cit ron J. 
The taste was not confined to France; and when, 
upon the Restoration of Charles II., it became the 
popular and prudential habit to publish all the dis¬ 
advantageous anecdotes, true and untrue, that could 
be collected, concerning the Cromwell dynasty, we 
read, amongst others, “ That Oliver was very fond of 
oranges to veal, and that the Protectress refused four- 
pence for one, just at the commencement of the 
Spanish war! Moreover, that a poor woman, having 
a very early growth of peas, was persuaded to present 
some to the Protectress, though offered an angel (10s) 
for them by a cook in the Strand. The Protectress 
only gave her 5s for them; and, upon the woman mur¬ 
muring, returned them, with some severe remarks 
upon the increase of luxury.” The taste, however, in¬ 
creased rather than abated, and extended to late green 
peas as strongly as to early; for on the 28tli of October, 
1769, it is recorded that four guineas were given for 
as many pottles of them in Covent Garden Market. 
Our memory fails us if we have not lately heard of 
as much as ten guineas a quart being paid by the 
civic authorities for shelled green peas. 
Turning from the historical to the practical, we 
have before us, in the “ Selected Catalogue of Vege¬ 
table Seeds,” by Mr. Hairs, 109, St. Martin’s Lane, 
the following list of 43 peas. Those comments be- 
tweeen inverted commas are Mr. Hairs’ own. 
Beck’s Morning Star l are essentially the same; same height as War- 
Warner’s Emperor / wick’s, and are the earliest bearers grown. 
Danecroft’s Rival; bright glossy green ; has no particular merit. 
Prince Albert, Early May, or Kent. We believe these to be the same. 
It is one of the earliest and best of Earlies. 
Bishop’s Long podded. 
“ This is one of the most productive grown, in height 2 feet, pro¬ 
duces 20 to 24 pods per stem, each as large as Scymetars. Sow 
in rows 2 feet apart, and peas in the rorv 4 inches.” 
Shilling’s Early Grotto. Pods rough, 5 feet, prolific, good. 
Early Warwick. 3 feet high, moderately prolific, and of moderate 
quality. 
,, Double Blossom Frame. feet, prolific, moderate quality. 
„ Single. Pods, not in pairs as those of the previous one, are less 
prolific, and not better. 
Essex Champion ; like the early frame, but greater producer. 
Early Charlton or Hotspur. Perhaps the parent of all our varieties ; 
4 feet, prolific, pods middle-sized, indifferent. 
Fairbeard’s Champion of England. 
“ A most delicious-flavoured Var., has all the properties of the 
Knight’s Marrows, grows 3 to 4 feet high, and an excellent pro¬ 
ducer, and very early.” 
Fairbeard’s Early Blue Surprise. 
“ For a general cropper, where sticks are no object, this is highly 
commendable, being nearly equal in flavour to the Champion, 
and rather better bearer, grows 3 to 4 feet.” 
Hairs’ Dwarf Green Mammoth Knights. 
“ A perfectly distinct and most valuable Var., grows but 2 feet 
high, produces pods and peas twice the size of the old Dwarf 
Green Knights, and is three weeks earlier ; every one that has 
seen this pea pronounces it the best Dwarf in existence 
[January 10. 
Imperials: Bedman’s Early Blue; 2 to3ft.high; comes into bearing 
all at once. 
,, Flack’s Victory; an improvement on the above; both 3 ft. 
„ Dwarf Blue. May be grown without supports; pods 
large, prolific, 2i feet. 
,, Burbidge’s Eclipse. 
“ This pea deserves especial notice; it grows but 1 foot high, very 
early, great cropper, very large pods, and excellent eating.” ' 
Scymetar. This is a blue pea, middle sized, pods curved, 3 feet, pro¬ 
lific, very good. 
Blue Prussian. Pods in pairs, 4 feet, very prolific, excellent. 
White Prussian. Pods in pairs, small, very prolific, 3 feet, moderate 
quality. 
Woodford’s Green Marrows. 3 feet, flowers in tufts, pods large and 
full, prolific, called Nonpareil. 
Ringwood Marrows; 4 ft. high; large; almost transparent; prolific. 
Lincoln Green ; similar to the above, only green instead of white. 
Matchless. 3i feet, prolific, very good. 
Early Green; 4 feet, large, and good. 
New Royal Green Marrow ; variety of the last, 4ft., very productive. 
Knight’s Tall White Marrows. Pods in pairs, large, 7 feet, prolific, 
excellent. 
„ Dwarf White Marrows. Raised near Sittingboume, 1825 ; 
peas shrivelled, 3 feet, prolific. 
,, Tall Green. 6 feet, prolific, small, good. 
„ Dwarf Green. Pods in pairs, 3 feet, rather prolific, good. 
,, Black-eyed or Lynn’s Marrows. 
,, Victoria or British Queen Marrows. Large, excellent, 7 feet. 
,, Tall Green Mammoths. 8 to 9ft.; equal to the Knights. 
Old Dwarf Marrows. One of our oldest kinds ; 3$ feet, prolific, good. 
Royal do. 3 feet, good bearer. 
Victoria Tall. 8 feet, very large, prolific, excellent, good for late crop. 
Monastery. Tall white marrow, 5 to 6 feet, great bearer, good. 
Marquis of Hastings Marrow. Pods in pairs, middle size, 5 feet, very 
prolific, good. 
Sugar Dwarf, or eatable pods. This, and the following, have no tough 
skin in their pods, and ar e . .. French beans; 2 feet, 
prolific. 
„ Tall. 5 feet, prolific. 
,, Tamarind. Pods very large and broad, 3 feet, prolific. 
Bishop’s Early Dwarfs. 1 i feet high, stands the winter as well as 
any, small; found by Mr. H. Bishop, of N. Scone. 
Groom’s Superb. A blue pea, good for summer crop, 2 feet, bears 
moderately. 
>> ,, Improved. 
Old Spanish Dwarfs. Does very well between fruit trees. 
Queen of the Dwarfs. 1 foot; has succeeded in very few places. 
It often happens that the advice we have to give, in 
answer to a correspondent’s query, is such as may 
deserve the attention of our readers generally; in 
which case, as in the following, we shall give our 
advice editorially. A correspondent (IF. M.) writes 
thus .—“ I am induced to ask how to treat a rhodo¬ 
dendron bed, the plants of which (about fifteen in a 
circular bed) are getting too large for the place, the 
boughs mingling together, so that I cannot dig, &c., 
among them. Will they bear cutting quite down, 
or, only so that a few inches or feet be left, and thus 
be induced to shoot up again as a laurel, or laurestina 
bush would do? They have been planted about sixteen 
years, and have done well in the black soil, brought 
from my meadow. Would manure improve them; 
and, if so, what kind, if I cut them down? I have 
been accustomed to pull off the seed-pods soon after 
their flowering; this year I have not, and they do 
not promise to be so full of flowers next year. If 
they may be cut down, when is the best time ?” 
We should hesitate for a long time before we would cut 
down such beautiful rhododendrons as you describe. 
Why not remove five out of the fifteen, and rearrange 
the other ten in the present bed ? No plants can be 
more easily removed than rhododendrons, as they 
carry a large ball of earth about their roots, and may 
be shifted safely at any time of the year, with equal 
success. The shrubs thinned out, might be planted 
separately, in suitable situations, with but little fresh 
soil. Fresh peat will do better for those in the bed 
