November 14. 
THE COTTAGE GARDENER. 
123 
PEAS. 
There arc few crops of more consequence than a 
crop of Peas; for, next to Potatoes, there is no vegeta¬ 
ble that is in reality a more general favourite,—a dish 
of Peas forming as agrocable an adjunct to the table of 
the wealthy as it does to that of the poor man; and, 
like the Potato, the manner in which it is prepared by 
both is nearly alike, neither of them deriving any benefit 
by any substance they may imbibe or he charged with 
whilst undergoing the cooking process; so that it is 
not unusual for the poor man’s Potatoes and Peas to be 
as well prepared as those of his richer neighbour. But, 
leaving that duty to the constituted authorities in such 
matters, the season has now arrived when a something 
must he done in the way of providing for the wants of 
another year; and the advantage of having a dish of 
early Peas is such as often forms a sort of rivalry 
between neighbouring growers, and any means that 
could he adopted to hasten the period of their usefulness 
would, doubtless, he regarded by all as a boon to the 
community; and, in trying to effect that object, our 
seed-growers, or those by whom they act, have issued, 
from time to time, several so-called earlier varieties than 
any that ever before preceded them ; and although the 
greater portion of them are mere repetitions of old, 
well-known kinds, yet, as they often possess some little 
merit, it may be inferred that, if they are “ not im¬ 
provements,” they are preventives to that degeneracy 
which all varieties are liable to run into when not 
renewed by something as good as they were themselves 
in their younger days. 
Now, it would be useless here enteriug into the 
various names by which early Peas have been issued to 
us; suffice it to say, that the most useful section for 
standing the winter are the Whites, they being more 
hardy than the Wrinkled, or Green varieties, which are 
sown in more favourable seasons ; nevertheless, a few of 
some good, useful, intormedial kind, might be sown 
now as well, especially where the dosire is to try experi¬ 
ments, or attempt novelty. For instance, the Champion of 
England is an excellent Pea, and might probably endure 
our winter very well, as it seems hardy and bears well; 
in fact, I regard it as the most useful Pea we have for j 
general summer cropping. However, it would bo well j 
also to sow the largest breadth of some good early 
white sort, of which there is no lack of names, and 
probably some of the latest introduction may bo as good 
as any other, or, probably, a shade better than some 
that may have degenerated. One thing, it would not be 
advisable to trust alone to one kind that has not been 
sufficiently tried, for the chances are, that it may not 
turn out well; but, if you are determined to trust to 
one kind only, it is better to let that be an established 
gooif one than an uncertainty. The growers for the 
London market — whose practice ought not, by any 
means, to be despised—grow only one or two sorts, and, 
until the last few years, these were the Early Kents and 
the Scimitar; the first-named for early crop, the latter 
for second; and the success that attendod them was 
; such as entitled them to some consideration; and, as 
we have over and over again been told that a bag of 
Early Kent Peas is capable of being transformed into 
half-a-dozen different sorts, having each high-sounding 
names, we need not be surprised at the reluctance 
i our agricultural friends have at purchasing such costly 
i goods as arc their old friends, tho Kents, when trans¬ 
ferred into paper-bags, emblazoned, perhaps, with some 
motto derived from antiquity, and the whole thing 
trumpeted forth in a way that would make it appear as 
if its patron regarded it of more national importance 
than even our naval or military defences, much as their 
services are at the present time called into requisition, 
j However, it is not fair to confound all such now intro¬ 
ductions, for wenow-and-then have decided acquisitions, 
or, rather, we have such meaus taken as prevents a 
degeneracy; for, be it observed, that such a thing must 
take place if means bo not taken to prevent it. Now, 
the enthusiastic grower who, observing a single stem of 
a Pea amongst others of its class that exhibits signs of 
superior excellence by coming into use sooner, filling 
its pod better, and probably being of better flavour; 
I say, the grower who notices these things in a siuglo 
Pea, and marks it for seed, and by carefully sowing and 
noticing the same another year, and comparing it with 
others, finds it still pre-eminent, it is only right to give 
that individual his full meed of praise ; for, be it re¬ 
membered, that is the only way that really new kinds 
are obtained, and all the ingenuity of the world cannot 
obtain them by any better means; at least, there is no 
better way of obtaining them ; for few cultivators will 
take the trouble and interest in hybridising them by 
artificial means the same as they would a Geranium or 
a Fuscbia. However, as has been said, now-and-then 
an improved variety is obtained, and the main cropping 
section, which follow the earlier ones, are certainly 
much improved of late years, as well in quality of Pea 
for table as in habit of plant; but the best sample of 
Early Frame, which were the only useful kind known 
some half-century ago, came into use nearly as early as 
auy kind now in use. 
In the sowing, and after-management of the earliest 
crop, some few points must be kept in view, and the 
rest is all plain work. A south bordor is usually allowed 
for this crop, and in sowing, care must be taken to 
eradicate as many of that arch-enemy to delicate crops, 
the slug, as can be done, by digging in a liberal 
quantity of lime, soot, or mortar-rubbish, or any other 
substance distasteful to them, so that the ground may 
present as little attraction to them as possible; if the 
ground be very wet at sowing time, and likely to keep 
so, it is better to sow the crop as the digging proceeds, 
taking especial care that the drill in which the seed is 
deposited is composed of fine, fresh, friable earth, which 
ought to be brought from a distance, if none is to be 
had in the ground, and a mixture of lime, soot, or ashes, 
would bo advisable; as it is not unusual for these pests 
of vegetation to retreat into the rough earth, after 
having devoured the better half of the ground’s produce, 
and if their retreat should bo by the side of a stem of 
a young Pea, they would find food for some time 
without again stirring out for it, and the crop would 
be annihilated in consequence. It is not bad practice, in 
ground where much damage is done by the slug, to 
cover the row up with Barley-chaff, after the seed is 
covered with earth, the rough points of the awns of 
Barley is at variance with the well-being of the slug; 
besides which, it shelters tho plant very much. Other 
enemies there are, in the slmpo of rats or mice, for 
which trapping seems the only cure; but that must be 
begun in time, otherwise, if they once get a taste of the 
Peas, they will not be easily kept away. Birds of various 
kinds, also, make a prey of them when they can; these, 
too, must be prevented doing mischief to a crop that 
continues a long time in that state of infancy, which 
subjects it to many disasters; however, in a general way, 
these evils may be got over, and a crop of Peas sown 
the middle or end of November will seldom fail to 
furnish their produce in due time, in May or June, next 
following, except in such cases as that of the spring of 
1853, wherein some severe weather in February and 
March, after a very mild period of weather, caught tho 
Peas, and many things else in that too-far-advanced 
condition, which is at variance with their hardihood ; 
but as none of us are aware what sort of a winter wo 
are entering on, we cannot do better than sow as before, 
and again at Christmas, so that if the first crop fail, 
there is a prospect of the next succeeding. 
