hiteette se .5i2n 5 ty . wets =i. Ne a, Aa 
Pia iaat. eo Fo er ee 
_ = f > 
be 5 hy) 
~ No. 33.) ‘ 939 
* 
3d. P* arvense, the field pea; having reddish, purple or variegated 
flowers, the stipules tinged with red where they encircle the stem, 
and the pods having the parchment like lining of P * sativum and 
like them, self opening at maturity. In this country this agricul- 
tural species is grown chiefly for forage, particularly as food for 
hogs. t 
Tn England and Scotland the seeds are often ground into flour 
which is used as human food among the peasantry. 
These agricultural species are chiefly distinct through their uses 
and we must at present believe, are probably maintained only by 
selection. 7 } 
The varieties of P * sativwm, are much more numerous than 
those of either of the other agricultural species. As it is with this 
species that we have mostly to do, we have found it convenient. to 
sub-divide its varieties. 
It seems reasonable to assume that in the garden culture of peas, 
varieties of dwarf habit were first considered as valuable acquisi- 
tions. The color of ripe seed would seem to form a natural division 
next in order to the height of the plant. The advent of the 
wrinkled sorts furnished a third opportunity for sub-division, after 
which it is fair to suppose that the form of the pod became an ob- 
ject of selection. In our classification of the varieties of P. 
* satwwum we have followed this apparently logical order as will ap- 
pear in our analytical key. 
The height of the plant, although varying considerably with dif- 
ferent soils and seasons and with different selections of seed, is, 
nevertheless., on the average tolerably constant. It is certainly the 
most conspicuous character of the pea plant, hence we regard it as a 
proper basis for classification, despite its variability. It is probable 
that the height noted in our descriptions will not hold in all cases. 
On moist mucky soils the vines will doubtless often exceed the 
height given, while in poor clay soils, they will fall short of it. Of 
course the reader who does not know whether the variety he wishes 
to identify is tall, half dwarf, or dwarf, will be obliged to work ex- 
perimentally for a time. 
+ The field pea sometimes has white flowers. These white flowered field peas, 
however, possess the qualities of the primitive garden peas. We have very good 
reasons for believing that our garden peas were originally obtained by selecting 
out the white flowered plants grown-among field peas. The white flowered 
plants invariably produce green, cream colored or bluish green seeds, which are 
milder and sweeter in taste and have a more attractive color when cooked than 
the brown, reddish or purple peas formed on plants that have colored flowers. 
