Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1880-04-07
Peas I'm Plenty.

Peas I'm Plenty.
"This is not pea country" said
an Englishman to US, and he was
right, it is not in the sense that
England is, where they can take pick
ing after picking from the same vines.
The hot sun that gives us our green
corn and tomatoes, which English
gardens cannot have, puts an end to
our peas. But we can have them In
abundance during their short season,
and should them in far greater plenty
than we do. Farmers are apt to be
content with two or three messes,
and many find it too much trouble to
grow them at all. One great OBJ
stac'o to an abundance of peas, is the
necessity for sticking or brushing
them, but that, as we shall presently
show, may he for the most part avoid
ed. The great point with early peas
is to start early; select piece of light
dry soil, all the better If it slopes to
the seutb, and Just so soon as it can be
worked, pillow aud harrow it, furrow
cut rows at least 6 inches deep, 8. feet
apart for dwarfs, and feet for the
taller kinds. Then scatter good
supply of the best aud finest manure
in the furrow, and SOW the peas upon
the manure with an inch or so of soil.
Then by the use Of the ranke or hoe,
cover to the depth of 3 inches. Some
cover only an inch at first, and as the
plants show themselves, gradually
draw 10 the earth, until the seed is 4
or 5 inches deep; the deeper, the
better the plants will stand hot
weather.
VARIETIES,
One who looks at a catalogue, finds
pulling list of names, and it may
help him to know that for the earliest
peas, there are several names for
what is essentially one and the same
pea. Those not familiar with the
matter, should know that there are
two kinds of peas. the round and the
wrinkled, and that there is as much
difference between them in quality, as
between field corn and sweet corn.-
The earliest peas are round, The
wrinkled peas, if wet weather comes
after sowing, will rot in the ground
Then again, there are dwarf and tall
sorts Of both kinds; the dwarf are a
foot or less high, the others grow from
9 to ) or more feet. 1t need hardly
be said that the tall kinds produce
more from the same land, as they
have iho most vine; though the dwaefs
may be planted closer, they, SO far as
our experience goes, are not so salts
factory as the others. Great claims
are made for some OF the newer
dwarfs, that we have not yet tried
For general use, Daniel ORourke.
and 'Carter's First Crop are the best
very early. Then comes Alpha the
earliest of all the wrinkled peas. For
the main crop, no pea is better than
champion of England and probably
none ever will be. This should not
be sown until the ground is dry and
warm, or the seed may rot. Bishops
Long Pod is intermediate between
the early and Champion but Sec
ond aowiDg of alpha, a fortnight
after the first, will do well for an
intermediate crop.
ABOUT BRUSHING.
None Of the market gardeners brush
their peas, and while we would give
brush Or other support if practica bic
as affording better crops, and easier
picking, yet one should not go without
peas because be cannot stick them.
When the peas come up, the ground
should be kept clean with the horse
cultiva!or, or garden plOw, and ifany
weeds come up in the rows, pull them
out: when the peas are about 6 inches
high, throw a furrow with small
plow towards them on each side
When they begin to fall over, turn
them all to one side, and let them lie
on the ground. Every two or three
days, turn them over to the other side
of the row, especially after a rarn;
this is done very rapidly by using a
hoeshandle, or similar stick, running
ut under them, and turning over
several feet Of the row at once. The
Champion Of England should have
some kind Of support, as that is
longer in growing, is taller, and yields
more pickings. IT brush cannot be
had. use cord or wire stretched be
tween stout stakes or posts.
MIIK-WUAT IL IT ?-The natural