The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1909-05-21
"LET Us HAVE PEAS"
SAYS VEGETABLE LOVER
a Delicious Vegetable Which Belongs
Peculiarly to the Spring.

II vas Charles Dudley Warner I
believe. who IN one OF his charming
rural essays voiced the sentiments ~
al gardeners in early spring and said.
Let u have peas The pea Is a
most delicious vegetable. and every
one likes % have his lamb and green
peas as early in the season as posi-
BE. AM. naturally. The sooner one
begins 70 plant peas the sooner they
will Be ready 10 tempt bis appetite on
the dinner table.
The other day I met a veteran
grower OF this dainty vegetable and
asked for a few points on varieties
and culture which be- readily gave.
First q all. be said. 10 must BE- remem-
bered that The Pea is a spring veg
etable. and that attempts 10 grow II
In summer or fall are in most cases
pretty sure 70 prove failures. In a
climate like that of England. late
planted peas are often fairly success
ful, but IN our climate the conditions
are all against them. and Il is only oc-
casionally that such late paintings are
profitable. Ny advice would there
fore, be 20 plant your peas as soon IA
spring as you can get them In he
ground. But mark. broadly speaking
there are TWO classes Of peas-smooth
and vrinkled. Now. your first and
earliest sOwings should always be OF
the smooth kind. Il is a smaller pea
and a much harder one than its
wrinkled brother. and II will grow and
thrive under cold. raw conditions
which cause the wrinkled kind 20 rot
tn the ground altogether. OF 10 become
50 enfeebled as 10 yield poor returns.
When the soil gets warmed I'D q little
and the weather is a little more
genial, then plant your wrinkles. or
marrowfats. the finest and sweetest I
peas under cultivation
Now, as 70 varieties. Their name Is !
legion. In one work have al home I
there are no less than 240 kinds 4
enumerated described, or course. 4
many Of these are special varieties for \
special conditions and cllmes and the
ordinary gardener need not bother his
head about them. The catalogues Of /
our hrst-class seed houses will give
him all the varieties he can possibly
need. and more. too. Out Of the forty
or nifty kinds which are 20 be found
In our best catalogues there Is plenty
OF room for selection. and few growers
will care for more than half a dozen
vi AEAATHs INV l0HEE VI peas TUaf | .
know finds nothing 10 suit him better
than American Wonder and Champion
OF England the Wonder giving him
dwarf, early pea. and the Champion
tall. late kind requiring brushing
and both wrinkIed sorts Of fine flavor
AZ an early pea. an old friend Of mine
In New Jersey swears by the Abba
with which I have had scant success
and each grower IS pretty certain 10
have some favorite varieties which do
well with him IN his locality. and
which he grows almost exclusively
And he does well to do 50. Peas are
by no means an alike. though thew
may look alike They have their likes =
and d.slikes. will grow well on one .
soil and not on another. flourish
under one kind of treatment and pine
away under different handling That /.
at least. Is my experience. and conse-
quently it Us aiwavs wise 20 try sew
eral sorts before deciding what Is best
for you and your locality But when
you have found a few kinds which
suit. then stick 10 them. and do for :
item the best YOU know how.
Now & word or two as 20 culture ,
One point 20 be borne In mind Is that !
boianically the pea is really a fruit :
and not vegetable u Is not grown
for it's roots. or leaves. or stem. but =,
for its seeds and TOO rich a soil a
soil which promotes over-luxuriant =
growth, is not the best for seed pro
duction. Take the Champion as an A..
This in good soil will !
grow six feet high and bear abundant. :,
y. but ! have seen Il eight and nine
feet high In very rich ground. with the y
crop In inverse proportion 10 the >
height OF the haum. The dwarf va. !
rieties however. can stand a richer \
soil than the tan ones At the same
time, u won't DO TO plant peas on n
poor ground They delight In light. !.
oamy land. well drained. rich in both /.
lumus and mineral constituents. OF =
course. weeds must be kept down the
cultivation used occasionally. and the a
'ows earihed up a little once or twice 4,
~ growth advances. but as a rule The :,
Pea does not demand nearly as much =
cultivation as some other garden
,rops -"P. "" IN y. Y. Tribune. :,
Farmer. a,