The variety was originated by Mr. William Fairbeard, who also raised the Champion of England. It is earlier than the last-named sort, nearly as early as the Frames, and a most valuable acquisition.
Fairbeard's Surprise.Cot. Gard.
Early Surprise. Surprise.
The plant of this variety is of a free but not robust habit of growth, and always with a simple stem, which is aboutfour feet high. The pods are produced at every joint, beginning at about two feet and a half from the ground. They are generally single, but sometimes in pairs, three inches long, slightly curved, but not quite so much as those of the Champion of England. They contain from six to seven peas, which are of good size, but not so sweet as those of the last-named sort. The ripe seed is somewhat oval, and of a pale, olive-green color.
The variety is a day or two earlier than the Champion of England. It originated from the Dwarf White Knight's Marrow, and was taken from the pod in which was found the Champion of England.
Flack's Imperial.Cot. Gard.
Flack's Victory. Flack's Victoria. Flack's New Large Victoria.
The plant is of a robust habit of growth, with a stem which is always branching, and generally about three feet in height; the pods are numerous, varying from twelve to eighteen on a plant, generally produced in pairs, but often singly, three inches and a half long, three-fourths of an inch broad, and considerably curved,—terminating abruptly at the point, where they are somewhat broader than at any other part. Each pod contains from six to eight very large peas, which are of an ovate shape, half an inch long, seven-twentieths of an inch broad, and the same in thickness. The ripe seed is blue.
Plants from seed sown May 1 will blossom June 28, and supply the table July 15.
It is one of the most prolific peas in cultivation; grows to a convenient height; and, whether considered for private gardens or for market supplies, is one of the most valuable varieties which has been introduced for years.
General Wyndham.Cot. Gard.
The plant is of a robust habit, six to seven feet high, and frequently branched; the foliage is dark-green and blotched; the pods are either single or in pairs, and number from ten to fourteen on each plant,—they contain eight very large peas, which are of the deep, dull-green color of the Early Green Marrow. The ripe seed is white and olive mixed.
This is a valuable acquisition, and was evidently procured from the Ne Plus Ultra; but it is a more robust grower, and produces much larger pods.
The plant continues growing, blooming, and podding till very late in the season; and, when this is in the full vigor of growth, the Ne Plus Ultra is ripening off. The pease, when cooked, are of a fine, bright-green color, and unlike those of any other variety.
Hair's Dwarf Mammoth.
Plant strong and vigorous, from three to three feet and a half high, branching, with short joints; pods single or in pairs, broad, comparatively flat, containing about six very large peas, which are sugary, tender, and excellent. The ripe seeds are shrivelled, and vary in color; some being cream-white, and others bluish-green.
Sown May 1, the plants will blossom July 1, and the pods will be ready for use the 15th of the same month.
Very prolific, and deserving of cultivation.
Harrison's Glory.Trans.
Plant three feet high, of a bushy, robust habit of growth; pods rather short, nearly straight, and flattish, containing five or six medium-sized peas, of good quality: when ripe, the seeds are light-olive, mixed with white, and also slightly indented.
If planted May 1, the variety will flower June 23, and the pods will be fit for gathering about the 10th of July.
A good variety; but, like Harrison's Glory, the pods are frequently not well filled.
Harrison's Perfection.Trans.
Plant three feet in height, of vigorous habit; pods small, straight, containing five peas of good size and quality.
Sown the 1st of May, the variety will flower June 23, and the pods will be fit for plucking about the 12th of July.
The only defect in this variety is, that the pods are often not well filled. When growing, it is scarcely distinguishable from Harrison's Glory; but, in the mature state, the seeds of the former are smooth and white, while those of the latter are indented, and of an olive-color.
King of the Marrows.
Plant six feet in height, stocky, and of remarkably vigorous habit; pods single or in pairs, containing five or six large seeds, which, when ripe, are yellowish-green, and much shrivelled and indented, like those of the Champion of England.
If planted May 1, the variety will blossom the last of June, and pods for the table may be plucked about the 15th of July.
Though comparatively late, it is one of the best of the more recently introduced sorts, and well deserving of general cultivation. When the pods are gathered as fast as they become fit for use, the plants will continue to put forth new blossoms, and form new pods for an extraordinary length of time; in favorable seasons, often supplying the table for five or six weeks.
It is very tender and sugary, and little, if at all, inferior to the Champion of England.
In common with most of the colored pease, the ripe seeds, when grown in this country, are much paler than those of foreign production; and, when long cultivated in the climate of the United States, the blue or green is frequently changed to pale-blue or yellowish-green, and often ultimately becomes nearly cream-white.
Knight's Dwarf Blue Marrow.
A dwarfish sub-variety of Knight's Marrows, with wrinkled, blue seeds.
Knight's Dwarf Green Marrow.
Knight's Dwarf Green Wrinkled.
Plant about three feet high; pods in pairs, three inches long, three-fourths of an inch wide, flattish, and slightly bent. The ripe pease are of a light bluish-green color. It differs from the foregoing principally in the height of the plant, but also to some extent in the form of the pods.
Knight's Dwarf White Marrow.Law.
Knight's Dwarf White Wrinkled Marrow.
Plant three feet high; pods in pairs, three inches long, three-fourths of an inch wide, straight, or nearly so, well filled, and terminating abruptly at both ends; pea, on an average, about three-eighths of an inch in diameter, flattened, and very much wrinkled; color white, and sometimes of a greenish tinge. It is a few days earlier than the Dwarf Green.
Knight's Tall Blue Marrow.
A sub-variety of Knight's Tall Marrows, with blue, wrinkled, and indented seeds. It resembles the Tall White and Tall Green Marrows.
Knight's Tall Green Marrow.Law.Thomp.
Plant from six to seven feet in height, of strong growth; pods large, broad, and well filled; the seed, when ripe, is green, and much wrinkled or indented.
If planted the first of May, the variety will blossom towards the last of June, and supply the table the middle of July.
The peas are exceedingly tender and sugary; the skin also is very thin. "From their remarkably wrinkled appearance, together with the peculiar sweetness which they all possess, Knight's Marrows may be said to form a distinct class of garden-pease; possessing qualities which, together with their general productiveness, render them a valuable acquisition, both to cultivators and consumers."
If planted not less than six feet apart, these pease will bear most abundantly from the ground to the top: they also yield their pods in succession, and are the best for late crops.
Knight's Tall White Marrow.
Knight's Tall White Wrinkled Marrow.
Height and general character of the plant similar to Knight's Tall Green Marrow. Pods in pairs. The ripe seed is white. Very productive and excellent.
Matchless Marrow.Cot. Gard.
This is a good marrow-pea, but now surpassed by the improved varieties of the Early Green Marrow. It possesses no qualities superior to that variety, and is not so early. The plant grows from five to six feet in height; and the pods contain about seven large peas, which are closely compressed together.
Milford Marrow.Cot. Gard.
The plant is of a strong and robust habit of growth, always with a single stem, attaining the height of four and a half or five feet, and producing from twelve to sixteen pods, which are almost always in pairs, three inches and three-quarters long, and three-quarters of an inch wide. They do not become broad-backed, thick, or fleshy, but rather shrivelled, and contain from six to seven very large peas, which are roundish and somewhat compressed, half an inch long, nearly the same broad, and nine-twentieths thick.
Its season is near that of Bellamy's Early Green Marrow; if planted May 1, blossoming June 28, and being fit for plucking about the middle of July.
Missouri Marrow.
Missouri Marrowfat.
Plant three feet and a half or four feet high, strong and vigorous, generally simple, but sometimes divided into branches; pods single and in pairs, three inches long, wrinkled on the surface as they ripen, nearly straight, and containing about six peas, rather closely set together. When ripe, the pea is similar to the Dwarf Marrow in form, but is larger, paler, more wrinkled, and much more regular in size.
Plants from seed sown May 1 were in blossom the 30th of June, and pods were gathered for use the 14th of July. It is a few days later than Fairbeard's Champion of England, and nearly of the season of the Dwarf Marrowfat, of which it is probably but an improved or sub-variety.
It is of American origin, very productive, of good quality, and well deserving of cultivation.
Ne Plus Ultra.Cot. Gard.
Jay's Conqueror.
This is comparatively a recent variety. It belongs to the wrinkled class of pease; is as early as Bellamy's Green Marrow; and possesses, both in pod and pea, the same fine, deep, olive-green color.
The plant is of strong and robust habit of growth, six to seven feet high, with a branching stem. It begins to produce pods at two or two and a half feet from the ground; and the number, in all, is from twelve to eighteen. The pods are generally in pairs, three inches and a half long, three-fourths of an inch wide, very plump and full, almost round, slightly curved, and terminate abruptly at the end. Their color is deep, bright-green, and the surface smooth. They contain seven very large peas, each of which is half an inch long, nearly the same broad; and, although they are not so closely packed as to compress each other, they fill the pods well.
When sown the first of May, the variety will blossom the last of June, and afford peas for use the 15th of July.
It is one of the best tall Marrows in cultivation. The ripe seed is mixed white and olive.
Noble's Early Green Marrow.Cot. Gard.
A sub-variety of Bellamy's Early Green Marrow. It is a much more abundant bearer; producing from eighteen to twenty pods on a plant, which are singularly regular in their size and form.
Prince Albert.
Early Prince Albert. Early May. Early Kent.
Plant from two and a half to three feet in height, usually without branches; pods generally in pairs, two inches and a half in length, half an inch broad, tapering abruptly at bothends, slightly bent backwards, and well filled; pea, when fully ripe, round, cream-colored, approaching to white about the eye and at the line of the division of the lobes, and measuring about a fourth of an inch in diameter.
Sown May 1, the plants blossomed June 15, and pods were plucked for use July 6.
The Prince Albert was, at one period, the most popular of all the early varieties, and was cultivated in almost every part of the United States. As now found in the garden, the variety is not distinguishable from some forms of the Early Frame; and it is everywhere giving place to the Early Dan O'Rourke, Dillistone's Early, and other more recent and superior sorts.
Queen of the Dwarfs.Cot. Gard.
A very dwarfish variety, from six to nine inches high. Stem thick and succulent; foliage dark bluish-green. Each plant produces from four to six pods, which are of a curious, elliptic form, and contain three or four large peas. Ripe seed white, of medium size, egg-shaped, unevenly compressed.
The plants are tender; the pods do not fill freely; and the variety cannot be recommended for cultivation.
Ringwood Marrow.
Flanagan's Early. Early Ringwood.Cot. Gard.Beck's Gem.
Plant three and a half to four feet high, usually simple, but sometimes sending out shoots near the ground. The pods are single and in pairs; and, as they ripen, become thick and fleshy, with a rough, pitted, and shrivelled surface: they contain from six to seven large peas, which are nearly round, and about seven-tenths of an inch in diameter in the green state. The ripe seed is white.
The variety is comparatively early. If planted May 1, itwill blossom about the 25th of June, and the pods will be ready to pluck about the 10th of July.
A very valuable sort, producing a large, well-filled pod, and is a most abundant bearer. It has, however, a peculiarity, which by many is considered an objection,—the pod is white, instead of green, and presents, when only full grown, the appearance of over-maturity. This objection is chiefly made by those who grow it for markets, and who find it difficult to convince their customers, that, notwithstanding the pod is white, it is still in its highest perfection. So far from being soon out of season, it retains its tender and marrowy character longer than many other varieties.
A new sort, called the "Lincoln Green," is said to possess all the excellences of the Ringwood Marrow, without the objectionable white pod.
Royal Dwarf or White Prussian.Cot. Gard.
Dwarf Prolific. Poor Man's Profit.
Plant of medium growth, with an erect stem, which is three feet high, generally simple, but occasionally branching. The pods are usually single, but sometimes in pairs, nearly three inches long, half an inch broad, almost straight, and somewhat tapering towards the point. The surface is quite smooth, and the color bright-green. They are generally well filled, and contain from five to six peas, which are ovate, not compressed, four-tenths of an inch long, a third of an inch broad, and the same in thickness. The ripe seed is white.
Plants from seed sown the 1st of May will blossom June 25, and supply the table about the middle of July. The crop will ripen the 25th of the same month.
This is an old and prolific variety, well adapted for field culture, and long a favorite in gardens, but now, to a great extent, superseded.
Sebastopol.
Plant of rather slender habit, three feet and a half in height; pods usually single, two inches and three quarters in length, containing from five to seven peas, which, when ripe, are nearly round and smooth, cream-colored, and scarcely distinguishable, in their size, form, or color, from the Early Frame and kindred kinds.
If planted May 1, the variety will blossom June 16, afford pods of sufficient size for shelling about July 7, and ripen the 20th of the same month.
It is early, very productive, of superior quality, and an excellent sort for growing for market, or in small gardens for family use. In an experimental cultivation of the variety, it proved one of the most prolific of all the early sorts.
Shillings Grotto.Cot. Gard.
Plant with a simple stem, four feet and a half to five feet high; the pods are generally single, but frequently in pairs, three inches and a half long, about half an inch wide, slightly curved, and, when fully matured, assuming a thick-backed and somewhat quadrangular form. Each pod contains, on an average, seven large peas. The ripe seed is white.
A great objection to this variety is the tardiness with which it fills; the pods being fully grown, and apparently filled, when the peas are quite small and only half grown. Though considered a standard sort, it is not superior to the Champion of England; and will probably soon give place to it, or some other of the more recent varieties.
Spanish Dwarf.Cot. Gard.
Early Spanish Dwarf. Dwarf Fan. Strawberry.
Plant about a foot high, branching on each side in the manner of a fan; and hence often called the "Dwarf Fan."The pods are sometimes single, but generally in pairs, two inches and a half long, half an inch broad, terminate rather abruptly at the point, and contain from five to six rather large peas. The ripe seed is cream-white.
Sown May 1, the plants were in blossom June 26, and pods were plucked for use July 14.
The Spanish Dwarf is an old variety, and still maintains its position as an Early Dwarf for small gardens, though it can hardly be considered equal to Burbridge's Eclipse or Bishop's Long-podded.
There is a variety of this which is called the Improved Spanish Dwarf, and grows fully nine inches taller than the old variety; but it possesses no particular merit to recommend it.
Tall White Marrow.
Large Carolina. Tall Marrowfat.
Plant six to seven feet in height, seldom branched; pods three to three inches and a half long, three-fourths of an inch broad, more bluntly pointed than those of the Dwarf variety, and containing six or seven peas. When ripe, the pea is nearly of the color of the Dwarf Marrow, but is more perfectly spherical, less wrinkled, and, when compared in bulk, has a smoother, harder, and more glossy appearance.
Planted May 1, the variety will blossom near the 1st of July, and will come to the table from the 15th to the 20th of the same month. It is a few days later than the Dwarf.
In this country, it has been longer cultivated than any other sort; and, in some of the forms of its very numerous sub-varieties, is now to be found in almost every garden. It is hardy, abundant, long-continued in its yield, and of excellent quality. In England, the variety is cultivated in single rows three feet apart. In this country, where the growth of the pea is much less luxuriant, it may be grown in double rows three feet and a half apart, and twelve inches between the single rows.
Taylor's Early.
Similar in habit, production, and early maturity, to the Early Dan O'Rourke.
Thurston's Reliance.Cot. Gard.
Plant strong and robust, six to seven feet high; pods generally single, but occasionally in pairs, and from three inches and a half to four inches and a quarter long. They are broad and flat, shaped like the pods of the Blue Cimeter, and contain seven or eight very large peas. Ripe seed white, large, and unevenly compressed.
This is a quite distinct and useful pea; an abundant bearer; and the pods are of a fine deep-green color, which is a recommendation for it when grown for market. It comes in at the same time as the Auvergne and Shillings Grotto, but is of a more tender constitution.
Tom Thumb.
Beck's Gem. Bush Pea. Pois nain hatif extra, of the French.
Plant of remarkably low growth, seldom much exceeding nine inches in height, stout and branching; pods single, rarely in pairs, two inches and a half in length, half an inch broad, containing five or six peas, which are cream-yellow, and measure about a fourth of an inch in diameter.
Planted the 1st of May, the variety blossomed the 12th of June, and the pods were of suitable size for plucking July 4.
In the color of its foliage, its height and general habit, the variety is very distinct, and readily distinguishable from all other kinds. It is early, of good quality, and, the height of the plant considered, yields abundantly. It may be cultivated in rows ten inches apart.
Mr. Landreth, of Philadelphia, remarks as follows: "Forsowing at this season (November, in the Middle States), we recommend trial of a new variety, which we have designated 'Tom Thumb,' in allusion to its extreme dwarfness. It seldom rises over twelve inches, is an abundant bearer, and is, withal, quite early. It seems to be admirably adapted to autumn sowings in the South, where, on apprehended frost, protection may be given: it is also equally well suited to early spring planting for the same reason. It is curious, as well as useful; and, if planted on ground well enriched, will yield as much to a given quantity of land as any pea known to us."
It is a desirable variety in the kitchen garden; as, from its exceeding dwarfish habit, it may be so sown as to form a neat edging for the walk or border.
Veitch's Perfection.Trans.
Plant three feet and a half to four feet high, of strong, robust growth, somewhat branched; pods ten or twelve on a stalk or branch, large, flat, straight, containing six or eight large peas, which are very sugary and excellent. The ripe seeds are large, of a light olive-green color; some being nearly white.
Planted the 1st of May, the variety will be in flower June 28, and the pods will be fit for use about the middle or 20th of July. It is one of the best pease for main or late crops.
Victoria Marrow.Thomp.
Plant from six to seven feet high; pods remarkably large, nearly four inches in length, generally in pairs, straight, roundish, well filled, containing from six to eight peas of extraordinary size and of good quality. The ripe pease are olive-green.
The Victoria Marrow is not early. Planted May 1, it willblossom the last of June, and be fit for the table from the middle of July.
This variety bears some resemblance to Knight's Tall Marrow; but, like nearly all others, it is less sugary. Those who have a fancy for large pease will find this perhaps the largest.
Warner's Early Emperor.Thomp.
Warner's Early Conqueror. Early Railway. Early Wonder. Beck's Morning-star. Early Emperor.
This variety grows somewhat taller, and is a few days earlier, than the Prince Albert: the pods and pease are also somewhat larger. It is an abundant bearer; and, on the whole, must be considered a good sub-variety of the Early Frame.
Woodford's Marrow.Cot. Gard.
Nonpareil.
Plant of strong and robust habit of growth, like a vigorous-growing Marrow; rising with a stem three feet and a half high, which is sometimes simple, but generally branching at about half its height from the ground. The pods begin to be produced at little more than half the height of the plant; and, from that point to the top, every joint produces single or double pods, amounting, in all, to ten or twelve on each. They are single or in pairs, in nearly equal proportions, about three inches and a half long, seven-tenths of an inch broad, quite smooth, and of a dark-green color. When ready to gather, they are rather flattened, but become round as they ripen. They contain, on an average, seven peas, which are of a dark olive-green color, rather thick in the skin, and closely packed; so much so as to be quite flattened on the sides adjoining.
Sown May 1, the variety blossomed June 28, and pease were gathered for the table July 17.
This is a very characteristic pea, and may at once be detected from all others, either by the ripe seed or growing plants, from the peculiar dark-green color, which, when true, it always exhibits. It is well adapted for a market-pea; its dark-green color favoring the popular prejudices.
In this class are included such of the varieties as want the tough, inner film, or parchment lining, common to the other sorts. The pods are generally of large size, tender and succulent, and are used in the green state like string-beans; though the seeds may be used as other pease, either in the green state or when ripe. "When not ripe, the pods of some of the sorts have the appearance of being swollen or distended with air; but, on ripening, they become much shrivelled, and collapse closely on the seeds." The varieties are not numerous, when compared with the extensive catalogue of the kinds of the Common Pea offered for sale by seedsmen, and described by horticultural writers. The principal are the following:—
Common Dwarf Sugar.Law. Vil.
Dwarf Crooked-podded Sugar.
Stalk about two feet high, dividing into branches when cultivated in good soil; flower white; pods single or in pairs, six-seeded, three inches long by five-eighths of an inch broad, crooked or jointed-like with the seeds, as in all of the Sugar Pease, very prominent, especially on becoming ripe and dry; pea fully a fourth of an inch in diameter, white, and slightly wrinkled.
The variety is quite late. Sown the beginning of May, the plants blossomed the last week in June, and pods were gathered for use July 17.
It is prolific, of good quality as a shelled-pea, and the young pods are tender and well flavored.
Early Dwarf Dutch Sugar.Vil.
Early Dwarf de Grace.
Plant about twenty inches high, branching; leaves of medium size, yellowish-green; flowers white; pods two inches and three-quarters in length, half an inch wide, somewhat sickle-shaped, swollen on the sides, flattened at the lower end, and containing five or six peas, which, when ripe, are roundish, often irregularly flattened or indented, wrinkled, and of a yellowish-white color.
The variety is the lowest-growing and earliest of all the Eatable-podded kinds. If sown at the time of the Common Dwarf Sugar, it will be fit for use twelve or fourteen days in advance of that variety. It requires a good soil; and the pods are succulent and tender, but are not considered superior to those of the Common Dwarf Sugar.
Giant Eatable-Podded.Vil.
Giant Sugar.
Stalk four to five feet high; leaves large, yellowish-green, stained with red at their union with the stalk of the plant; flower reddish; pods transparent yellowish-green, very thick and fleshy, distended on the surface by the seeds, which are widely distributed, curved, and much contorted, six inches long, and sometimes nearly an inch and a half in diameter,—exceeding in size that of any other variety. They contain but five or six seeds, which, when ripe, are irregular in form, and of a greenish-yellow color, spotted or speckled with brown.
It is about a week later than the Large Crooked Sugar.
Large Crooked Sugar.Thomp.
Broadsword. Six-inch-pod Sugar.
Plant nearly six feet in height, and branching when grown in good soil; the leaves are large, yellowish-green; flowers white; pods very large,—measuring from four to five inches in length and an inch in width,—broad, flat, and crooked. When young, they are tender, and easily snap or break in pieces, like the young pods of kidney-beans; and are then fit for use. The sides of the pods exhibit prominent marks where pushed out by the seeds, even at an early stage of growth. The ripe pease are somewhat indented or irregularly compressed, and of a yellowish-white color.
It is one of the best of the Eatable-podded sorts, and is hardy and productive. It is, however, quite late; blossoming, if sown May 1, about the last of June, and producing pods for use in the green state about the 20th of July.
Purple-Podded or Australian.Law.
Blue-podded. Botany-bay Pea.
Plant five feet high, generally without branches; pods usually in pairs, flattened, with thick, fleshy skins, and commonly of a dark-purple color; but this characteristic is not permanent, as they are sometimes found with green pods; in which case, they are, however, easily distinguished from those of other pease by their thick and fleshy nature. When ripe, the pease are of medium size, often much indented and irregularly compressed, and of a light, dunnish, or brown color. Season intermediate.
It is very productive, and seems possessed of properties which entitle it to cultivation.
Red-Flowered Sugar.Vil.
Chocolate.
Stem four or five feet in height, generally simple, but branching when grown in rich soil; leaves long, yellowish-green, tinged with red where they connect with the stalk of the plant; flowers pale-red; pods three inches long, seven-tenths of an inch broad, more or less contorted, containing six to eight peas; seed comparatively large, pale-brown, marbled with reddish-brown.
Season nearly the same as that of the Common Dwarf Sugar. It is productive, remarkably hardy, and may be sown very early in spring, as it is little affected by cool and wet weather; but the green pease are not much esteemed, as they possess a strong and rather unpleasant flavor. The green pods are tender and good; and, for these, the variety may be worthy of cultivation.
Tamarind Sugar.
Late Dwarf Sugar. Tamarind Pea.
Plant similar to the Common Dwarf Sugar, but of more luxuriant habit, and with larger foliage; flowers white; pods single or in pairs, six to eight seeded, very long and broad,—often measuring four inches in length and an inch in breadth,—succulent, and generally contorted and irregular in form. A few days later than the Common Dwarf Sugar.
Hardy, prolific, and deserves more general cultivation.
White-Podded Sugar.Vil.
Stem four to five feet high; leaves yellowish-green, and, like those of the Giant Eatable-podded, stained with red at their insertion with the stalk; flowers purple; pods nearly three inches long, five-eighths of an inch wide, sickle-shapedand contorted, of a yellowish-white color, containing five or six peas. The ripe seeds are irregularly flattened and indented, of a greenish-yellow color, marbled or spotted with brown or black.
The variety is quite late. Sown May 1, the pods were not fit for use till July 24.
The pods are crisp and succulent, though inferior in flavor to most of the Eatable-podded varieties.
Yellow-Podded Sugar.Vil.
Stem three to four feet high; leaves large, yellowish-green; flowers white, tinted with yellow; pods four inches long, tapering slightly at the ends, greenish-yellow, thick and fleshy, containing six or seven peas, widely separated. The ripe seeds are oblong, rather regular in form, and of a creamy-white color.
It is one of the earliest of the Eatable-podded sorts; coming to the table, if planted May 1, about the middle of July. It is of good quality, but not hardy or productive; and seems to have little to recommend it, aside from the singular color of its pods.
A native of Africa, and also of Central and Tropical America. It is an annual plant; and the stem, when full grown, is about fifteen inches in height. The leaves are pinnate, with four leaflets, and a leafy, emarginate appendage at the base of the petioles; the flowers are yellow, and are produced singly, in the axils of the leaves; the fruit, or pod, is of an oblong form, from an inch to an inch and a half inlength, rather more than three-eighths of an inch in diameter, often contracted at the middle, but sometimes bottle-formed, reticulated, and of a yellowish color; the kernels, of which the pods contain from one to three, are oblong, quite white, and enclosed in a thin, brown skin, or pellicle.
A remarkable peculiarity of this plant is, that the lower blossoms (which alone produce fruit), after the decay of the petals, insinuate their ovaries into the earth; beneath which, at the depth of several inches, the fruit is afterwards perfected.
The seed, or kernel, retains its germinative property but a single season; and, when designed for planting, should be preserved unbroken in the pod, or shell.
Soil and Cultivation.—The Pea-nut succeeds best in a warm, light, loamy soil. This should be deeply ploughed and well pulverized, and afterwards laid out in slightly raised ridges two feet apart. As the plants require the whole season for their perfection, the seed should be planted as early in spring as the weather becomes suitable. Drop nine inches apart in the drills, and cover an inch and a half or two inches deep. Weeding must be performed early in the season; as, after the blossoming of the plants, they are greatly injured if disturbed by the hoe, or if weeds are removed about the roots.
It is rather tropical in its character, and cannot be cultivated with success either in the Northern or Middle States.
"The seeds are sometimes dibbled in rows, so as to leave the plants a foot apart each way. As soon as the flowers appear, the vines are earthed up from time to time, so as to keep them chiefly within the ground. When cultivated alone, and there is sufficient moisture, the yield of nuts is from sixty to seventy-five bushels to the acre. If allowed to grow without earthing up, the vines will yield half a ton of hay to the acre. They are killed by the first frost; when the nuts will be mature, and ready for use."
Varieties.—
African Pea-Nut.
A comparatively small, smooth, and regularly formed sort. Shell thin, usually enclosing two kernels.
Wilmington Pea-Nut.
Carolina.
Similar to the African. The pods, however, are longer, and the shell is thicker and paler. They rarely contain less than two, and often enclose three, kernels. Extensively cultivated in the Carolinas and Gulf States.
Tennessee Pea-Nut.
Pods large, thick, and irregular in form; the reticulations very coarse and deep. The pods usually contain two kernels. Less esteemed than either of the preceding varieties.
The Vetch, or Tare, in its properties and habits, somewhat resembles the Common Pea. There are numerous species as well as varieties, and the seeds of all may be used for food; but they are generally too small, or produced too sparingly, to repay the cost of cultivation.
The only variety of much importance to the garden is the following:—
White Tare, or Vetch.Law.
Lentil, of Canada. Napoléon Pea.
Annual; stem slender and climbing, about three feet high, the leaves terminating in a branching tendril, or clasper;flowers purplish; pods brown, slender, containing from eight to twelve seeds, or grains, which are globular, sometimes slightly flattened, smooth, and of a yellowish-white color; they retain their germinative quality three years; an ounce contains about six hundred seeds.
In France and Canada, the seeds are used as a substitute for pease, both green and ripe, in soups and other dishes. They are also ground, and made into bread; but in this case their flour is generally mixed with that of wheat, or other of the edible grains.
The seeds may be sown in drills, in April or May, in the manner of garden-pease, or broadcast with oats for agricultural purposes.
Varieties.—
Summer Tare, or Vetch.
An agricultural variety, grown at the north of England and in Scotland. It is sown broadcast, and cultivated as wheat or barley. Both the haum and seed are used.
Winter Tare, or Vetch.
Extensively grown in England and Scotland; usually sown in autumn, mixed with rye, for early spring food for stock. The seeds are smaller than those of the summer variety.
Not sufficiently hardy to survive the winters of the Northern States.
A hardy, creeping, or climbing, annual plant, fifteen or eighteen inches in height, or length; leaves trifoliate; flowers large, solitary, bright-scarlet; pods three inches and a half long, with four longitudinal, leafy membranes, or wings; seeds globular, slightly compressed, yellowish-white.
Use.—The ripened seeds are sometimes used as a substitute for coffee; and the pods, while young and tender, form an agreeable dish, not unlike string-beans. It is often cultivated as an ornamental plant; and, for this purpose, is generally sown in patches, four or five seeds together on the border, where the plants are intended to remain.
When grown as an esculent, sow in double drills an inch and a half deep, and two feet apart; the single rows being made twelve inches from each other.
Bene-plant. Camomile. Coltsfoot. Elecampane. Hoarhound. Hyssop. Licorice. Pennyroyal. Poppy. Palmate-leaved or Turkey Rhubarb. Rue. Saffron. Southernwood. Wormwood.
This plant is said to have been introduced into this country from Africa by the negroes. It is cultivated in the south of Europe, and in Egypt is grown to a considerable extent for forage and culinary purposes.
It is a hardy annual, with an erect, four-sided stem from two to four feet high, and opposite, lobed, or entire leaves; the flowers terminate the stalk in loose spikes, and are of a dingy-white color; the seeds are oval, flattened, and produced in an oblong, pointed capsule.
Propagation and Cultivation.—It is propagated from seeds, which should be sown in spring, as soon as the ground has become well settled. They may be sown where the plants are to remain; or in a nursery-bed, to be afterwards transplanted. The plants should be grown in rows eighteen inches or two feet apart, and about a foot apart in the rows. The after-culture consists simply in keeping the ground loose, and free from weeds. The plant is said to yield a much greater amount of herbage if the top is broken or cut off when it is about half grown.
Use.—"The seeds were at one time used for food; being first parched, then mixed with water, and afterwards stewed with other ingredients. A sort of pudding is made of the seeds, in the same manner as rice; and is by some persons much esteemed. From the seeds of the first-named sort an oil is extracted, which will keep many years without having any rancid smell or taste. In two years, the warm taste which the new oil possesses wears off, and it becomes quite mild and pleasant, and may be used as a salad-oil, or for all the purposes of olive-oil. Two quarts of oil have been extracted from nine pounds of the seeds."
The properties of the plant are cooling and healing, with some degree of astringency. A few of the leaves, immersed a short time in a tumbler of water, give it a jelly-like consistence, without imparting color or flavor; and in this form it is generally used.
There are three varieties:—
Biformed-Leaved.Mill.
Plant larger than that of the Oval-leaved; the lower leaves are three-parted, while those of the upper part of the stalk are oval or entire.
Oval-Leaved.
Stem about two feet high, with a few short branches; the leaves are oblong, and entire on the borders.
Trifid-Leaved.Mill.
Taller and more vigorous than either of the preceding. The upper as well as the lower leaves are trifid, or three-parted.
This is a half-hardy, herbaceous, perennial plant, growing wild in various parts of England, by roadsides and in gravelly pastures. Its stems rest upon the surface of the ground, and send out roots, by which the plants spread and are rapidly increased.
Soil and Culture.—Camomile flourishes best in light, poor soil; and is generally propagated by dividing the roots, and setting them in rows a foot apart, and eight or ten inches from each other in the rows. They will soon entirely occupy the ground.
Gathering.—The flowers should be gathered in a dry day, and when they are fully expanded. They are generally spread in an airy, shady situation for a few days, and afterwards removed to a heated apartment to perfect the drying.
Common Camomile.
The flowers of this variety are single. Though considered more efficacious for medicinal purposes, it is not so generally cultivated as the Double-flowering. Its leaves are finely cut, or divided; and, when bruised, emit a peculiar, pungent odor. It may be grown from seeds, or slips, and from divisions of the plants, or roots.
Double-Flowering Camomile.
A variety of the foregoing, with large, white, double flowers. The leaves are of the same form, but milder in their odor and taste. It is equally hardy with the Single-flowering, and much more ornamental. Though generally considered lessefficacious than the last named, it is generally cultivated for use and the market on account of the greater bulk and weight of its flowers.
It is propagated by slips, with a few of the small roots attached. Both of the sorts are classed as hardy perennials; but, in the Northern and Eastern States, the plants are frequently destroyed in severe winters.
Use.—"The flowers, which are the parts principally used, have long been in high repute, both in the popular and scientific Materia Medica, and give out their properties by infusion in either water or alcohol. The flowers are also sometimes used in the manufacture of bitter beer, and, along with Wormwood, made, to a certain extent, a substitute for hops. In many parts of England, the peasants have what they call a 'Camomile seat' at the end of their gardens, which is constructed by cutting out a bench in a bank of earth, and planting it thickly with the Double-flowering variety; on which they delight to sit, and fancy it conducive to health."—M'Int.
It is considered a safe bitter, and tonic; though strong infusions, when taken warm, sometimes act as an emetic.
A hardy, herbaceous, perennial plant. The leaves are all radical, roundish-heart-shaped, and from five to seven inches in diameter; the flower-stem (scape) is six or seven inches high, imbricated, and produces a solitary yellow flower, which is about an inch in diameter. The plants blossom in February and March, before the appearance of the leaves, and often while the ground is still frozen and even covered with snow.
Propagation and Culture.—Coltsfoot thrives best in rich, moist soil. It may be propagated from seeds, but is generally increased by dividing its long, creeping roots. The plants require little attention, and will soon occupy all the space allotted.
Gathering and Use.—The leaves are the parts of the plant used, and are generally cut in July and September. They should not be exposed to the sun for drying, but spread singly in an airy, shaded situation. They are esteemed beneficial in colds and pulmonary disorders.
A hardy, herbaceous, perennial plant, introduced from Europe, but growing spontaneously in moist places, by roadsides, and in the vicinity of gardens where it has been cultivated. Stem from three to five feet high, thick and strong, branching towards the top; the leaves are from nine inches to a foot in length, ovate, toothed on the margin, downy beneath; the flowers are yellow, spreading, and resemble a small sunflower; the seeds are narrow, four-sided, and crowned with down.
The plants blossom in July and August, and there is but one variety cultivated.
Propagation and Culture.—It is generally propagated by dividing the roots; but may be grown from seeds, which are sown just after ripening. The plants should be set in rows two feet asunder, and a foot from each other in the rows.
Use.—Elecampane is cultivated for its roots, which are carminative, sudorific, tonic, and alleviating in pulmonary diseases. They are in their greatest perfection when of two years' growth.
Hoarhound is a hardy, herbaceous, perennial plant, introduced from Europe, and naturalized to a considerable extent in localities where it has been once cultivated. Stem hoary, about two feet high; leaves round-ovate; flowers white; seeds small, of an angular-ovoid form and grayish-brown color.
Propagation and Cultivation.—The plant prefers a rich, warm soil; and is generally propagated by dividing its long, creeping roots, but may also be raised from seeds. When once established, it will grow almost spontaneously, and yield abundantly.
Gathering and Use.—The plants are cut for use as they come into flower; and, if required, the foliage may be cut twice in the season.
The leaves possess a strong and somewhat unpleasant odor, and their taste is "bitter, penetrating, and durable." The plant has long been esteemed for its efficacy in colds and pulmonary consumption.
Hyssop is a hardy, evergreen, dwarfish, aromatic shrub, from the south of Europe.
Three kinds are cultivated, as follow:—
Common or Blue-Flowering.
More generally found in gardens than either of the following varieties. The stems are square and tender at first, but afterwards become round and woody; the leaves are opposite, small, narrow, with six or eight bract-like leaves at the samejoint; the flowers are blue, in terminal spikes; seeds small, black, oblong.
Red-Flowering Hyssop.
Quite distinct from the Common or Blue-flowering. The stem is shorter, the plants are more branching in their habit, and the spikes more dense or compact; flowers fine red. It is not so hardy as the White or the Blue Flowering, and is often injured by severe winters.
White-Flowering Hyssop.
This is a sub-variety of the Common Blue-flowering; the principal if not the only mark of distinction being its white flowers. Its properties, and modes of culture, are the same.
Soil and Cultivation.—The plants require a light, warm, mellow soil; and are propagated from seeds, cuttings, or by dividing the roots. The seeds are sown in April; and, when the seedlings are two or three inches high, they are transplanted to rows eighteen inches apart, and a foot from each other in the rows. The roots may be divided or the slips set in spring or autumn.
Use.—The plant is highly aromatic. The leaves and young shoots are the parts used, and are cut, dried, and preserved as other pot-herbs.
"Hyssop has the general virtues ascribed to aromatic plants; and is recommended in asthmas, coughs, and other pulmonary disorders."—Rog.
Licorice is a hardy, perennial plant. The roots are fleshy, creeping, and, when undisturbed, attain a great length, andpenetrate far into the earth; the stem is herbaceous, dull-green, and about four feet high; leaves pinnate, composed of four or five pairs of oval leaflets; flowers pale-blue, in terminal spikes. The fruit consists of short, flattened pods, each containing two or three kidney-shaped seeds.
Soil, Propagation, and Culture.—"Licorice succeeds best in deep, rich, rather sandy, or in alluvial soil. The ground should be well enriched the year previous to planting: and it should either be trenched three feet deep in autumn, laid in ridges, and allowed to remain in that state till spring; or it may be trenched immediately before planting. The former method is the preferable one.
"Licorice is propagated by portions of the creeping stem (commonly termed 'the creeping root'), from four to six inches in length, each having two or three buds. These are planted in March or April, or as soon as the ground can be well worked, in rows three feet apart, and eighteen inches from each other in the rows; covering with earth to the depth of two or three inches. Every year, late in autumn, when the sap has gone down and the leaves have turned yellow, the old stems should be cut down with a pruning-knife to a level with the ground. At this time, also, the creeping stems are forked up, cut off close to the main stems, and preserved in sand, or in heaps covered with straw and earth, for future plantations. The roots will be ready for taking up three years after planting. This should be done towards winter, after the descent of the sap. A trench three feet must then be thrown out, and the roots extracted; after which, they may be stored in sand for use."—Thomp.
Use.—The roots are the parts of the plant used, and these are extensively employed by porter-brewers. "The sweet, mucilaginous juice extracted from the roots by boiling is much esteemed as an emollient in colds."
The American Pennyroyal is a small, branching, annual plant, common to gravelly localities, and abounding towards autumn among stubble in dry fields from whence crops of wheat or rye have been recently harvested. The stem is erect, branching, and from six to twelve inches high; the leaves are opposite, oval, slightly toothed; flowers bluish, in axillary clusters; seeds very small, deep blackish-brown.
Sowing and Cultivation.—In its natural state, the seeds ripen towards autumn, lie dormant in the earth during winter, and vegetate the following spring or summer. When cultivated, the seeds should be sown soon after ripening, as they vegetate best when exposed to the action of frost during winter. They are sown broadcast, or in drills ten or twelve inches asunder. When the plants are in full flower, they are cut off, or taken up by the roots, and dried in an airy, shaded situation.
Use.—Pennyroyal possesses a warm, pungent, somewhat aromatic taste, and is employed exclusively for medical purposes. An infusion of the leaves is stimulating, sudorific, tonic, and beneficial in colds and chills.
This plant must not be confounded with the Pennyroyal (Mentha pulegium) of English writers, which is a species of Mint, and quite distinct from the plant generally known as Pennyroyal in this country.
A hardy annual, growing naturally in different parts of Europe, and cultivated to a considerable extent in Germanyfor its seeds, which, under the name of "Maw-seed," are an article of some commercial importance. Stem five or six feet high, branching; leaves smooth, glaucous, clasping, and much cut or gashed on the borders; flowers large, terminal, purple and white; the bud pendent, or drooping, until the time of flowering, when it becomes erect. The petals soon fall to the ground, remaining on the plant but a few hours after their expansion; and are succeeded by large, roundish heads, or capsules, two inches and upwards in diameter, filled with the small, darkish-blue seeds for which the plant is principally cultivated.
Soil, Sowing, and Culture.—"The soils best suited to the growth of the Poppy are such as are of medium texture and in the highest state of fertilization. As the seeds are small, and consequently easily buried, the land should be well pulverized by harrowing and rolling. The seeds are sown in April, in drills about half an inch in depth, and twenty inches or two feet distant from each other. The young plants are afterwards thinned out to from six to ten inches' distance in the rows, and the whole crop kept free from weeds by frequent hoeing.
"The period of reaping is about the month of August, when the earliest and generally the largest capsules begin to open. The plants are then cut or pulled, and tied in small bundles, taking care not to allow the heads to recline until they are carried to the place allotted for the reception of the seed; which is then shaken out, and the sheaves again set upon their ends for the ripening of the remaining capsules.
"In Germany and Flanders, a mode of obtaining the first crop is to spread sheets by the side of the row, into which the seeds are shaken by bending over the tops of the plants: these are then pulled, tied in bundles, and removed; when the sheets are drawn forward to the next row, and so on, until the harvesting is completed."—Law.
Use.—Maw-seed is imported to some extent from different parts of Europe, and is principally used in this country for feeding birds.
Oil-Poppy.Law.
Gray Poppy. Papaver somniferum olifer.
Stem three feet high, smooth and branching; flowers dull-red, or grayish; capsules very large, oblong; seeds of a brownish color, and produced in great abundance.
It is chiefly cultivated in Italy, the south of France, Germany, and Flanders.
Use.—"The oil of the seeds of the Poppy is of an agreeable flavor; and, in Europe, is chiefly applied to domestic purposes, for which it is esteemed nearly equal to that of the Olive. Its consumption in this country is comparatively trifling; being principally used for the finer kinds of oil-painting and by druggists."
Opium, or White Poppy.Law.
P. somniferum, album vel candidum.
Plant strong and vigorous,—the stem, in favorable situations, reaching a height of five or six feet; flowers large, white, and of short duration; seed-pods globular, of large size, often measuring upwards of two inches in diameter; seeds small, white, ripening in August and September.
Sowing and Cultivation.—"Being an annual plant, the Poppy, when sown in spring, matures its seed the last of summer or early in autumn. It is of easy culture, and can be successfully grown in any section of the Northern or Middle States. It may be sown at any time during the month of April, or the first week in May. The best method of cultivating the plant is in rows two feet and a half apart; and, on the poppies attaining a few inches in height, they are hoed out to a distance from one another of six or eight inches.
"Opium is obtained from the capsules or heads of seed, and is extracted after they are fully formed, but while yet green. The process is simple, and may be taught to children in an hour.
"Two or more vertical incisions are made in the capsule with a sharp knife or other instrument, about an inch in length, and not so deep as to penetrate through the capsule. As soon as the incisions are made, a milky juice will flow out, which, being glutinous, will adhere to the capsule. This may be collected by a small hair-brush such as is used by painters, and squeezed into a small vessel carried by the person who collects the juice. The incisions are repeated at intervals of a few days all round the capsule, and the same process of collecting the exuded juice is also repeated.
"The juice thus collected is Opium. In a day or two, it is of the consistence to be worked up into a mass. The narcotic matter of the plant may also be collected by boiling; but it is only the exuded juice that forms pure Opium.
"In the opium countries of the East, the incisions are made at sunset by several-pointed knives or lancets. On the following day the juice is collected, scraped off with a small iron scoop, and deposited in earthen pots; when it is worked by the hand until it becomes consistent. It is then formed in globular cakes, and laid in small earthen basins to be further dried. After the opium is extracted from the capsule, the plant is allowed to stand, and ripen its seeds.
"The seeds of the Poppy have nothing of the narcotic principle, and are eaten by the people of the East as a nourishing and grateful food; and they yield, by expression, an oil which is regarded as inferior only to that of the olive."—Law.
The expense of labor forms the principal objection to the cultivation of the Poppy in the United States for its opium. As, however, the plants succeed well, and can be easily and extensively grown in any section of the country; and as theprocess of extraction, though minute, is yet simple,—the employment of females or children might render its production remunerative.
This species is readily distinguished by its deeply divided or palmate leaves, and is generally considered as that from which the dried roots chiefly used in medicine are obtained. Like the Pie Rhubarb, it requires a deep, rich soil, which should be thoroughly stirred, and put in as fine a state of cultivation as possible, before setting the plants. These should be placed about three feet apart in each direction, and kept free from weeds during the summer. They will not be ready for taking up until five or six years old.
The roots are thick and succulent, with a brownish skin and bright-yellow flesh, streaked or variegated with red. After being dug, they are washed clean, cut in rather large pieces, and dried either by the sun, or in kilns formed for the purpose; when they are ready for use.
Rhubarb from Turkey and the neighboring countries is generally preferred; but it is said its superiority, to a great degree, is attributable to the manner in which it is dried and prepared for market. It is propagated by seed, or by a division of the roots.
Rue is a hardy, shrubby, nearly evergreen plant, and thrives best in poor but dry and warm soil. It is propagated by seeds, or slips, and by dividing the roots. The seeds aresown in April, and the roots may be separated in spring or autumn. The plants should be set about eighteen inches apart in each direction. When extensively cultivated, they are set in rows eighteen inches apart, and a foot asunder in the rows.
Use.—"Rue has a strong, unpleasant odor, and a bitter, pungent, penetrating taste. The leaves are so acrid as to irritate and inflame the skin, if much handled. Its efficacy as a vermifuge is unquestioned; but it should be used with caution. It was formerly employed in soups; and the leaves, after being boiled, were eaten pickled in vinegar." The plant is rarely used in this country, either as an esculent or for medical purposes.
The kinds cultivated are the following:—
Broad-Leaved Rue.
Stem shrubby, four or five feet high; leaves compound, of a grayish-green color and strong odor; flowers yellow, in terminal, spreading clusters; the fruit is a roundish capsule, and contains four rough, black seeds.
At one period, this was the sort principally cultivated, and is that referred to in most treatises on medicine. More recently, however, it has given place to the Narrow-leaved, which is much hardier, and equally efficacious.
Narrow-Leaved Rue.
Stem three or four feet high; foliage narrower than that of the preceding, but of the same grayish color, and strong, peculiar odor; the flowers are produced in longer and looser clusters than those of the Broad-leaved, and the seed-vessels are smaller. Now generally cultivated because of its greater hardiness.