The Dwarf Marrow-fat. The Royal Dwarf. The Prussia Blue. The Spanish
Dwarf.
These varieties are usually sown in gardens when it is not convenient to have them grow up sticks, being all of a dwarf kind.
The Tall Marrow-fat. The Green Marrow-fat. The Imperial Egg Pea. The
Rose, or Crown Pea. The Spanish Morotto. Knight's Marrow Pea. The Grey
Rouncival. The Sickle Pea.
This last variety has no skin in the pods. These are used as kidney beans, as also in the usual way. These varieties are of very large growth, and are only to be cultivated when there is considerable room, and must be supported on sticks placed in the ground for that purpose. The grey pea is usually eaten when in a dry state boiled. Hot grey peas used to be an article of common sale among our itinerant traders in London streets, but it has been dropped for some years. One or other of the different kinds of the larger varieties should be put into the ground every three weeks from March to the 1st week in June, and a crop is thereby insured constantly till the beginning of October.
It should be remarked, that peas, as well as all vegetable seeds, are liable to sport and become hybrid sorts; some of which are at times saved for separate culture, and are called, when found good, by particular names; so that every twenty or thirty years many of the kinds are changed. Thus Briant, in his Flora Diaetetica, enumerates fourteen varieties, a few only of which bear the same name as those now in the list of the London seedsmen.
457. POMPION. Cucurbita Pepo.—This is of the gourd species, and grows to a large size. It is not much in use with us: but in the south of Europe the inhabitants use the pulp with some acid fruits for pastry, and it is there very useful. It is also sometimes used in a similar manner here with apples. Almost all the gourd species are similar in taste and nutriments when used this way.
458. PURSLANE. Portulaca oleracea.—Two kinds of Purslane, the green and the golden, are cultivated. These are eaten with vinegar, &c. the same as other salad oils, and are a fine vegetable in warm weather. The seeds are usually sown in the spring.
459. RADISH. Raphanus sativus.—The varieties in cultivation are,
The Early Scarlet. The Early Purple Short-top. The Salmon Radish. The
White Turnip Radish. The Red Turnip Radish. The Black Spanish.
The above are sown almost every month in the year, and when the weather is fine, every good garden may have a supply all the year of those useful and wholesome vegetables.