I have a couple of questions for pea growers. I've only tried growing
them for a few years now. At first my problem was a lack of sun, and
then it was a lack of heat. This year they have six good hours of
sun/day and there is no escaping the heat. I still have some questions
about them.

Numero uno, it seems that I only have peas "setting" in the growing
zone, i.e. the head of the vine. I can't remember seeing any new sets in
the body of the vine. Is this typical?

Numero two-o, the largest of my peas have turned straw color from their
base up, for five or six feet. Four or five have one or two feet of
green on top but one only has three inches or so. I have three starter
plants (these are bush not pole) that also show some browning of leaves.
I'm thinking this is a result of that blow torch week-end we had a
couple of weeks ago but logic is only as good as it's premise, so I
thought I'd ask.

Numero three-o, are they really such wretched producers? Mine have made
corn look like a wise investment. I deprive myself of sleep because I'm
out battling snails in the middle of the night, and irritating the
neighbors with the loud crunch, crunch, crunch of the snails (hunting
slugs is tolerated though). And all this for a miserable hand full of
peas? Call me fickle, but if this doesn't improve, it's going to be
"good-bye peas, hello pole beans".

They got their bed turned. They got composted. They got manured a couple
of times. They get plenty of water. They have plenty of little worm
buddies. What do I have to do to turn these babies on?