Cultivation of Arable Land. Peas. Time offowing Quantity of Seed. 65 



On all the more ftiff forts of land this preparation fhould be given by autumnal 

 ploughing, into a fuitable ftate for the fcarifiers and fcufflers in the fpring fo as 

 to be fovvn without any further ploughing. 



For this purpofe, a compoft of earth, dung, and lime, may be the moft ufeful, 

 efpecially where there is little or no calcareous matter in the foil. Pea crops may 

 thus be rendered not only more abundant but better filled, and ripened at an 

 earlier period. 



Mr. Young however objects to the life, of any fort of manure for this crop, as 

 \vhere the land is in a good condition and the peas put in upon a layer they do 

 not ftand in need of it, large crops being produced without any. Befides, 

 &amp;lt;f dung makes them run to long ftraw, and that is not favourable for podding pro 

 ductively.&quot; It alfo encourages weeds which cannot, from the nature of the crop, 

 be eradicated in the advanced ftages of its growth. 



Time of /owing. In fowing this kind of crop, much muft depend upon the inten 

 tions of the cultivator: when the peas are intended for podding, in order to be 

 fent green to the market, which may be the moft advantageous appropriation of 

 the crop near large towns, where they can be readily difpofed of, they mould be 

 put in fucceflion at the diftance often days or a fortnight from about the middle 

 of January to the latter end of March, beginning with the lands that are moft dry 

 and mellow, and proceeding to fuch as are more moift and heavy. In this mode 

 of culture regular fupplies may be kept up for the daily confumption of the markets. 

 The white early forts are in thefe cafes to be employed. It is however, the practice 

 in fome of the fouthern diftricts, in order to have them more early, to fow the feed 

 in the autumn, as a little after Michaelmas. This, from the frofts during the 

 \vinter, is often, however, a. dangerous method, and mould perhaps never be 

 attempted except where the land lies extremely dry and warm, and is very rich in 

 quality.* In this cafe the hardy hog kind is the moft proper. But for the general 

 crops, when the cultivator has no view of the above kind, they may be fovvn as 

 early in March as the foil can be put into a proper ftate of preparation. In thefe 

 cafes the gray forts are moftly employed. When the feed is put in at a later period, 

 as in April, the white or more early kind fhould conftantly be preferred, as the 

 produce becomes ripe more early, which is a matter of importance in pea crops. 



Seed. The proportion of feed muft vary according to the difference of the 

 circumfhmces under which the crop is cultivated, the manner in which it is put in, 

 and the intention with which it is grown. When the feed is put in on rich ground 



s ju lw 



* Synopfis of Ilufbandry, p. US. 

 VOL, II. K 



