68 Cultivation of Arable Land. Pea $. After-culture of. Hating* 



turn the earth from the row?, and the latter lay it up to them by fplitring the in 

 tervals. Where the method of hand-culture prevails, it is the general cuflom 

 to have rccourfc to two hoeings ; the firft when the plants are about two or three 

 inches in height, and again juft before the period in which they come into blof- 

 fom. In this way the vigorous vegetation of the young crop is fecured, and a 

 frefh fupply of nourifhment afforded for the fctting of the pods and the filling of 

 the peas. At the laft of thefe operations, the rows mould be laid down, and 

 the earth well placed up to them, the weeds being previoufly extirpated by hand 

 labour.* 



In fome parts of Kent, where this fort of crop is much grown, it is the prac 

 tice, when the diftance of the rows is fufficiently great, to prevent the vegeta 

 tion of weeds, and forward the growth of the pea crops, by occafional edge-hoeing^ 

 and the ufe of the break-harrow, the mould being laid up to the roots of the planrs 

 at the laft operation, by fixing a piece of wood to the harrow. This mould 

 however only belaid up on one fide, the peas being always placed to that which 

 is the moft fully expofed to the effects of the fun. The edge-hoeing is perform 

 ed at the rate of from two to three fhillings the acre, according to the nature of 

 the land. 



There are many inducements to the cultivation of this crop, on fu-i table foils, 

 in the vicinity of large towns, where the demand for green peas- is confiderable ; 

 fuch as the ready fupply of money that is thus provided for the other expenfive 

 operations during the fummer months, the facility of thus rendering the land 

 proper for the growth of turnips, and the large fupply of fodder that is afforded by 

 the ftems of the plants when properly fecured; notwithstanding the danger of 

 fuch crops during the winter, and even in the fpring months, when the fca- 

 fons prove unfavourable, and the heavy cxpences incurred in the gathering and 

 difpofal of them. 



It is frequently a practice with the large cultivators of early green pea crops &amp;gt; 

 in the neighbourhood of London, to difpofe of them, by the acre, to inferior per- 

 fons, who procure the podders ; but the fmaller farmers for the moft part provide 

 this defcription of people themfelves, who generally apply at the proper feafon 

 for the purpofe. The bufincfs of picking or podding the peas is ufually perform 

 ed by the labourers at a fixed price for the fack, of four heaped bufhels. The 

 number of this fort of perfons is generally in the proportion of about four to the. 

 acre, the labour proceeding on the Sundays as well as other days. It is foine- 



* Cosrefled Report of Middkfex. 

 I 



