Cultivation of Arable Land. Peas. Produce of. 6&amp;lt;j 



times the cuftcm to pick the crops over twice, after which the reft are fuffcred to 

 ftand till they become ripe for the purpofe of feed. This, however, moflly arifes- 

 from the want of pickers, as it is confidered as a lofs, from the peas being lefs 

 profitable in their ripe ftate than when green. Befides they are often improper 

 for the purpofe of feed, as being the word part of the crop. It is therefore bet 

 ter to have them clear picked when hands can be procured. After this they are 

 loaded into carts, and fent off at fuitable times, according to the diftance of iitua- 

 tion, fo as to be delivered to the falefmeri in the different markets, from about 

 three to five o clock in the morning.* In many cafes in other parts, the early ga 

 therings are, however, fent to the markets in half-bufhel fieves, and are frequently 

 difpofedof at the high price of five fliillings the fieve ; but at the after periods 

 they are ufually conveyed in facks of a narrow form, made for the purpofe, which, 

 contain about three bulhcls in each, which, in the more early parts of the feafon, 

 often fetch twelve or fourteen fliillings the lack, but afterwards moftly decline con- 

 fiderably, in fome feafons fo much as- fearcely to repay the expences. This fort of 

 crop affords the moft profit in fuch pea feafons as are inclined to be cool, as under 

 fuch circumftances the peas are moft retarded in their maturation or. ripening, and 

 of courfe the markets kept from beingover-abundantly fupplied. 



The expenfe of gathering green peas is different, according to the difficulty o 

 procuring podders, the bulk or abundance of the crops, ar.ithe kind of pea or 

 lizeof the pods. Thofe of the larger fort, fuch as. the marrowfats, being in the 

 county of Middlefex about one {billing, and thofe of the fmaller kinds, as the, 

 Charlton, from fifteen to eighteen pence, the fack.f In Kent the ufual price 

 is about fourteen pence the fack for podding, one fhilling for conveying them to 

 the market, and three pence the fack for the falefman.J 



The produce of both the early and late pea crops vary much according to the 

 nature of the feafon, and many other circumftances. The average of the early 

 crops in Middlefex is fuppofed, by the author of the Report of that diftricl:, to 

 be from about tw.enty- five to thirty facks the acre, which, felling at from eight to 

 eighteen millings the fack, afford about eighteen pounds the.acre. The author of 

 the Synoplis of Hufbandry, however, ftates the produce about Dartford, in the 

 county of Kent, at about forty facks the acre, though he fays fifty have fometimes 

 been gathered from that fpace of land. 



*&quot; Middleton s Report of Middlefex,. 



+ Ibid. 



+ Synfipfis of Hufbandry. 



The produce and expence of cultivation of a field of fix acres, in June, 1796, that was not at all 



