228 PEA. 







one inch and a half deep ; and let parallel drills be two 

 feet and a half, three or four feet asunder. Peas that are 

 to grow without sticks require the least room. For sum- 

 mer crops and large sorts, make the drills two inches 

 deep, and four, five or six feet asunder. As to the dis- 

 tances along the drill, distribute the peas according to 

 their size, and the season : the frame, three in the space of 

 an inch ; the Charltons, Hotspur, and dwarf marrowfat, 

 two in an inch ; the Prussian blue, and middle-sized sorts, 

 three in two inches ; the large marrowfat and Knight's a 

 full inch apart ; the moratto, rouncivals, and most larger 

 sorts, an inch and a half apart, and the Patagonian, two 

 inches." 



Soil and situation. " The soil should be moderately 

 rich, and the deeper and stronger for the lofty growers. 

 Peas are not assisted, but hurt, by unreduced dung recently 

 turned in. A fresh, sandy loam, or road-stuff, and a little 

 decomposed vegetable matter, is the best manure. The 

 soil for the early crops should be very dry, and rendered so, 

 where the ground is moist, by mixing sand with the earth 

 of the drills." London. 



Armstrong says, " A loose and warm soil is most fa- 

 vourable to this vegetable, which, by the way, is neither 

 improved in quality nor quantity by stable manure. The 

 soil of Clichy, and of Point de Jour des Colombe, &c. in 

 the neighbourhood of Paris, is a pure sand, principally de- 

 voted to pea crops, and yielding these most abundantly 

 without the application of dung new or old." 



Subsequent culture. " As the plants rise from half an 

 inch high to two or three inches, begin to draw earth to 

 the stems, doing this when the ground is in a dry state, 

 and earthing gradually higher as the stems ascend. At the 

 same time, with the hoe, loosen the ground between the 

 young plants, and cut down rising weeds. Early crops 

 should be protected during hard frosts by dry straw, or 

 other light litter, laid upon sticks or brush wood ; but re- 

 move the covering as soon as the weather turns mild. If, 

 in April, May, and the course of the summer, dry weather 

 occurs, watering will be necessary, especially to plants in 

 blossom and swelling the fruit ; and this trouble will be 

 repaid in the produce. Rows partly cut off may be made 

 up by transplanting. In dry weather, water, and in hot 

 weather, shade, until the plants strike. All peas fruit bet- 

 ter for sticking, and continue longer productive, especially 

 the larger sorts. Stick the plants, when from six to twelve 



