■'220 BRITISH HUSBANDRY. [Ch. XV. 



ready for harveslijig whenever tlie lower pods are ripe; for, were those 

 whicli are not yet full to be waited for until tlicy became in a perfect state, 

 the better part of it might be lost. They should, therefore, be reaped without 

 further dehiy ; unless, indeed, it should clearly appear, that only a small 

 number of the first blown pods liad ripened, and the blossoming of those of 

 later growth should give evident signs of their producing a larger quantity. 

 This, however, seldom occurs ; and although it often happens that the upper 

 part of the stem contains ])ods which are green, and its tops are still in 

 flower, yet the crop should not be allowed to stand any longer : the haulm 

 will be all the better, and the unripe pods will add materially to its value. 



The reaping is performed by "the hook," by which the liaulm is 

 ])ulled towards the reaper; for it is so much matted in its growth that it is 

 difficult to cut it. A tool is however sometimes used for that purpose 

 called the "pease-make," which is part of an old scythe fixed in a handle ; 

 though frequently it is cut with the sickle, and in some instances pulled up 

 by hand. It is then left for some days in the swathe to dry, and is after- 

 Avards rolled up and bound into small bundles, or " wads," and in due time 

 carried to the barn or stack without being set up in shocks : indeed, the crop 

 is more usually put loose into the barn than into ricks, and in that case the 

 operation of wadding is unnecessary. The process of drying is however one 

 which requires great care ; for the haulm sliould be occasionally turned 

 over, and, if that be not cautiously done, much of the grain may in hot 

 weather be shed : the better way is, therefore, instead of turning it with 

 hooks, as usually done, to lift it gently with the hands. In case of alter- 

 nate showers and sunshine, the weather will then indeed have such an 

 effect in opening the pods, that a great {)ortion of the crop will be inevitably 

 lost if it be exposed; so soon, therefore, as the haulm is a little withered, 

 the swathes should be gatliered into rather large cocks, and left there while 

 the rain continues, without any other change of ])osition than merely lifting 

 them slightly in different ])laces with the handle of the rake. 



The application of the crop of the boiling pea is almost confined to the 

 Navy, and to family consumjjtion, while that of the grey sort is chiefly em- 

 ployed in fattening of pigs, the flesh of which it is found to render firmer 

 and better flavoured than when they are fed on beans ; though the amount 

 of their nutritive properties — according to the analysis of Sir Humphry 

 Davy — is, it will be seen, nearly the same : namely, 574, or in 1000 parts — 



501 parts of mucilage ; 

 22 ,, of saccharine matter ; and 

 35 „ of gluten. 



VETCHES. 



Of vetches there are several varieties, although only two are generally 

 distinguished by farmers — as " the winter and spring tare" — which are more 

 frequently grown as green food for the soiling of cattle, or made into hay 

 while in a state of blossom, than allowed to ripen their seed. They have 

 indeed acquired habits of so difl'erent a nature, by being sown at those sea- 

 sons of the year, that they are considered distinct ; but they are in fact of 

 the same species, and their seed — which is nearly black, and bears a purple 

 blossom — differs so little in appearance, that it is difficult to tell one kind 

 from the other. The winter sort is put into the ground any time during the 

 autumn, from August to the latter end of October, and the spring kind from 

 IMarch to May : it is indeed, not unfrequently sown after the green winter 

 tares have been cut. We must, however, reserve our observations upon 



