SOWING AND PLANTING 35 



then add 3 inches of surface soil ; sow the peas on this 

 and cover 2 or 3 inches deep. 



Instead of sowing the peas together, row after row, 

 we find it an advantage to have a dwarf-growing crop 

 like beet or carrots between each row ; this would make 

 the rows of peas say 6 to 12 feet apart. 



Before staking peas they should be earthed up. Then 

 place some bushy birch twigs at the bottom to protect 

 and support the young plants, afterwards the ordinary 

 sticks. Staking peas should be done carefully ; first, 

 the sticks should be in line ; secondly, they should be 

 placed in a sloping direction in opposite ways on each 

 side of the line ; thirdly, the tops should be shortened 

 to give a finish to the work. 



For general crops sow the seed much more thinly 

 than for early crops. One pint will sow 80 to 120 feet. 



The approximate time of maturity of the crops sown 

 in spring and summer will be from twelve to sixteen 

 weeks. 



The following have proved good varieties to grow : 

 ' Early Giant ' (3 feet), ' Gradus ' (3 feet), ' Thomas 

 Laxton ' (3 feet), ' Duke of Albany ' (5 feet), ' Autocrat ' 

 (4 feet), ' Ne Plus Ultra ' (6 feet). 



The approximate heights of growth are given, but 

 their height will depend to a great extent on the soil, 

 situation, and season. 



Potatoes. The successful cultivation of the potato 

 depends on very many things : first the soil must be 

 deeply dug or trenched during the winter and left rough, 

 for the atmospheric agencies to pulverize and aerate it. 



We may here point out that some varieties will give 

 four times the yield of other sorts, though grown in the 

 same soil and under the same methods of cultivation. 



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