The Culture of Vegetables 



tall sorts may be tipped when they first show flowers, and if after 

 this they make free growth they may be again tipped, to concentrate 

 the energies of the plant on the formation of fine pods. But as free 

 leaf growth is important, frequent tipping is not to be thought of, 

 and the plant must have abundant light and air to maintain the leaf 

 growth in its fullest vigour. 



In the event of prolonged dry weather, measures must be taken 

 to supply water in good time and in liberal quantity. The advantage 

 of deep digging and manuring between the two spits will now be 

 discovered, for Peas thus circumstanced will pass through the trial, 

 even if not aided with water, although much better with it ; whereas 

 similar sorts, in poor shallow ground, will soon become hopelessly 

 mildewed, and not even water will save them. In giving water, it 

 will be well to open a shallow trench, distant about a foot from the 

 rows on the shady side, and in this pour the water so as to fill the 

 trench ; by this method water and labour will be economised, and 

 the plant will have the full benefit of the operation. 



The enemies of Peas are fewer in number than might be ex- 

 pected in the case of so nutritive a plant. Against the weevil 

 (B ruckus), the moth (P/usia), and the fly (Phytomyza), we are com- 

 paratively powerless, and perhaps the safest course is to occasionally 

 dust the plants with lime or soot, in which case care must be taken 

 to do the work neatly, or the leaf growth will be checked, to the 

 injury of the crop. Light dustings will suffice to render the plant 

 unpalatable without interfering with its health, but a heavy careless 

 hand will do more harm than all the insects by loading the leafage 

 with obnoxious matter. The great enemy of the Pea crop is the 

 sparrow, whose depredations begin with the appearance of the plant, 

 and are renewed from the moment when the pods contain something 

 worth having. Other small birds haunt the ground, but the sparrow 

 is the leader of the gang. Ordinary frighteners used in the ordinary 

 way are of little use ; the best are lines, to which at intervals white 

 feathers, or strips of white paper, or pieces of bright tin are attached. 

 We have found the surest way to guard the crop against feathered 

 plunderers is to have work in hand on the plot, so as to keep up a 

 constant bustle, and this shows the wisdom of putting the rows at 

 such a distance as will allow the formation of Celery trenches 

 between them. We want a crop to come off, and another to be put 

 on while the Peas are in bearing ; and early Potatoes, to be followed 

 by Celery, may be suggested as a rotation suitable in many instances. 

 Even then the birds will have a good time of it in the morning, 



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