504 LEGUMINOUS PLANTS. 



are yellow ; the pods are about two inches long, hairy, flat- 

 tened, and enclose four or five large, roundish, speckled 

 seeds. It blossoms and ripens at the same time with the 

 White, and is planted and cultivated in the same manner. 

 The species is grown in Italy for the same purposes as the 

 White, but more extensively. It is also grown in some parts 

 of the south of France, on poor, dry grounds, for cutting in 

 a green state, and ploughing under as a fertilizer. 



THE PEA. 



Pisum sativum. 



The native country of the Pea, like that of many of our 

 garden vegetables, is unknown. It is a hardy, annual plant ; 

 and its cultivation and use as an esculent are almost uni- 

 versal. 



To give in detail the various methods of preparing the 

 soil, sowing, culture, gathering, and use, would occupy a 

 volume. 



The following directions are condensed from an elabo- 

 rate treatise on the culture of this vegetable, by Charles 

 Mclutosh, in his excellent work entitled u The Book of the 

 Garden : " 



Soil and its Preparation. The Pea comes earliest to 

 maturity in light, rich soil, abounding in humus : hence the 

 practice of adding decomposed leaves or vegetable mould 

 has a very beneficial effect. ' For general crops, a rich, hazel 

 loam, or deep, rich, alluvial soil, is next best ; but for the 

 most abundant of all, a strong loam, inclining to clay. For 

 early crops, mild manure, such as leaf-mould, should be 

 used. If the soil is very poor, stronger manure should 

 be employed. For general crops, a good dressing may be 

 applied; and for the dwarf kinds, such as Tom Thumb, 



