Cultural Directions. 231 



rows, one in a place, and cover with 2 inches of soil. It is not 

 necessary to remove the hulls or shucks before planting. Culti- 

 vate and hoe freely, leaving but one plant in a place ; and keep 

 the soil well mellowed up around the plants when seeds (nuts) 

 are forming. It is quite interesting to observe the flowers as they 

 insert their ovaries into the mellow soil, where they complete 

 their growth and form nuts. Before freezing weather the plants 

 are dug, or pulled up. Hang under a shed to cure ; then gather, 

 clean and sort the nuts. 



VARIETIES. 



Common Virginia. The common market sort of the 

 south, and found in every fruit store in America. Prolific, nuts 

 large and well scattered. 



Spanish Improved. Several weeks earlier than the pre- 

 ceding. Nuts all growing in a compact cluster near the main 

 stalk, and can be harvested by simply pulling up by hand. Pods 

 small but well filled. Worthy of trial at the north. 



PEAS. 



Pisum Sativum. German, Erbse ; French, Pois : Spanish, 

 Guisante. In green peas we have an important crop for both the 

 garden and the farm. The profits may not be so very large, but 

 the product is always salable, and brings early money. Nor is it 

 necessary that the soil be so very rich 

 or heavily manured. I found no garden 

 crop that I can grow with greater ease 

 and certainty merely by a moderate 

 application of some good complete fertil- 

 izer say 500 or 600 pounds per acre. 

 Peas seem to be partial to potash, and 

 this in some form alone, or togetherwith 

 phosphate (in ashes) frequently give as 

 good results as complete manure. Peas 

 do best in the fore-part of the season, 

 and should be planted early, as those 

 planted late for " succession " hardly ever 

 turn out very satisfactory. Sow in drills, 

 2 to 3 inches deep, and 2^ to 3^ feet 

 apart, according to vigor of variety and Earliest of All. 



strength of soil. When grown for market the first aim should be 

 to get the crop ready for sale at the earliest possible date. 



For the home garden I prefer to sow the best sorts early, 

 medium, late and latest as early as I consider it safe, and often 

 all at one time. This gives me a succession for 3 weeks or more, 



