Book VI. 



LEGUMES. 



765 



Chap. III. 



Of the Culture of Leguminous Field-Plants. 



4737. The seed of the cultivated legumes are considered to be the most nutritive of 

 vegetable substances grown in temperate climates. They contain a large proportion of 

 matter analogous to animal substances, having when dry the appearance of glue, and 

 equally nourishing as gluten. To the healthy workman this substance supplies the place 

 of animal food ; and Von Thaer states, that in Germany neither sailors nor land laborers 

 are content, unless they receive a meal of legumes at least twice a week. The straw or 

 haulm, he says, cut before it is dead ripe is more nourishing than that of any of the cereal 

 grasses. Biit leguminous plants are not only more than all others nourishing to man 

 and animals, but even to vegetables they may be said to supply food ; since they are not 

 only known to be less exhausting to the soil than most other plants, but some of them, 

 and more especially the lupin, have been ploughed in green as manure from the earliest 

 times. Many scientific agriculturists consider g,. luxuriant crop of pease or tares as 

 nourishing the soil by stagnating carbonic acid gas on its surface ; which corresponds with 

 the universal opinion of their being equal to a fallow, and with the value set on them 

 in rotation, as already explained (4563). The legumes cultivated in British farming are 

 the pea, bean, tare, and vetch, to which might be added the lentil, kidneybean, and 

 chick pea. 



4738. The nutritive products of these plants is thus given by Sir H. Davy, Einhoff, 

 and Thaer : 



Sect. I. The Pea. Pisum sativum, L. Diadel. Decan. L. and LeguminoseeSy J. 

 Les PoiSf Fr. ; Erbse, Ger. and Piscello, Ital. (fg. 563.) 



4739. The pea is the most esteemed legume in Jield 563 

 cultivation both for its seed and haulm. It is supposed 

 to be a native of the south of Europe, and was cultivated 

 by the Greeks and Romans, and in this country from time 

 immemorial, though its culture appears to have diminished 

 since the more general introduction of herbage plants and 

 roots ; and excepting near large towns for gathering green, 

 and in a few places for boiling the pea, has given way to 

 the bean or to a mixture of pease and beans. There are 

 various inducements, however, to the cultivation of pease 

 in dry warm soils near large towns. When the crop is 

 good and gathered green, few pay better : the payment 

 is always in cash, and comes into the pocket of the farmer 

 in time to meet the exigencies of the hay, and sometimes 

 even of the corn harvest. The ground after the pease have 

 been removed is readily prepared for turnips, which also 

 pay well as a retail crop near towns ; and the haulm is good 

 fodder. 



4740. The varieties of the pea are numerous ; but they 

 may be divided into two classes ; those grown for the ripened seed, and those grown for 

 gathering in a green state. The culture of the latter is chietiy near large towns, and 

 may be considered as in part belonging to gardening ratlier than agriculture. 



4741. The grey varieties are, the early grey, tlie late grey, and the purple grey; 

 to which some add the Marlborough grey, and liorn grey. 



4742. The white varieties grown in fields are the pearl, early charlton, golden hotspur, 

 the common white or Suffolk , and other Suffolk varieties. 



4743. New varieties of the pea are readily procured by selection or impregnation, of 

 which a striking example given by Knight has been already referred to. (1599.) 



4744. In the choice of sorts, where it is desired to grow grey pease for the sake of the 

 seeds or corn, the early variety is to be preferred in late situations, and the late variety in 



