PEAS. 



359 



PEAS. 



manure ; but the early crop will come 

 sooner into bearing if planted in poorer 

 soil, which should be deep and well 

 pulverised. 



Time of Solving. Sow the first crop 

 about the middle of November, the second 

 early in January, putting in a small breadth 

 of a second early variety at the same time ; 

 and to secure a constant succession, sow 

 once a fortnight from this time till the end 

 of June, or yet later. After the beginning 

 of March sow the best kinds of Wrinkled 

 Marrows; but for the last two sowings 

 use a free-cropping early, or second early 

 variety, and when the ground is sufficiently 

 dry to work kindly. 



Manner of Sowing. Sow in drills two 

 inches deep and four inches wide, covering 

 the seed with friable soil. In sowing peas, 

 they should be scattered evenly, at regular 

 distances apart, so that there may be no 

 crowding. If sown in successive rows, let 

 the intervening space exceed the reputed 

 height to which the variety grows by six 

 or twelve inches. As the seed for the 

 earlier crops will be some time in the 

 ground exposed to the depredations of 

 mice, &c., it should be sown thickly. 

 The strong-growing branching kinds, 

 which are used for the main crops, succeed 

 better if sown thinly, but it is prudent to 

 guard against loss from various causes by 

 sowing all rather thickly. If the plants 

 are found to be too close when fairly 

 started, they can easily be thinned out. 

 French gardeners sometimes sow peas in 

 clusters, making holes 8 or 10 inches 

 apart in the rows, and planting in each 

 five or six peas. 



After-management. Peas should be 

 earthed up when about 3 inches high, and 

 the sticks put to them before they begin 

 to be taller on one side than the other, 

 but not till they really require it, as slicks 

 are likely to draw them up weak, especially 

 if they are sown too thickly. Spruce fir or 



other evergreen branches will afford a use- 

 ful shelter to early crops. Keep the ground 

 between the rows well stirred and free from 

 weeds. After sticking, they should be 

 mulched, spreading the dung over a clear 

 space of 1 8 inches on each side of the row, 

 to the depth of 3 inches. In sticking peas, 

 plenty of small brush should be placed 

 near the ground, in order to conduct the 

 peas upwards : it is useless to give them 

 support above, and leave them without the 

 means of getting to it. It is very necessary 

 to mulch early crops of peas, especially 

 where the soil is light : it protects the 

 young roots from frost, and saves watering 

 and manuring the ground for the next crop, 

 and tends to produce a better and much 

 earlier supply. Where ground is valuable, 

 and the rows run from north to south, the 

 space between the rows of peas may be 

 filled with cabbages, onions, French beans, 

 and other surface crops ; but to do this 

 with good effect there should be plenty of 

 room between the rows. 



Forwarding Growth. There are various 

 modes of forwarding the growth of peas 

 for early crops. One method is to have 

 some pieces of turf cut very thick, about 

 8 inches wide, and of any convenient 

 length. Make a groove along the centre, 

 and sow the peas moderately thick in it, 

 cover them with rich light soil, and place 

 the turfs so planned under the stage of a 

 greenhouse, or in a pit or frame. Towards 

 the end of March or beginning of April, 

 plant them out, burying the turfs com- 

 pletely in the soil. A second method is to 

 prepare some shallow boxes, about 6 inches 

 deep, filled with adhesive soil ; this soil is 

 drilled or grooved, and in the grooves the 

 peas are planted ; the boxes placed, as 

 before, in a frame or under the greenhouse 

 stage. When fully up, cut the soil into 

 portions, each part containing a single row 

 of peas; plant the whole in the open 

 ground, burying the whole of the soil con- 



