92 THE CULTURE OF VEGETABLES 



When they have made a growth of about three inches, put short 

 brushwood to support and shelter them, deferring the taller sticks 

 until they are required. Then fork the ground between, taking care 

 not to go too near to the plant. But the sticks must be provided in 

 good time, lest the plant should be distressed, for not only do the 

 sticks give needful support, but they afford much shelter, as is the 

 case with the small brushwood supplied in the first instance. 



Thus far, as to growing early Peas on the flat. A variation of the 

 plan consists in laying the earth up in ridges, east and west, two feet 

 high at the top of each ridge, and sloping at an angle of 45, the seed 

 being sown on the sides of the ridges mid-way up the slope. This 

 plan places the entire crop in the position of two plantations, one 

 facing due south, and the other due north. If all goes well the south 

 crop will be very early, and the north crop will immediately succeed 

 it. In the event of trying winter weather, one plantation may be 

 destroyed, and the other may survive ; and as regards the survivor, 

 the chances are in favour of the north crop, because of the protection 

 that snow may afford it ; but on this point nothing definite can be 

 said. It is just a question when entering upon a precarious business, 

 whether there shall be one or two strings to the bow. 



Another simple but effectual mode of growing early Peas is to 

 sow close under a warm wall. But in doing this, care must be taken 

 that some other crop for which the wall is primarily provided is not 

 injured, for this would be * robbing Peter to pay Paul,' with a con- 

 siderable loss, perhaps, in the end to the luckless negotiator. But on 

 this recommendation we can establish a proposal of some practical 

 importance. A wall three or four feet high answers as well to protect 

 early Peas as one eight or ten feet high, and wood is almost as effectual 

 as brick or stone. Consequently a small plot could be provided with 

 dwarf walls for early Peas in many places where rough material and 

 cheap labour are available for the purpose, and a few other early 

 crops, such as Lettuce, and afterwards Kidney Beans, might share 

 the advantage and help to pay the cost. 



We now come to the modes of growing early Peas by the 

 aid of glass. The surest and simplest method is to provide a suf- 

 ficiency of grass turf cut from a short clean pasture or common. 

 There is in this case a risk of wireworm and black bot ; but if the 

 turf is provided in good time and is laid up in the yard ready for 

 use, it will be searched by the small birds and pretty well cleansed of 

 the insect larvae that may have lurked in it when first removed. 

 Lay the turves out in a frame, grass side downwards, and water them 



