1836.J 



FARMERS' REGISTER. 



403 



This delicious vegetable is perhaps without its 

 rival in the garden, and its culture is very simple ; 

 it is too late, however, in the season to raise it 

 from seed, and therefore I deler to enter upon a 

 regular detail till the spring ol" next year. I have, 

 however, raised some of" the finest Portsmouth 

 cream-colored, trom seeds sown alter the 10th of 

 June, which produced compact and exceedingly 

 large heads in the following April or Alay : it may 

 therefore be worth while to try a small sowing as 

 early as possible in June, following the directions, 

 in as far as concerns, the mode of preparing the 

 soil, &c., which are given under the article cab- 

 bage, and transplanting into manured trenches, 

 six inches deep, and ten or twelve inches wide, 

 not later, if possible, than the third week of Au- 

 gust. In the event of fi'osts, before November, 

 no time should be lost to bring the earth that was 

 thrown out and lay as a ridge on each side of 

 those trenches, to the stems of the plants, as is 

 done in earthing celery. 



But if we may trust some modern writers of 

 new discoveries, broccoli may be propagated by 

 slips, with the most successful results. Every one 

 ought to try the method who has in his garden 

 the stems of plants, the heads of which having | 

 been cut show a tendency to protrude sprouts. In ! 

 the middle of Jane, says a writer, whose article is j 

 now before me, (or for Scotland, says as early as \ 

 possible ill June.) "I slipped off a quantity of 

 the side shoots, and planted thein. I had them 

 well watered, and well secured in the soil. They 

 struck root in a very short tmie, and made stronn; 

 plants which produced heads of a fine size at the 

 usual season." "I am persuaded the plan is well 

 deserving attention, not only with broccoli of the 

 same kind I have cultivated (late flowering par 

 pie) hut with many other kinds; thus an excel- 

 lent variety might be perpetuated without the risk 

 consequent upon seed." 



I have not myself had an opportunity of expe- 

 rimenting upon this vegetable, since I saw the ar- 

 ticle quoted from, but have reason to believe the 

 plan has been proved to be feasible ; in fact, there 

 is nothing m the analogy of the species with its 

 type, which is unfavorable to the operation. 



4. Peas. — At this season of the year it may 

 appear almost loo late to speak of the cultivation 

 of the pea ; but I am inclined to notice it for a rea- 

 son which will be shortly explained. 



The garden-pea, of which there are many va- 

 rieties, is found in the fourth tribe, Viciem (that is ' 

 among the vetches) of the great subordei' Papi- ; 

 lioncecB of the natural order LegamiiwscB, and in | 

 the 17th Class, 4th Order of the Linnean System, | 

 Diadelphia, Decandria. Every one is aware of! 

 the peculiar shape assumed by the blossoms of 

 plants of the pea tribe ; which, it is evident, can 

 readily be made to constitute the type of a very 

 natural class, in which most of our esteemed le- 

 guminous or pulse-bearing vegetables are to be 

 found. 



At some future day, I intend to enter at large 

 upon the characters of all the favorite peas for ta- 

 ble use; but on the present occasion I only allu- 

 ded to one, which is a great acqusition, and ol 

 very recent introduction, the early white Warwick. 

 It is adapted to field, as well as garden culture, is 

 moderately prolific, hardy, extremely early, rapid 

 in its course of growth, soon ofi' the ground ; and 

 of a high peculiar tiavorj that to some persons is 



extremely agreeable, though others do not afiect 



it. 



Tlie seed, two years since, was dear, its price is 

 now reduced ; and it is stated that three crops may 

 be produced on the same land, and leave it open 

 for wheat. This, however, I have not seen 

 proved: but having grown the pea, I can recom- 

 mend it to every one who wishes a rapid grower. 

 A crop sov/n in a long drill very early in June, 

 may be succeeded by another sown in July, with 

 every pospects ot success. If the ground be dry, 

 fioin a continuance of hot weather, the best me- 

 thod to ensure a vigorous plant is to dig a mode- 

 ra'ely broad trench, to saturate the soil at the bot- 

 tom with water, to return the earth into the trench, 

 and make that very wet ; then, after covering the 

 earth with mats, or green boughs for a day, just 

 to permit the earth to settle, and so far to drain it- 

 self as to become in a workable condition, to strike 

 a (hill three inches deep, to sow the seed along it 

 pretty thickly, but not in the crowded state too 

 li'equendy seen ; water should then be poured from 

 the spout of a pot over peas, and the loose earth 

 relumed upon the seeds, and pressed or trodeii 

 firmly over them. One liberal preparatory water- 

 ing thus given, is of more avail than fifty subse- 

 quent sprinklings. Mildev) so common on the plant 

 of autumnal crops, is, as Mr. Knight truly ob- 

 serves, obviated. He has had perfectly fine peas 

 on his table in October, and it is certain that where 

 disease can be prevented, peas in that season are 

 a delicacy of the first rate excellence. The War- 

 wick, I think, promises to prove a valuable species 

 for the purpose of a late crop, because the course 

 of its entire culture is more rapid than that of the 

 "frame" or early Charlton pea. "When the plants 

 rise above the soil one inch, the earth near the 

 roots aught to be loosened by the thrust hoe. An- 

 other hoeing must be given when the plants are 

 three inches high ; and then, after drawing the 

 lightened earth to the stems, to the height of an 

 inch and a half^ as a ridge on each side, branch- 

 ing sticks a yard high are to be applied. Nothing 

 favors pea culture more than judicious sticking; 

 the plants are brought to the light, are supported, 

 and at the same time protected. Mildcio is the 

 bane of autumnal crops : it seems to be promoted 

 by a droughty state of soil, high solar heat during 

 the day, and cold dews at night: rapidity of 

 growth produced by a deep moist bed, procured by 

 preparatory and profuse waterings, appears to be 

 the only effectual security fl-om this fungus. 



From the Nuw Vork Farmer. 



RELATIVE VALUE OF MERINO AND SAXOBf 

 SHEEP. 



Cortland Village, j^iig. 2S, 1836. 



My Dear Sir: — A "raw and gusty day" — cold 

 enough to make a greatcoat a luxury in dog-days 

 — drives me within doors, and for the first time 

 since it was made, I find m^^self at leisure to ful- 

 fill my long neglected, but never forgotten pro- 

 mise- 

 Perhaps I can present nothing at this time, of 

 greater interest to the readers of the Farmer gen- 

 erally, than the addition of a little more testimony 

 in relation to some of those points, so u\armly 

 mooted at this day, connected with sheep breed- 



