2i6 The Gardener's New DiREeroR. 



about them. At due opportunities I gave them air, 

 and drew up the earth to their ftocks as they advanced : 

 when they were in bloom, I watered them well, but 

 with water that had flood in the houfe four and twenty 

 hours, that it might be of the fame temperature with 

 the air in the green-houfe ; I fupported the Peafe 

 with rods, and had a good crop by the tenth oi March. 



I may be condemned for fetting them in the 

 green-houfe, where the other planis might imbibe too 

 much moifture from thefe early Pcafe, but by taking 

 care to be fparing of water to them, while thefe were 

 growing, they were not in the leafl: injured. This practice 

 I would not recommend, where the plants are much 

 crowded. 



The Peafe which fu'^ceed thefe forced crops are, the 

 early Hejfian, the Majiersy Charleton, and the Reading 

 Hotfpur. In warm fandy grounds, and upon fouth-wall 

 borders, they may be fown the end of Of/obrr, or be- 

 ginning of Aw^-w/^ifr ; earthing them as they advance ; 

 and in hard frofl, lay fome peafe-haulm over them ; 

 but be careful, whenever you perceive the Peafe advan- 

 cing and expanding their leaves, not to earth them high- 

 er than their leaves. Should this crop not hold, fow 

 another the latter end of November, another the be- 

 ginning of yfl?n/ar)', and another the beginning of i^i^^- 

 ruary ; the] laft I have often obferved to hold as well, 

 and better, than any of the former crops, and %o have 

 the fame culture : I would alfo recommend, when 

 fowing, to have two rows pretty near each other, 

 that is, within ten inches of one another, and between 

 them and the next two clofe rows, you may leave a fpace 

 of two or three feet. The occaiion of fowing in this 

 manner is, that the flakes, being placed in the middle, 

 rhay fupport both rows, whereas, in the common way, 

 every row of Peafe mufl have a row of flake. The 

 gardeners who vie with one another for the earliefl crops, 

 never ilake their Pe::fe, alledging that it encourages them 

 to grow too much to haulm, and not to fruit. I admit 

 this may be the cafe in fandy foils ; but in clay-lands, if 

 the Peafe, (efpecially the large kinds, fuch as the Mar- 

 rowfats, Sugars, Egg, l^cfe, and Rouncival Peafe) are 

 not flaked, and fown at very great diil:ances, row from 



row. 



