156 THE COMPLETE FARMER 



a layer of leaves, and another of long stable-litter, loosely 

 applied, to keep the leaves in their places. After the earth 

 takes a temperature favorable to vegetation, your pea sow- 

 ings should be made once a fortnight, to keep up a regular 

 and success! /e supply.' — Armstrong. 



Quantity of Seed. ' Of the small, early kinds, one pint 

 will sow a row of twenty yards ; for the larger sorts, for 

 main crops, the same measure will sow a row of thirty-three 

 yards.' 



Process in Sowing. ' For early sorts, make the drills one 

 inch and a half deep ; and let parallel drills be two feet and 

 a half, three, or four feet asunder. Peas that are to grow 

 without sticks require the least room. For summer crops 

 and large sorts, make the drills two inches deep, and four, 

 five, or six feet asunder. As to the distances along the drill, 

 distribute the peas according to their size and the season : 

 the frapie, three in the space of an inch ; the Charltons, 

 Hotspur, and dwarf marrowfat, two in an inch ; the Prus- 

 sian blue and middle-sized sorts, three in two inches ; the 

 large marrowfat and Knight's, a full inch apart ; the moratto, 

 rouncivals, and most larger sorts, an inch and a half apart ; 

 and the Patagonian, two inches.' 



Soil and Situation. ' The soil should be moderately rich, 

 and the deeper and stronger for the lofty growers. Peas 

 are not assisted, but hurt, by unreduced dung recently turned 

 in. A fresh, sandy loam, or road-stuff, and a little decora- 

 posed vegetable matter, is the best manure. The soil for the 

 early crops should be very dry, and rendered so, where the 

 ground is moist, by mixing sand with the earth of the drills.' 

 — Loudon. 



Armstrong says, 'A loose and warm soil* is most favora- 

 ble to this vegetable, which, by the way, is neither improved 

 in quality nor quantity by stable manure. The soil of 

 Clichy, and of Point de Jour des Colombe, &c., in the neigh- 

 borhood of Paris, is a pure sand, principally devoted to pea 

 crops, and yielding these most abundantly without the ap- 

 plication of dung new or old.' 



Subsequent Culture. 'As the plants rise from half an inch 

 high to two or three inches, begin to draw earth to the 

 stems, doing this when the ground is in a dry state, and 

 earthing gradually higher as the stems ascend. At the same 

 time, with the hoe, loosen the ground between the young 

 plants, and cut down rising weeds. Early crops should be 

 protected during hard frosts by dry straw or other light lit- 



