174 THE MANSE GARDEN. 



is poisonous, and very like the common or plain-leaved 

 sort. Sow early in March. The seed is readily 

 procured from any plants that remain uncropped the 

 second year. As it is pleasant to have green leaves 

 in a long winter storm, a drill may be covered by 

 laying down some pea stakes, and sloping over these 

 in hard weather a few branches of spruce, such de- 

 fence being preferable to straw, the sight of which 

 is hard to be endured in the garden. 



Parsnips Once much in vogue, now falling into 

 disuse. The whole fact it may not be easy to ex- 

 plain; but the present decline of parsnip cultivation is 

 not wonderful to the writer, who, having great bene- 

 volence toward all the tribes of culinary vegetables, 

 and wishing none to be excepted from the highest 

 proof of love, namely, that of eating the object, has 

 long tried to acquire a relish for this plant, in which 

 however he has not been able to succeed. The 

 parsnip agrees with a deep and rich but not recently 

 manured soil. It may be sown in March, eitjier 

 broadcast or in drills one foot apart and thinned to 

 half that distance. It is not injured by frost, and 

 may be taken up as required; or to have the ground 

 properly cultivated, the whole crop may be gathered 

 in October, and pitted like potatoes. 



Peas. Nothing can be more idle than to study 

 the endless varieties of peas. To collect parcels, 

 label, sow in patches, keep tallies, boil in several 

 pots, arid write the taste in separate pages, is scarcely 

 consistent with the use of ordinary intellect, or with 

 the idea that life has other ends than eating. But 

 as there are always some minds which have a pre- 

 dilection for such science, the result of their experi- 



