56 THE BOOK OF VEGETABLES 



seedlings being given ample ventilation on all favour- 

 able occasions, and then planted out early in March in 

 deep drills, the plants being made firm at the planting. 



The reason that I have not advised sowing in the open 

 ground in the autumn is the uncertainty of the crop unless 

 grown in the most favoured localities. Mice are very 

 troublesome, and at times difficult to get rid of ; and birds 

 are troublesome, as also are other pests, such as slugs and 

 snails. These have a great liking for the tender pea in the 

 winter, and the plant is much weakened by their ravages. 

 Another evil is that though for a certain time the plants do 

 well, we often get a succession of frosts one after another, 

 and then cold east winds, the latter quite crippling any 

 growth that may have escaped injury. That is why I 

 advise frame culture in the early stages of growth, and 

 though I have recommended pot culture there are other 

 ways equally good. I have used turf, that is, along strip 

 three to four inches wide and three deep, but one must be 

 sure that there is no wire worm or grub in the turf. The 

 latter is placed in the frames, the grass side downwards, 

 and then the seed is sown in lines in the middle of the 

 turf and covered with light, rich soil. Many make a 

 depression in the turf before sowing, and if this is done 

 the seeds should not be crowded but placed evenly ; 

 indeed the best plan is to press each seed well into the 

 soil at equal distances and then cover with more soil. I 

 have also seen shallow wooden boxes used, and the 

 plants slid out at one end. At the planting, in fact, any 

 method that can be adopted will be worth trying if a 

 good plant is secured. In the north, I have seen good 

 results follow sowing under hand glasses, and also on 

 the north side of land well ridged up, the snow protect- 

 ing the plant at a trying period of its existence. As this 

 note will show, outdoor sowings in autumn under the 

 best conditions are precarious, and it is not well to sow 

 large quantities. 



