PENNYROYAL, POTATO. 



121 



other patch, the single rows of which were seven feet apart, produced 

 an uncommonly fine and lasting crop. The destroyed patch of peas 

 M as however of precious advantage ; for it made me the master of 

 my gardener y a thing that happens to very few owners of gardens. 

 A sufficient distance is one of the greatest things in the raising of 

 peas, whether they be sticked or whether they be not ; and they 

 never ought to be sowed too thickly in the row. I never tried it, 

 but I verily believe that a row of peas, each plant being at two or 

 three inches' distance from the other, would bear a greater crop 

 than if so\'\ed in the usual way. At any rate, never sow too thick, 

 on any account, at any time of the year. As to sorts of peas, the 

 earliest is the early-frame, then comes the early -char It on, then 

 the hliie-prussian, and the hot-spicr, then the die arf -mar row fat, 

 then the tall-marrowfat, then knighfs pea. There are several 

 others, but here are quite enough for any garden in the world. If 

 all these tall sorts be sowed in March, and some more of them 

 again in April, not too many at a time, they vvill come in o e 

 after another, and will keep up a regular succession until about 

 the latter end of July, or even later. After this all peas become 

 mildewed, and their fruit good for very little. As to saving the 

 seed of peas, it is impossible to do it well in a kitchen-garden, 

 where youSnust always have more than one sort of pea in bloom 

 at the same time. If you be very curious about this matter, you 

 must sow somewhere in the corner of a field, and not gather any of 

 the peas to eat ; but let them all stand to ripen. When ripe, they 

 are to be threshed out and put by in a dry place. Peas want no 

 watering, but there should be a good digging between the rows 

 just about the time that the bloom begins to appear, for that fur- 

 nishes new food to the roots at the time when it is most wanted. 

 Great care must be taken to keep slugs and snails away from peas ; 

 for, if they get amongst them and are let alone for a very little 

 Mhile, they bite the whole off, and they never sprout again to any 

 good purpose. 



171. PENNYROYAL.— A medicinal herb, that is perennial. 

 It is also used for some few culinary purposes. A little patch a 

 foot square, in the herb bed, is quite sufficient. 'You must keep 

 this patch well cut off round the edges ; for one root, if left alone 

 for a summer, will extend over two or three yards square in good 

 ground. 



172. POTATO. — I am going to speak here of this vegetable, 



