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X. An Account of a Method of obtaining very Early Crops of 

 Green Peas. By Thomas Andrew Knight, Esq. F. R. S. $>c. 

 President. 



Read May 18, 1830. 

 There is scarcely any vegetable which is so much sought after, 

 as the Pea in its green state early in the season, nor probably any 

 one, in the culture of which, so much labour is usually expended 

 in vain. For a very small portion only of the plants obtained from 

 seeds sown early in the autumn survive the winter and early spring, 

 and many of those which survive, exist in a feeble and unhealthy 

 state, and consequently afford but a very small produce. Much 

 more certain and abundant, and generally as early, crops of Green 

 Peas, may be obtained by raising the plants under glass early in 

 the spring, and transferring them to the open border, when they 

 are about four or five inches high, and treating them in the manner 

 which I have pointed out in a former communication.* I have 

 subsequently raised my plants in semi-cylindrical tiles, such as are 

 usually employed in draining ground, and by previously depositing 

 a little straw, or litter, longitudinally upon the bottoms of these," I 

 have been enabled to slide out the plants into the appointed rows 

 without at all injuring, or disturbing, their roots. But I have ascer- 

 tained, in the present spring, that I can obtain, by the following 

 means, an abundant crop of Peas at a much earlier period than I 

 formerly thought possible, and at little expence, or trouble. 



Having found it impracticable to raise Melons worth bringing to 

 table, before the days become long, and light abundant, I never 

 plant my Melon seeds till the end of February, nor put the plants 



* Horticultural Transactions, 1st Series, Vol. V. p. 341. 



