139 
admit of being hoed and raked on its surface ; hence the neces-- 
sity of employing fine white sand in a greater proportion than 
before directed, where only clayey or binding loam can be ob- 
tained 
161 Peas, Early Crop of. The following description of a 
method of raising early Peas, by the late Thomas Andrew 
Knight, was published in the fifth volume of the London Horti- 
cultural Society’s Transactions, and although an exact adher- 
ence to the details of the practice here described may be unim- 
portant we know the general principle to be so advantageous 
that we have no hesitation in laying it before our readers. The 
practice is rendered valuable on account of the contingencies 
attending autumn-sown Peas. 3Ir. Knight observes, “ I pur- 
posely delayed the experiment, which 1 proceed to relate, till 
the first day of iMarch. Upon that day the ground was pre- 
pared, and part of the seed sown, as usual, in rows, Avere the 
plants were to remain : at the same time other peas of the 
same early kind, were sown in circles, within the circumference 
of pots, often inches in diameter, inside measure. These pots 
were nearly filled with a compost of a peculiar kind; from the 
highly nutritive and stimulating qualities of which I anticipa- 
ted much acceleration in the growth of my plants; Avith the 
advantage of being able to remove them, at the proper period, 
to the open ground, without having their roots at all detached 
from their pasture, OAving to the fibrous organic texture of the 
compost. This Avas made of equal parts of thin turf, to Avhich 
much lifeless herbage Avas attached, and unfermented stable 
manure, Avithout litter; and a quantity of the ashes of burnt 
Aveeds, containing, as usual, a good deal of burnt mould, equiva- 
lent in bulk to about one-tAvelfth of the other materials. The 
Avhole was reduced to small fragments, and Avell intermixed ; and 
the pots were filled with it, Avithin an inch of their t^ips. The 
j)eas Avere then sown upon the surface of the compost, and co- 
vered Avith common mould; and the pots Avere placed in my 
peach house. In this they remained till the i)lants Avere an inch 
high, Avhen they were removed into the open air; but they Avere 
protected, during the night, for some time, and particularly Avhen 
the character of the evening indicated the probability of frost. 
In the last week of 3Iarch, the plants were taken from the pots, 
and planted in roAvs in the open ground; and I have the satis- 
170 AtJCTARlOM. 
