584 Cultivation of Arable Land—Peas.

Time of fowing.—In fowing this kind of crop, much muft depend upon the inten- tions of the cultivator: when the peas are intended for podding, in order to be fent green to the market, which may be the moft advantageous appropriation of the crop near large towns, where they can be readily difpofed of, they fhould be put in fucceffion at the diftance of ten days or a fortnight frora about the middle of January to the latter end of March, beginning with the lands that are moft dry and mellow, and proceeding to fuch as are more moift and heavy. In this mode of culture regular fupplies may be kept up for the daily confumption of the markets. The white early forts are in thefe cafes to be employed. It is however the practice in fome of the fouthern difiriéts, in order to have them more early, to fow the feed in the autumn, as a little after Michaelmas. This, from the frofts during the winter, is often, however, a dangerous method, and fhould perhaps never be attempted, except where the land lies extremely dry and warm, and is very rich in quality*. But for the general crops, when the cultivator bas no view of the above kind, they may be fown as early in March as the foil can be put into a proper flate of preparation. In thefe cafes the gray forts are moftly employed. When the feed is put in at a later period, as in April, the white or more early kind fhould conftantly be preferred, as the produce becomes ripe more early, which isa matter of importance in pea crops.

Seed.—‘The proportion of feed muft vary according to the difference of the circumftances under which the crop is cultivated, the manner in which it is put in, and the intention with which it is grown. When the feed is put in on rich ground in-the autumn, with the defign of pulling the pods green, it may be in the quantity of three buthels and a half or four bufhels to the acre; a larger proportion than in other cafes being generally allowed.‘The peas in thofe cafes fhould be put in in rows, at the diftance of about three feet from each other, in order that proper culti- vation may be applied afterwards. This mode of practice is common about Dartford in Kent, where the green pea fyftem of hufbandry is carried on extenfively and with much profit to the farmer. But for the general fowings, when the land is in tolerable condition, from three to three bufhels and a half is the common allowance, the earlier fowings requiring rather the moft feed.

If the view of the cultivator in the growth of pea crops be chiefly that of cleaning and ameliorating the land for the reception of other forts of crops, as thofe of grain, turnips, 8c. or the producing much ftraw, a larger quantity of feed may be ufeful,eas by that means the furface of the foil may be more perfectly

* Synopfis of Hufbandry, p. 118.

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