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Cultivation of Arable Land.—Peas. 585

covered, and a more clofe and ftagnated ftate of the air produced upon it m confequence; at the fame time that the plants are drawn upto a greater length of{tem or ftraw, by which the land will be greatly mellowed and enriched, and the fmall weeds fmothered and deftroyed at the time that a larger proportion of fodder is produced. But in cafes where the principal objeét is that of the crop of corn that is to follow, the proportion of feed may be lefs, as in that way there will be a more free circulation of air, and a more perfe€t admiffion of light and heat from the fun, for the growth and maturation of the pea crop, and at the fame time lefs exhauftion of the foil. It is ufual in thefe cafes, in many diftricls, to put the feed into the ground in the broadcatt method; but the drill or row fyftem is moftly to be preferred, as being more regular, faving con- fiderably in the proportion of feed, and admitting of cultivation afterwards with more eafe and advantage. In this laft method two bufhels, or two bufhels and a half, may often be a fufficient allowance of feed. Different implements have been contrived for this ufe, but the moft convenient is probably a fmall light fort of wheel-plough, to the body of which a fort of feed-box is attached, through the bottom of which the axis of a light wheel paffes, by which the fowing is regulated, and which is pulled up and prevented from letting the peas be depofited at the ends of the ridges, or other places, as in turning, bya ftring attached to the handle. It may be conveniently employed with one or two horfes.

The proper diftance of drilling this kind of crop is moftly about twelve or fix. teen inches for hand-hoeing; but where the horfe-hoe is employed, from two to three feet; and the depth to which the feed is depofited, from two to three inches.

In fome diftri€ts the feed is put by the hand into drills moftly made croff- ways of the ridges, but occafionally in the direGtion of them, at the diftance of about fifteen inches from each other, and afterwards covered in by means of hoes. In fome inftances alfo a buth-harrow is drawn over the furface, by which the land is rendered fmooth and even*.

Where this fort of crop is cultivated on a ley preparation, the beft method is probably to dibble the feed in. This is the praétice conftantly followed by the beft cultivators in fome diftriéts+.

Though the praétice of fteeping this fort of feed is feldom had recourfe to by the cultivators of peas, it is probable that the later fown crops may be greatly

* Corrected Report of Middlefex, p. 194.+ Corrected Report of Suffolk. AF