586 Cultivation of Arable Land.—Peas.

benefited by it, as the vegetation of the plants may be rendered more quick, regular, and uniform.

It is the cuftom in Hertfordfhire, and fome other diftri€ts, to fow beans, or even oats, fometimes with the peas, with a view of keeping them up. Thefe mixtures are, however, pra€étices that can never be adopted with advantage, as the different crops, from their being of unequal growth, muft conftantly be liable to injure each other.

After-culture.—The ufe of the hoe in ftirring the intervals, and earthing up the young plants where the crop is put in in rows by the drill or dibble, is of effential advantage in promoting their growth, and proteéting them from the injuries of the feafon. Where the method of hand-culture prevails, it is the general cuftom to have recourfe to two hoeings; the firft when the plants are about two or three inches in height, and again juft before the period in which they come into bloffom. In this way the vigorous vegetation of the young crop is fecured, and a frefh fupply of nourifhment afforded for the fetting of the pods and the filling of the peas. At the laft of thefe operations, the rows fhould be laid down, and the earth well placed up to them, the weeds being previoufly extirpated by hand labour*.

In fome parts of Kent, where this fort of crop is much grown, it is the prac- tice, when the diftance of the rows is fufficiently great, to prevent the vegeta- tion of weeds, and forward the growth of the pea crops, by occafional edge-hoe- ing, and the ufe of the brake-harrow, the mold being laid up to the roots of the plants at the laft operation, by fixing a piece of wood to the harrow. This fhould however only be laid up on one fide, the peas being always placed to that which is the moft fully expofed to the effefts of the fun. The edge-hoeing is performed at the rate of from two to three fhillings the acre, according to the nature of the land.

There are many inducements to the cultivation of this crop, on fuitable foils, in the vicinity of large towns, where the demand for green peas is cone fiderable; fuch as the ready fupply of money that is thus provided for the other expenfive operations during the fummer months, the facility of thus ren- dering the land proper for the growth of turnips, and the large fupply of fodder that is afforded by the ftems of the plants when properly fecured; notwithftand~ ing the danger, of fuch crops during the winter, and even in the{pring months, when the feafons prove unfavourable, and the heavy expences incurred in the gathering and difpofal of them.

* Corrected Report of Middlefex.