3588 Cultivation of Arable Land.—Peas.

. The produce of both the early and late pea crops vary much according to the nature of the feafon, and many other circumftances. The average of the early crops in Middlefex is fuppofed, by the author of the Report of that diftri€t, to be from about twenty-five to thirty facks the acre, which, felling at from eight to eighteen fhillings the fack, afford about eighteen pounds the acre. The author of the Synopfis of Hufbandry, however, ftates the produce about Dart- ford, in the county of Kent, at about forty facks the acre, though he fays fifty have fometimes been gathered from that fpace of land*.

But for the later crops that ftand to ripen, it is fuppofed by fome to be from three and a half to four quarters the acre; others however imagine the average of any two crops together not more than about twelve bufhels t+. And that on the whole, if the value of the produce be merely attended to, it may be confi- dered as a lefs profitable crop than moft others. As a means of ameliorating and improving the foil, at the fame time it is, however, to be efteemed as of great value.

The greateft danger to the early pea crops is to be apprehended when thé weather during the more early{pring months is hot and funny in the day-time, attended with fharp frofts in the nights, as in this way great mifchief is often done, the crops becoming attacked with the mildew, and not ripening in a pro- per manner.

While the peas are proceeding in their growth, and ftill more particularly at

* The produce and expence of cultivation of a field of fix acres, in June, 1796, that was not at all remarkable for more than a common crop, are thus ftated by Mr, Middleton in his Survey of the Agriculture of Middlefex:

Number, 40 facks, of four bufhels each, of pods fent to market, and fold from 6s. to 13s. average 7s. 6d. each--=---= orlig 01 O Haulm, ftacked, and given to draught horfes, one ton per acre, worth two-thirds

as much as hay, but fay only e“===< 3‘oO'o Produce----= 6, 157 OO Expences.—Ploughing once from clover ley--- PAO VE) Seed, four bufhels, at 12s.---- z*3.© Drilling, covering,&c.---. O70 Hoeing twice-----° OM100 Podding at 18d. per fack, on 40--- 3 ayOh nO Marketing, diftance ten miles, land carriage= 1, 5.0 8 0 Oo Remains.=.= 7 foie O- Oo

+ Donaldfon’s Modern Agriculture.