Cultivation of Arable Land.—Peas. 589

the periods when they come into bloffom and begin to fet their pods, itis of great importance to have rather moift weather, as by that means the vegetation of the crop is promoted in a more perfect manner, and there is a greater chance cf the peas being well podded. The chief figns of the healthy and vigorous vegeta- tion of pea crops are thofe of their leaves poffeffing a fine bloom of a bluith caft, and having the outermoft large leaves of the bloffom extending backwards*.

In the late or general pea crops, after they are reaped or rather cut up by means of a hook, it is the ufual pra€tice to put them up into fmall heaps, termed wads, which are formed by fetting fmall parcels againft each other, in order that they may be more perfeétly dried both in the feed and ftem, and be kept from being injured by the moifture of the ground. But in the early crops the haulm is hooked up into loofe open heaps, which, as foon as they are perfeétly dry, are removed from the ground and put into ftacks for the purpofe of being converted to the food of animals, on which they are faid to thrive nearly as well as on hay t. When intended for horfes, the beft method would feem to be that of having them cut into chaff and mixed with their other food.

It is the praétice in fome diftri&ts to remove the haulm as foon as it has been cut up, by hooks conftru&ted with fharp edges for the purpofe, to every fifth ridge, or even into an adjoining grafs field, in order that it may be the better cured for ufe as cattle food, and at the fame time allow of the land being imme- diately prepared for the fucceeding crop. What are ufually termed winter peas, or fuch crops as have been fown in the autumn, generally afford the largeft proportion of cattle fodder.

It is of confiderable importance in the economy of a farm, when the nature of the foil is fuitable, to have recourfe to the early forts; as by fuch means the crops may in many cafes be cut and fecured while there is leifure, before the commencement of the wheat harvetft.

Where the nature of the foil is dry and warm, and the pea crop of a fuffi- ciently forward kind, it may be eafy to obtain a crop of turnips from the fame land in the fame year. But in this view it is the beft praftice to put the crops in in the row method, and keep them perfe@ly clean by means of attentive hand and horfe hoeing; as in that way the land will be in fuch a ftate of preparation for the turnips, as only to require a flight ploughing, which may be done as faft as the pea crop is removed, and the turnip feed harrowed in as quickly as poflible upon the newly turned up earth. In fome particular diftricts a third

* Englith Encyclopedia, art. Husbandry.+ Corrected Report of Middlefex, p. 285.