The soil upon wl.ich they were sown was a loam of diliko cult varieties. I have lor many years practised this mode of husbandry foe raising beans, which have uni formly been succeeded by wheat, and shall be happy to give you any information in my power respecting the culture of them. This year I have 110 acres, all man aged in the way described. I enclose two certificates, one of the measurement, and the other from two farmers of character, that 1 had such fields in beans and wheat." It need only be added, that since this communication was made to the Society of Arts, various improvements have been introduced into this important branch of hus bandry, particularly in the culture given to the land be fore receiving the seed, as described in the account al ready given. Indeed, the bean system has now arrived at a considerable degree of perfection ; though system is of little importance, unless the processes which belong to it are attentively executed.
Of Pease.
The culture of pease is now much out of use in a riot's parts of Britain, being found unprofitable, and tend ing greatly to injure the ground by the quantity' of an nual and perennial weeds which accompanied the crop, or, more strictly speaking, which were allowed to grow and come to perfection, irom the nature of the culture usually given to pease. Drilling has been resorted to for the purpose of removing that defect, but seldom with much advantage, as the plant dropt early clown, and thus prevents the necessary hoeing. Pease, however, are partially suNin with beans to great -advantage ; and, when cultivated in this way, the same system of preparation, &e. described under the head of beans, is to be adopted. Indeed, upon many soils not deep enough for beans, a mixture of pease to the extent of one-third of the seed sown, proves highly advantageous. The beans serve as stabs or props to the pease, and the latter, being thus kept oil' the ground, and furnished with air, and other atmospherical nutriment, blossom and pod with much greater effect than when sown according to the broad cast system.
Pease agree well with lime and other calcareous sti mulants, and can hardly be reaped in perfection NS bete these are wanting. The varieties cultivated are nume rous ; hut those adapted to field culture may be divided into two kinds, namely, early and late. though these branch out again into several varieties. We have white pease both early and late, and likewise gray peaSe, pos sessed of similar properties. The nomenclature is en tirely arbitrary, and therefore not to be illustrated. As a general rule, the best seed-time for late pease, is eithei in February or March, though early ones, such as the }lasting or Aiagbichifi pea, may be sown successfully after the first of Mae. Pease ought to be sown tolera bly thick, so that the ground may be covered as early as possible. Perhaps less than five bushels of firlots ought not to be sown upon a Scotch acre, because the plants never do much good till they' begin to lock or twist to logethci. Ilmad-Last peasr, however, are now rarely
seen, except in upland districts, where soil and climate render beans unlit to he cultivated. One lurrow is ge nerally bestowed upon the crop ; and the seed sown is, for the most part, one or other of the early varieties. White, or boiling pease, are sown in several of the Eng lish counties ; hut as they do nut conic regularly under he husbaoclman's notice, it is unnecessary to treat of them in this article.
Both pease and beans are taken in England alter grass ; but this system we must condemn as a departure from the principle, st hich considers the alternate moue Of cropping- as must wise and beneficial. Permips we have too few of the leguminous articles ; none of them, iherefo,e, should be taken in succession. II grass is broke up with oats, then pease and beans follow with propriety ; but to take tie latter in the first place, is setting system at defiance, and introducing confusion into the alter rotation.
Of Tares.
Tares, vetches, and Scotch gray pease, are all mem bers of the same family. Possessing similar properties, and yielding similar nourishment, they are capable of being used for the same purposes at different seasons. Taking tares to be the lather of the family, and esti mating it of vast advantage when used as an article of green food, we shall restrict our to this plant ; though each of them is equally applicable to vetches, and those sorts of gray pease cultivated in many districts for the use of the stock, particu larly at that critical period, which ensues betwixt the two crops of grass, when, if drought sets in, green food cannot °therm ise be procured.
The tare is a plant of a hardy growth, and, when sown upon rich land, will return a large supply of green fodder, for the consumption of horses, or tor fattening cattle. When intended for this use, the seed ought to be sown tolerably thick, perhaps to the extent of four bushels per Scots acre, though, when intended to stand for seed, a less quantity is required ; because otherwise, the thickness of the crop will prevent the plants from blossoming and podding in a sufficient way. When meant for seed, early sowing ought to be studied, otherwise the return will be imperfect; but when for green food, any time betwixt the first of April and the latter end of Alay will answer well, provided crops in succession from the first to the last mentioned period be regularly cultivated. Instances are not wanting of a full crop being obtained even when the seed was sown so late as the middle of June, though sowing so late is a practice not to be recommended. After the seed is sown, aid the land carefully harrowed, a light roller ought to be drawn across, so that the surface may be smoothed, and the sidle permitted to work without interruption. It is proper also to guard the field for several clays against the depredations of pi geons, w ho are remarkably fond of tares, and will pick up a great part of the seed, unless constantly watched.