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CHAP. 31.—LENTILS. PEASE.

Among the leguminous plants the lentil is sown in the month of November, and the pea,1 among the Greeks. The lentil thrives best in a soil that is rather thin than rich, and mostly stands in need of dry weather. There are two kinds of lentil grown in Egypt; one of which is rounder and blacker than the other, which has a peculiar shape of its own. The name of this plant has been applied to various uses, and among others has given origin to our word "lenticula."2 I find it stated in some authors that a lentil diet is productive of evenness of temper. The pea requires to be sown in a warm, sunny spot, and is ill able to endure cold; hence in Italy and the more rigorous climates, it is sown in the spring only, a light, loose soil being chosen for the purpose.

1 Pisum sativum of Linnæus.

2 Meaning a wart or pimple on the face.

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