the LENTIL; a genus of the decandra order, belonging to the diadelphia class of plants. There are six species; of which the most remarkable is the lens, or common lentil. It is cultivated in many parts of England, either as fodder for cattle, or for the seeds which are frequently used in meagre soups. It is an annual plant, and rises with weak stalks about 18 inches high, garnished with winged leaves composed of several pairs of narrow lobes, terminated by a clasping or tendril, which fastens to any neighbouring plant, and is thereby supported; the flowers come out three or four together, upon short footstalks from the side of the branches. They are small, of a pale purple colour, and are succeeded by short flat pods, containing two or three seeds which are flat, round, and a little convex in the middle. The seeds of this plant are most commonly sown in the month of March, where the land is dry; but in moist ground, the best time is April. The usual quantity of seed allowed for an acre of land is from one bushel and a half to two bushels. If these are sown in drills, in the same manner as peas, they will succeed better than when sown