The adage says that you plant one pea for yourself, one pea for the earth god, one for the birds, and three for the mice.  But this tip shows how to get more peas to your pods.  Dig out the pea bed as normal and then sprinkle the bed with lime.  Sow the peas as you would normally and cover them up.  To finish sprinkle once more with lime.  The mice supposedly don't like the life and so more peas manage to sprout.