Peah, Chapter 3, Mishnah 2. This mishnah continues to deal with the question of what counts as separate fields for the purposes of Peah. The mishnah opens with an interesting expression: the leopard is called namer in Hebrew because of the spots on its skin, and from this the mishnah takes the term menamer to describe a field in which the areas that ripened first were harvested while the areas that had not yet ripened were left standing - that is, one who makes his field into patches, a spotted field.
The words of the mishnah:
"HaMenamer es sadehu v'shiyeir kelachim lachim" - one who harvests his field in patches, and after harvesting the stalks that ripened first, left over moist stalks that had not yet ripened.
"Rabbi Akiva omer: nosein pe'ah mikol echad v'echad" - Rabbi Akiva says that he gives Peah from each and every area separately.
"V'chachamim omrim: me'echad al hakol" - the Sages say that he gives Peah from one area for the entire field.
What is the dispute between Rabbi Akiva and the Sages?
Some hold that the dispute concerns the moist stalks that were left behind, once they have ripened and been harvested: Rabbi Akiva holds that they are considered separate fields because of the patchwork harvesting that preceded them, while the Sages hold that they are all considered one.
Others explain that the discussion is specifically about the first harvesting, the one that created the patches to begin with: according to Rabbi Akiva one takes Peah from each area that was harvested first separately, and according to the Sages they are all considered one.
A third opinion applies the dispute to both together - both to the areas harvested the first time and to those harvested afterward: are they considered separate, or are they all considered one?
"U'modim chachamim l'Rabbi Akiva b'zorei'a shevet o chardal bishloshah mekomos":
The Sages, who said that the entire field is considered one, agree with Rabbi Akiva in the case of one who plants dill or mustard in three different places, "shenosein pe'ah mikol echad v'echad" - that in such a case he gives Peah from each and every one separately. The reason is that this is the normal way these species are planted, in separate areas, and therefore each one of them is considered a field in its own right with regard to Peah.