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Show CANADIAN FIELD PEA One of Most Valuable Crops for Grain and Hay. Excellent Crop for Either Old Land or Sod snd Planted In Varloua Ways Length of Season Governs Amount of Irrigation. The Canada field pea is perhaps one of the most Important and valuable valu-able cropa, both for forage and grain, that has been Introduced Into the West. It la both valuable for Irrigation Irri-gation farming and dry farming. In onirt sections the field ea baa revolutionized revo-lutionized the agriculture, writes Prof. H. C. Buffum In the Irrigation Age. There are a good many varieties of Canada peaa. The Mexican Is a mixed or mongrel sort, which Is largely large-ly grown In Colorado. The White Canada has given us the best results In all our experiments. There are several strains of these White Canada Can-ada peas. We are now growing aome from Sweden, France, England, Germany Ger-many and other places, and some of these strains are far more productive than the common ones obtained from Canada or Wisconsin. Other forms of field peae offered by seedmen are Green Canada, Blue Scotchman, and several forms of garden varieties, like the White and Blackeyed Mar rowfat. The Golden Vine la one of the best known varieties. At higher altitudes, where the seasons sea-sons are cool, field peas do well on almost any kind of soil. At lower altitudes, where the summer Is hot, the cold, leavler soils give better results. re-sults. Under systems of dry farming andy soils which retain the most moisture are the best. Peas are a good crop for either old land or sod, and they may be planted In a variety of ways. Good results ire sometimes obtained from aowlng them broadcast on the sod and cover-ng cover-ng them with the breaking plow, but luch method cannot be recommended, i rhey may be disked In or planted and overed by any method used for other i teeds. The best way la to use the ress drill. Forced feed drills will , ften crack some of the aeeda; but be saving' made by drilling the seed i a very great In spite of this fact. dany of the split peas will grow, and he seed put In the ground with a I rill will be well planted. They may i e sown from one inch to four Inches I leep. i Field peas should be planted aa c srly In the spring as the ground can i e prepared. In aome placea where tie ground Is dry, the seed may be own late enough In the fall ao that : will not germinate. At lower altl- iides, where the season Is long, the i eaa may be sown as late aa the first t r middle of July, and they will get 1 irge enough In the fall either to pro- f uce forage or to be plowed under to i icrease the humus and nitrogen In 1 ie soli. The best time, however, is t plant aa early In spring as possl- j le. February Is not too early. If the c round Is thawed out. t Peas are easy things to cultivate, r n the dry farm, under the two-year t rstem. all they will need Is a harrow- r ig with a drag tooth harrow after I ley have come up. Cnder Irrigation c eaa may be managed at the pleasure r f the farmer. The pea la what the f otanlst calls an Indeterminate grow- r, I. ., It grows, blooms, and ripens ed aa long as there Is moisture and baence of hard, freeilng weather. The amount of Irrigation will de- end upon the length of the season, i ad somewhat, also, on the beat of ) te summer. Where summers are t ot. flood Irrigating will blister or therwlse Injure the pea plant. Fur- w Irrigation la better. They may b kept growing by Irrigating often aough to keep the soli moist. We ve found that on good, loamy aoll tur Irrigations gave a yield of ripened ess of 34 4 bushels per acre, and bout four tona of vines, while seven t rigatlona gave a little larger growth i vine, but only 19 bushels of peaa. t rcauae they did not get ripe. On ac-unt ac-unt of Ita adaptability to different t tils, different ways of planting, ease ' farm management and response to t ry farm methods or Irrigating prac-ce, prac-ce, the field pea Is one of the eaa- a at managed cropa. The pea la both forage and a grain a op. Pea hay properly made Is a ughage unexcelled by any other, a oorly made pea hay la poor stuff, c ood pea bay Is a valuable feed for ly kind of live stock. It haa been s iund that over ripe pea hay, pea s raw, or that which haa been spoiled i the stark. Is dangeroua to horses. I: ittle, pigs or sheep, because It b Loses Indigestion and Impaction, hese troubles are absent when prop- e ly made and cured hay la fed. The s ireshed peaa are highly nitrogenous d. They are specially valuable for li ung, growing atock. Except for mbe or piga which have good teeth id ran grind tbelr food, peaa should a i chopped or ground. Pea hay f hleh contains ripe and partly ripe as will make the horses allek and t !ny In the spring and will put good t t on any kind of stock. |