Place in the rotation.—Peas may be assigned any place in the rotation. When properly inoculated they are capable of gathering nitrogen from the atmosphere and consequently are not so dependent as some other crops on nitrogen supplied by decay Some varieties commend themselves to the can ners by maturing the whole crop nearly at one time, while other varieties have a long fruiting period which makes them especially desirable for the home garden.
Culture.
Soils.—For whatever special purpose the pea crop may be grown, the general soil and cultural requirements are much the same. The crop suc ceeds on a variety of soils. Clay loarns, especially if well supplied with lime, are best adapted, but excellent crops are grown on stiff clays. Light, sandy and gravelly soils are not so suitable, as they are liable to dry out and become hot. Mucky soils produce a large growth of vine but the yield of grain is likely to be small. While peas require an abundance of moisture for their best develop ment, over-wet soils are wholly unsuited to the crop.
Preparation of the land.—Fall-plowing is to be recommended for peas. This favors early sowing the following spring, which is desirable, and ex poses the stiff soils, on which peas are usually grown, to the ameliorating influences of the win ter's freezing and thawing. It is desirable that the land be well pulverized, but, since the pea is a hardy and vigorous grower this is not so neces sary as for the small grain crops.
Fertilizing.—When grown on poor soils, peas respond well to manure or fertilizers, but on soils of good fertility the manures are usually applied to other crops in the rotation and fertilizers are rarely used. Some growers maintain that if ma nure is applied it should be plowed under deeply, ing grass and clover roots. Still, an inverted sod is found in experience to produce the best of yields, and the pea crop is most excellent to break down the sod and prepare the land for exacting grain crops, such as wheat. The usual practice, however, is to have peas follow a tilled crop, as beans or corn, and then be followed by wheat. A farmer can almost afford to grow a crop of peas for the purpose of fitting the land for wheat.
Seeding.— Peas are usually sown with a grain drill or broadcasted by hand. If the land is very
foul with weeds they are sometimes planted in drills twenty-eight to thirty inches apart so as to permit of horse cultivation during the early stages of growth. The grain drill is usually preferred to hand-broadcasting, as it covers the seed more evenly than the latter method. On spring-plowed land the peas are sometimes sown by hand imme diately after the plow. The seed falls into the depressions between the furrows and is usually well covered by the harrowing which follows. Some persons have recommended sowing the seed ahead of the plow and turning it under the furrows, but this usually buries it too deeply, especially if the land is rather heavy. The depth of seeding varies from two to four inches, being deeper on the lighter soils.
The quantity of seed required per acre will vary with circumstances from two to four bushels. Rich soils which tend to produce a vigorous growth of vine require less seed than poorer soils. Large seeded varieties or those producing small vines require more seed per acre than those having small seeds or producing large vines. Usually the canning varieties require heavier seeding than those grown for stock-feeding.
'Lira:ding and threshing.—Peas are usually cut with a mowing machine. The tendency of the vines to f:d on the ground often makes the cutting a dldicult task. Sometimes extra long guards of spe cial shape are provided which lift up the vines so that the knives may cut them satisfactorily. Foi 1 )wing the mower, men with forks pitch the cut pe:.s to one side in bunches so that they are not trampled on at the next bout.
A pea harvester constructed on the plan of the twine binder has recently been invented. It does not bind the peas, but delivers them at the side out of the way, and thus saves the extra labor of moving them by hand.
If the crop has been matured for seed or grain purposes it is allowed to cure in these bunches, which are turned once or twice to facilitate drying. When dry, peas may be stored in a barn or stack like other grain. As the pea-straw will not shed rain well, stacks should be topped with some finer material to protect the crop from damage.