Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1848-04-12
From the Southern Caltivator.
CurruRe OF TsF GROUND Pes.

81 CuLTuRE OF THF GROUND Pes.
Mr.. Editor.--I have observed with
nlcasure thai the culture Of The Ground
Pea seems 70 be exciting something
more Of interest among thai farmers OF
our State than heretofore it has done done.
7 Convinced, as I am, That a large amount
of profit. would result from lis general
adoption as one branch Of every elop,
i am Induced to send You the results OF
one or two experiments which ! have
made, in the hope the others may be
induced to made similar unes: for feel
well assured ,ha, The Ground Pea will
not be readily abandoned, after the ex-
pertinent OF its cultivation shall have
been once fairly made.
NV first trial was made on about one
ouarie, of an acre of land, SO poor and
worn that it produced in corn, the
year previvious, (an ordinary crop year,
with good cultivation, moi more lhan
one barrel per acre. In the faH,s J
gathered ten bushels of peas, and have have
no doubt as much as two bushels were
left in the ground and picked up by my
hogs. This gives production pf 4s
bushels.p per aero, Oh lan1, which,. with
the, same amount Of labor in cultivation,
would have yielded one barred Of corn.
It's tue that the. labor of gathering is
yerystedious. But this labor may be
avoided by allowing hogs 10 gather them. y.
The Peas may besuffered 10 lie in W
ground, and the hogs 10 feed upon them,
daring ahe whole of the wiater. and l.nis
III April tIfoul Jury toths Peas. "a s..
! o. theg may be plo@ed up /; with " the
vines, il done before lie vines are killed
nthel fall Peas gathered from m the the vines,
ofnigbts. and in;bad weather during Tic.
winter, without loss, Of time from other
business r .of,tIle, farm. In this, case. The
vines, if preserved would, make excel
lsnt food for cattle, and they are very
fond OF them. ] am fully cont inced that
hogs fa.yiiesni more kindly on tile Ground
Pea than on. any other food ! liayeever
tried; corn and potatoes no. excepted.
/ think that one bushel of Peas in the
hull, is about. equal, or very nearly e.
quail, to one bushel Of corn, in feeding
hogs, and perhaps more than one equal,
ifihe hogs be sows and pigs.
In the experiment! above, the land
vac bedded ms for plantina cotton-21
fee, from the centre to centre otthe beds.
A furyow was opened with coulter in
the middle Of each bed, and the peas
d.opped two or three in place, TO %
feet part III the furrow, and covered
by running the coulter on each side. >ln
land Of better quality, the beds should
be wider, say 8 10 81 feet. Much Of
The cultivation may ba done with the
ptow;, and no moro work Nith the hoe
being necessary, than just enough 10
keep out line grass, and 10 level the sur,
facs,of the beds around the vines where
the plow has failed TO do its work well.
TIE hlabor is abou, equal 10 that which is
necessary in cultivaling a crop Of corn.
and less iflhe grass is no, abundant.
usually. prepare the seed by breaking
each pea in Two between The kernals.
instead Of sl,elling them. And the ger
mina,ion will be hasteued by soaking in
lepid water few l,juts before they, are
planted.
! planted again, abou, two acres, as
nearly rs could guess, Of a field the
balance Of which, being the sans sort of
land, produced, the same season, one
barrel Of corn per acre. The land was
prepared breaking ii up, without bed
ding: The planting and covering was
done as before, with the coulter. OBJ.
tanned ,wo>thirds TO three. .fourths Of
good stand, and did not replant.. After
the peas had been some time up, a wide
pointed coullre was run on each side Of
the lea row, as near. the peas, and as
deep as possible, followed by. the hoes,
and then thoroughly cleaned out. In this
situation they remained until the grass
began again to make lis appearance.
The peas having grown TO some size, a
long scooter was run as deep as posi-.
BILE, and as neal the vines as il could be
done without covering them, followed
bys,he hoes 10 Level the beds around the
vines and take out the grass where the
plow had failed TO do lis work we'll.
Some weeks after this working ,hr mid
dies were plowed out by running a
scooter next toaa!le1 peas. and wide
,hoSelsaonce of The
ows. Theh hoes passed over once more,