Bedford inquirer. [volume] (Bedford, Pa.) 1857-1884, 1868-05-29
farm, Gartlfu 4 3oasellold.
CULTURE OF FIELD PEAS.

We have for many years advocated the more
extensive cultivation Of peas and beans, as
means of enriehing the land. They contain
twice as much nitrogen as wheat and corn,
and consequently make rich manure.
cron of peas Of forty bushels per acre con 4
tains in seed and straw about 100 pounds OF
nitrogen. while crop Of wheat Of forty bush
els per acre, in seed and straw calculating
the straw 70 weigh as much as the grain,
which, we thiuk. Is about the average IN this
climate, contains about 81 pounds Of nitro
gen. Peas. Beans, aud Clover, are all legu-
minous plants e. e.. belong to the pea taml-
lvl and all eontains a large proportion of nj
trooan. When consumed on the farm they
afford rich manure The manure from a
busbel Of peas is worth as much again as the
manure from bushcl Of corn.
Where peas can De grown and consumed
on the farm. therefore. they are eminentiy
repova,iua crop. On tue other hand, if sold
tbey remove more iortiIizing elements from
the farm than a crop Of wheat or barley.
Peas do well on sod land, and are generally
grown as crop 10 rrecede winter wheat.
ON an old. tough. Timothy sod this l. not a
rood rotati0o. The peas may do WELL but
the sod is seldom sufficiently rotied to pro-
duce good wheat. Ona two or three year
old clover sod the practice Of sowing peas to
ba followed by wheat is a good one, provided
the and IS rich enough, or can be manured
for the wheat. If the peas were drilled in
rows foot apart, and we had good horse
hoe, that would hoe ten or twelve rows at
once, there can be no doubt that peas might
he extensively grown on wheat farms, 70
oreaf advantage provided always that they
are fed out aud not sold. IF not hoed it is
very important to secure a large growth OF
vines. SO that they may smother the weeds.
We have had wheat saera heavy crop Of
meas. thai was as clean as ID the land had
been we'll followed. and far cleaner than it
frequently is after poor neglected summer
fallow. But on poor, dirty land, crop Of
peas eown rather late in a vet spring, follow
ed in week OF two By sucl drouth as we
had last season. Is ah5u. the worst prepara-
ton for wheat that can be adopted, The
fact is. ali our reuovatiug crops, such as peas,
beans. clover, turuips, and other roots, need
clean, rich land, and the best Of culture,
Occasionally, in wet season, large crop
is obtained on poor, badly cultivated land,
but this is the exception. Generally such
treatment results in half O. crop of peas and
a fall crop Of weeds-reguiring more labor
to harvest them aud leaving the land foul.
II IS best TO SOW peas with drill, but if this
cluuot lie done, take great pains in plowiug
the land, aud SOW the peas on the lurrows
without previous narrowing. The seed vii,
coll into the bo}lows between the furrowsi
aud the harrow, passed leugthwise Of the fur
rows, viii cover them. Shares harrow, with
steel teeth. is "a good implement to cover
peas. As the object is 20 get heavy, smotl-
ering crop, II Is well to seed thick, say three
bushels per acre, or if large peas, three and
half The small Canada creeper IS the
kind usually raised in Western New York.
Fortunately the pea bug attacks our peas and
renders them ausaiabie. They can only be
raised for the purpose Of feeding out on the
farm. There is nothing better for hogs, es-
pecialiy in connection with corn. If fed out
by the middle Of November the bugs, do
comparatively little damage. Many farmers
feed them to pigs, straw and all, without
thrashing. This viii answer very well while
the crop Is green, and the pigs viii eat nearly
all the vines, bat when the crop is maturyd ii
is wasteful aud sIoTenly practice If the
peas are properly cured. the straw, especially
if a large crop, makes excellent fodder for
sheep, and should he carefully saved. .--ime-
ficaH IgucaHaiiSf