Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1869-04-02
Ae11cuHuraL
THE PEI rs n FIELD CROP.

The pea has recently attracted good deal
of attention, and II deserves il. IL is not
probable that it will ever compete with In
dian corn in localities and soils favorable to
the latter, but on some soils and in some
localities the pea will yield much the heav-
lest and most valuable crop. And this is
the case ON soils which are incapable of
bearing full crop of corn. There is, how
ever, one drawback to the culture of the pea
which gives corn great advantage over it.
We cannot stimulate peas to the same ex-
tent as corn. If we manure peas too heav-
lily they are apt to run to straw, and the
proportion of grain is diminished while
on the other hand, so long as we give prop
er attention to corn we cannot manure too
highly, as every extra pound of manure
will tell in an increased crop. But if we
happen to have piece of land for which
we have not sufficient supply of manure,
it will pay much better to put in a crop of
peas than q crop of corn.
well cultivated crop of corn or roots
leaves the land in better condition than
crop of peas but unless the corn or roots
are well cared for, the contrary will be the
case. a crop 4 peas, even if left to itself,
will leave the land in tolerably good condi-
ton, AS the field pea proper, from its dense
foliage and vigorous growth, smothers most
weeds, although there are some Canada
thistle and couch-grass for example) upon
which crop of peas has very little effect.
1t ofens happens that when the farmer is
not able 10 enrich his land sufficiently, the
corn crop hardly pays the expense of culti-
walton. In such cases, by adopting peas,
We can dispense with much labor and yet
secure paying crop.
We do not intend by this to recommend
slovenly habit in the culture of peas. We
only say that where the farmer is unable to
command full supply of manure and la
Dor, peas will pay better than corn.
The real value of the pea as an article of
food is difficult TO determine, and its fatten-
ing power has been variously estimated.
Two bushels of peas counted by some
equal to three of corn, while others do not
hesitate to assign to them much higher
proportional value.
In making any practical trials to deter
mine this question, we must remember that
the pea, as compared with corn, is easily
four bushels of whole peas, and another 20
bushels of whole and dry corn, and it would
not surprise us if the peas proved superior
to the corn. But we must remember that
two-thirds of the corn may possibly pass
from the animal in Il perfectly uninjured
state, especially if her teeth and other di-
gestive organs are mob in first-rate order.
The peas being more easily digested, less
loss would be incurred, and consequently
greater effects would be produced. If now
we grind both the corn and the peas, some
of this great disparity will disappear, from
the simple fact that a proportionably greater
quantity of the corn will be digested. FL
nally, let us cook the corn meal very thor
oughly, and also the peas. We will now
find that while the peas do not gain greatly
by this operation, the effects Of the corn are
wonderfully increased, and If the corn be
finely ground and very thoroughly cooked,
we are inclined to believe that it will not
prove very much inferior to its competitor.
In all this we have not lost sight of the
chemical constitution of the two grains.
We know that while the corn contains but
10 per cent of nitrogen, the peas contain 22i
per cent. We doubt very much, however,
if, in practice, this advantage is az great rs
ii seems. Practically, buckwheat has been
found most excellent food for fattening
poultry, and yet it contains but per cent
OF nitrogen. We have no doubt that If the
per centage of nitrogen in corn and buck
wheat could DE increased, their value would
DE increased, too, but we are fully convinc-
ed that in peas the extreme useful proper
ton of nitrogen has been passed, and that
the benefit arising from the presence of over
Is per cent of nitrogen in any food il found
only in the increased value OF the manure
Now we have always held that ii is very
poor economy to waste at tho feed trough
in the hope Of saving in the manure heap.
The true economy, therefore, would be to
mix these two articles of food in proper
proportion, and then we could get all the
advantage arising from the carbon of the
corn and the nitrogen Of the peas. 1t has
been said that wheat is a good type of food
as regards composition. II we accept this
statement, then, as wheat contains Is per
cent of nitrogen, corn 10 per cent, and peas
22i per cent, we can, by adding 25 pounds
ofpeas to rs pounds of corn, produce food
containing the same per centage of nitrogen
that exists In wheat. And this we believe
10 be the most economical method of using
peas.
1t may sometimes happen that the great
difference between corn and peas, AS re-
CARDS their digestibility, may be sufficient
to determine which we shall select. Every
housewife knows that it is very difficult to
cook corn meal thoroughly. Itrequires not
only boiling, but long-continued soaking.
Peas on the other hand, do not even re-
quire TO be ground. Soak them in water
and they will swell up and become quite
digestible, while If they be boiled they fall
down into u paste without any grinding.
II, therefore, we wish to dispense with the
grinding of our grain, we will find peas
suited TO our purpose.
Another point TO be taken into considera-
ton, in estimating the value of a crop of
peas, Is the amount which may be expected
per acre. The pea crop varies in its results
from 10 to 90 bushels. Mr.. Haxton esti-
mates fair crop at little over 80 bushels.
But we must remember that the land which
would yield 30 bushels Of peas would prob
ably not yield 30 bushels of shelled corn.
The straw or haulin of the pea is proba-
bly, of about the same value as the fodder
from an equal area of corn ~. 1t is a little
difficult to cure, but If cut before 1t is too