The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1891-07-26
FARMER AND PLANTER
Matters Of Interest 10 TiIIeTS Of Southern
Soil.
TIE PEA CAN Be CONVERTED INTO HAY.
A Corrcspondont Of Farm aud Tireside Gives
Some Hints on The subject oil Bios "'"
Ensilage-Othcr Items

s.oohen Powers, Of the Farmer and Fruit
Grower offers the following observations
ON subject which cannot be too well under
stood.
Tbo ,lav pea is. we believe. regarded as tho
-, Cor making vines next after the conch,
and therefore it would rank highest Tor
hav.naaking plant. When well cared Tor pea
vine hay is superior even TO the famous clover
of tho North for mich stock; in fact 1t IS quite
unsurpassed in the line Of dry feed for this
purpose. On rich land they may be sown
broadcast-about at the rate Of bushei and
a half per acre aud plOwed IN lightly with
arm plow on poor land they should be
drilled in rows three feet apart and cultivated
little.
The usual practice is to SOW thepeas between
the rows of corn when the latter is laid by,
and this is practice which Is economical oil
labor and expense in one respect. yet we DOUBT
It's superiority IN the long run. ANY system
which will fetch on hayIng IA the RAINY season
is q poor one: and the saving OF labor when
may result from sowing among the corn VIII ue
cOunterbalanced. IfDOt more. bythe Wfetcheu'
unsatisfactory fussng of trying to make nay al
time when it rains from two 70 fourteen tlihes
aweek The writer's experience IN pea Ine my
for wears. often IN rainy weather. The fiorluh
farmer has one great advantage over the
Northern farmer. because he has season Ih
tbe fall which * certain to be dry and admira-
bic for hay-making, while the Northern farin-
or has a short hay-growng season ana - ia
bic 20 be caught IN the rain OF any uihe Ok Inc
year u
Rather than attempt 10 make hay. and
above all out of such thick stalked and succu-
lent plants as cOw-pea vines, IN the rainy
season. we would cut the corn all on ploW
under the stubbles, crab-grass ana ALL ana
SOW the peas rs special crop, 10 be mace
into hay in the latter part OF September or
IN October. Cow pea vines are the poorest
possible material 70 make bay OF IN wet
weather as they absorb a shower almost IKE
a sponge.
As to curing, tho same general rules apply
NJ were given last week for crab-grass hay
The cutting should not be too early IN the
morning because dew will not dry on ~ fast
from a mass Of vines lying Oh the ground as
IL will from the standing plants.
Neither do we believe there is any gain in
leaving the plants to grow until the peas are
nearly ripe in the pods, but rather loss.
While they are growing thew derive their sup
port largely from the atmosphere, but as soon
as the seed begins to form 1t rapidly exhausts
the element of fertility in the soil. More
than that pea-vnes which are cured green
and aromatic as Young Hyson tea are very at
tractlye 10 the cow and VIII increase secretion
of milk much more than that which has be-
come dry and woody. even with the pods and
peas added. A horse would grind tho peas
fine and derive nourishment from them. but
a COW will very imperfectly masticate them
and Will not receive from them, coarseiy
cracked as they are, anywhere near an equiv
alent for the rich dried Juices OF green cut
hay.
When pea-vine hay is cut in the rainy sea
son. in order to cure il at all, the farmer Will
have to resort to sundry devices as, for in
stance piling it up around poles in tall slim
stacks for several days or building it up in
rail pens, a layer of vines then q LAYER of rails
etc, all of which is wretched pandering. But
after the rainy season is over pea-yine hay can
be made with comfort. by piling it in tail
cocks to be doubled and redOubled as they
gradually dry out.