The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1894-03-05
The Flat Pea'-Gathyrus Sylves-
tris).

In reply to an inquirer, we quote the
following description of the fat pea. We
have not tried it, so cannot speak of it
from personal knowledge:
This plant has been experimental with
in Germany and France for number of
years, and is a pronounced sucg ess. II
belOnges to the Fetches or Tares, and is
described as an everlasting pea. One OF
the agricultural papers in Germany de-
scribes it as follows:
This plant" it says, "has all the valu-
able traits of red clover or lucerne, witch
out showing any of its defects (such as
causing boating in cattle when fed green
carelessly. or the heaves in horses when
hay IS given dusty, and surpasses them
in every valuBOle essential OF a fodder
plant. 1t viii endure at least sixty Or
seventy years on the same spot without
necessitating seeding. 1t grows on any
soil free from S5agnant water. Where no
other forage plant will live it tlourishes
with undiminished vigor and eXuberancey,
scarcely needing rain after it is once we'll
| established the second year. After that
| time it needs no further care except now
| ing and gathering.
1T produces heavy crops, averaging
about POO quintals at to the hectare -four
| tons per acre. Of cured hay Its nutri-
| tive qualities twice exceeded those of red
| clover or alfalfa, weight for weight; care
| full investigations, made at several ex-
perlmental stations, showing that the
two latter plants contain only 10 or II per
cent of protein or albumen, while this
improved lathyrus, or everlasting pea con
tains from % to 80 per cent of these valu.
i able nutrltive substances.
Cattle, as well as horses and hogs
eat it with avidity. The yield of milk
from cows fed with it averages about 25
per cent more than when fed with any
other fodder, and the quantity of cream
| from the same milk is nearly douJle
The use of its hay as proven1er is also
said to afford preventive or cure against
murrain or spleen diseases"
Two years experiments by o. Clute
and T. B. Mumford, al the Michigan Sta
ton, with the new fodder plant, Lathy-
rus SYltestrIs, or Flat Pea, prove that il
terminates and reaches the surface in
from II TO IS days. 1t grows slowly at
I first and needs care to keep the weeds
/ down 1t makes, on very poor, unim-
pro red sandy soil, top growth of six to
eight in hes, and a root growth of from
II to 10 inches the first year 1t makes,
on sandy soil. that has been cultivated
and improved, a ,oo growth of from u
TO 10 inches ana a root growth Of from Il
inches 10 two feet, during the first year
Only a severe frost viii kill the tops
The roots stand the winter well. Tuber.
Giles form abundantly upon the roots. One
year-old plants transplanted in the spring
to sandy soil yield DER half a ton OF
green forage per acre. II has not bloomed
the frs, wear. and but very slightly the
second. Cattle eat the green forage
readily. The Hat pea promises well for
the sandy soil near the great lakes
where a perennial forage plant is needed
that will not be killed eli her by
severe fros s or by protracted drouths
that will yield good forage for all farm
stock, ana al the SINE time has valua bic
qualities as a fertili er