The representative. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1893-1901, 1895-04-17
An INTERESTING ARTICLE,
Especially for the Red River
Valley.
THE FIELD PEA To MAKE PORK,

article from the "Silverite" of Mis-
soula, Montana. 1t contains facts
and suggestions that will be of value
to Minnesota and Dakota farmers.1
1.-The fact that in Gallatin county
as we'll as throughout the state,
great interest is being taken in swine
culture. renders it important what
Shall take the place for hog food.
Much has been said of soft wheat,
which is undoubtly prime hog food,
producing under test all the way from
II to 20 pounds of pork to the bushel
OF wheat; there are serious objections,
however. to wheat as the sole article
OF grain food for hogs.
That the farmer is working toward
greater Investigation of crops is
due to his wish to better his financial
condition; exclusive grain growing
mas ceased to be profitable, since we
are more than able to supply the
available markets, and our distance
from the greater grain markets pre-
Guides long and expensive shipments.
Worse than this, however, it has been
proven that wheat crop yielding 35
bushels of grain and about 5000
pounds OF straw to the acre, removes
from the soil "a pounds or ,phosphoric
acid worth 5 cents per pound, SO
pounds OF nitrogen worth Is cents per
pound, and 81 pounds of potash worth
cents per pound; or an absolute cash
deterioration in the soil that aggre-
gates $12.15 per acre.
That our Montana soil has an aver
age deposit of these chemical fertil-
izers, naturally. that is equal by an
alysis, to nearly double the average of
eastern soils, is no good reason, that
we can afford to be reckless in draw
Ing upon this great natural reserve;
II is said to be "a long lane that has
no turn" and continuous wheat grow
ing in Montana will naturally work
the same degree of soil impoverish-
ment that has SO etfectuallv cut wheat
crop averages from about 80 bushels
to ia bushels per acre in all the older
wheat states.
1t will be noted that the most ex-
pensive element involved in that
above calculation Of soil depletion is
nitrogen: this item more than equals
the other two items, and once and a
half in cash value.
Four-fifths Of the atmosphere by
volume is comprised of nitrogen and
1T was great scientific achievement
OF the German chemist who establish
ed the fact that a certain class of
plants called "leguminosn" well
known members of which are the avri-
Gus clovers, peas and beans) possessed
the power to appropriate from the at
| mosphere, and to store within the
soil large and available deposits of
nitrogen, this being accomplish by
the medium of what are known as
tuberacles, situated upon the roots of
the plants. these being formed by the
work of microbes: the general effect
of such crops being to very materially
increase the productiveness of the
SOIL
The wide awake farmer had made
the practical discovery long before
the chemist, that there was no crop
to compare with clover as a soil re-
newer, and tnat the result was, that
crops grown after clover were materi-
ally better than those that were pro-
| duced on soil that had not been
covered; thus furnished new evidence
III
| practical and scientific agriculture.
The various members of the family,
alfalfa, alsike, ETC., are valuable adj
juncts to the diet of the porker, but
they 90 not take the place of corn when
the time for finishing off" the pro-
duct for the butcher has arrived.
Nothing has yet been found that
does this SO completely as field peas
In Canada where great attention is
paid these various agricultural econ
Omic problems, 1t has been deter
mined, that when wheat is worth 22.75
per ton in the manufacture of pork,
that peas are worth for the same Dur
pose 1921 per ton.
We know that the pork of Denmark
commands the highest price on the
English market, and that there peas
occupy the same place that corn does
in America.
Having thus shown that peas is
crop that will benefit the soil, and it
is we'll adapted to the production of
be profita bly, grown in Montana.
Gallatin county has usually produced
more or less of this crop and the aver
age yield for both 1893 and 1894 was %
bushels to the acre, and at this rate
of yield is a profitable crop. But we
improve this yield materially. The
usual custom is to broadcast the seed,
either dragging or blowing the seed
in; the result is the stand is very ir-
regular and the field becomes
''weedy;" then, too in the matter of
harvesting, many "hog them off," i. e.
turn the fattening hogs into the field.
This we think is waSteful and expen-
sive.
Our experience at the Station with
the crop in 1894 may not be uninter-
esting. The poorest soil, and that
that had received the hardest treat
ment (having been soWn to oats for
nine consecutive seasons, with the re-
suit that the last crop was so poor,
and the straw SO short, that it could
hardly be harvested with self-bind-
err, was selected on which to test the
peas as crop.
May 4, the crop was planted, using
q bushels Of pea seed to the acre and
one buShel of oats the latter being
! used to prevent so many of the peas
being cracked in passing through the
force feed of THE Farmers Friend"
drill: they were covered about three
| inches in depth las deep as the drill
| would work.: the stand was perfect,
they were irrigated once about July
IA; if the present crop season is as
| favorable as the past with regard to
| rain, will not irrigate at ally harvest
ed about September Is, using McCor-
mick mower, having men stationed
! with rakes to draw the swathes back