The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1900-06-19
AgriCultl
cow PEA Hay

In a bulletin on COW Is ana corn
for silage and fodder, 55u9t issued by
the Department of Agriculture, and
nrepared by w. Gettys, of Tennes-
see, at the request of Secretary of
Agriculture Wilson, much attention
( given to COW pea hay from stubble
land. The following report of such
q crop we commend to the immedi-
ate consideration of Progressive
Farmer readers:
The wheat was taken off as early
as nossible after harvest, and in June
the land was turned and well har-
rowed and rolled, the season being
favorable for such work. Whip
noOrwiu peas, bushel to the acre,
we're sown with an ordinary wheat
drill. The seed being defective, the
stand was not good, but the growth
was. rapid and promised a rich crop
Of grain. As harvest time approached
the thought occurred to the writer
that. while there might be a medium
sized crop of good hay secured from
the land, cut and put away in the
usual manner, there should be more
Of the grain saved and utilized than
i possible when the crop is handled
rs ordinary hay, knowing from past
observation that much, if not most,
If the grain is scattered and lost by
the time the hay reaches the feed
manger.
The crop was permitted to stand
before cutting a few days longer
than it would have been for making
hav. so as to give a greater proper
ton of the pods time to ripen. 1t
was then cut with asmOwer and let
lie in the hot sun thirty-six hours,
when it was thrown into light wind
rows with hay rake, the raking
being done after sunset, sometimes
bv moonlight. when the plant was
tough. to avoid shattering the leaves
and grain. After remaining in the
windrOw twenty-fOur hours, 1T was
thrown into small cocks and left eX-
DOsed to the sun and air for thirty
six hours longer, when it was loaded
on wagons and taken to the barn. No
+hresher suitable for the work being
available, the crop was run through
the silage cutter. The cutter had
shredder attachment, but this, re
ouiring too much speed, was removed
and the cutter knife used as with
silage. To save the threshed peas
separately from the stover was the
next problem encountered.
For this purpose a section feet
long was cut out of the bottom of
the carrier, and a suitable wire screen
tackled in place of the solid bottom,
which allowed the peas to drop
through into a wagon bed on the
ground underneath, while the pea
slower was carried on up sc feet into
y barn loft, where it was we'll scat
tered and mixed with other dry
feed.
The peas were damaged but little
in the process, and after being run
through a hand pea cleaner were
spread out on a granary floor to dry
few days before sacking. The hay
was not so good as it would have
been if cut earlier, but this was more
than counterbalanced by the money
value of the peas secured, which was
greater than the value of the wheat
crop just removed. The land was
much benefited by the growth of the
peas, and required only the doubling
Of the disk harrow to prepare an ex-
ceIlent seed bed for the wheat that
was to Immediately follow. Of course,
the harvesting and housing of the
crop in this manner required favor
able weather, but not more so than
would have been required to put
away successfully the crop in the
ordinary way.