The Elbert County tribune., 1907-04-25
seeding Fled peas.
BY Prof. w. H. OIin OF the State Agri
n..tf.r,1 r4rIara

BY Prof w. H. Olin of the State Agrf
cultural College.
The field pea is a valuable annual
legume for both the stock and the soil
of the farm. 1t was grown in Canada
many years before it was introduced
iEto the United States. For this rea-
son all kinds of field peas on this side
the line are usually spoken of as Can
ada Field Peas" 1t has only been
of Colorado have realized the value of
this crop to the farm.
Climate and Soil Requirements
Peas do best in a cool, moist climate.
where cool nights prevail. Many noun
tsin valleys in the Rocky Mountain re-
gion seem to be peculiarly adapted to
the field pea culture. A clay loan, not
too heavy in texture, affords an ideal
soil for this crop, provided there is
good drainage in the subsoil below. A
sandy loan with ample moisture CON
d.tions gives also a satisfactory
growth. The ground for seed bed con-
ditions should be moist and well
firmed but not hard.
Seeding the Crop-As early as the
season will permit seed the crop. This
should be the very first crop the
farmer should plan to put in, after the
to get the seed bed ready for seeding.
Many Colorado farmers find the grain
drill one of the most satisfactory seed
ers which they can use. They stop
up every other hole. or seed two holes
ond stop up two right through the
drill box. This places the rows six
ten inches apart.
The amount of peas used to seed the
ground varies with locality, climatic
conditions, purpose for which the crop
is grown, and the size of the peas
used for seed Some farmers use as
high as 100 pounds per acre, while
farmers in the San Luis valley, where
$4,000 acres are being grown, use from
thirty-fve to fifty pounds per acre.
Harvesting the Crop-If the crop is
to be cut for hay or forage chiefly, it
ia best to cut when seventy-hve per
cent. of the peas are coming into the
middle dough stage, or the pods turn
ing from green to yellow in the ripen-
ing stage and the vines have still a
rich green color.
The method of cutting, at the pres
ent time, is not wholly satisfactory.
A moving machine with good strong
high pea guard attached to the sickle
bar is generally used for cutting the
peas. When the crop is cut it is cured
and stacked in the same way alfalfa
hay is put up. When the grain is the
main purpose of the crop, permit
eighty per cent. of the peas to get into
the hard dough before cutting. Cure
and stack as in the first instance.
San Luis Valley Method of Harvest
ing-For years the farmers of the San
Luis valley grew grain crops success
fully, grain following grain, until the
yields were reduced too near the cost
of production for grain farming to
prove profitable. 1t was then two good
"down east" farmers who had grown
peas "back home" tested the value of
tie peas as a valley crop and found
they did well in that environment. One
OF these farmers conceived the idea OF
turning in the sheep when the peas
were ripe to fatten on the crop and
save the expense of harvesting. The
plan worked out very successfully and
gave to the valley new crop and a
most profitable feeding industry. Lambs
were procured from New Mexico and
Utah and turned on the pea fields when
ripe to fatten on this most excellent
forage and grain ration. The feeding
season was all that could be desired.
usually cool, clear and dry, so that all
that seemed necessary was coyote
proof corral for night and good shep-
herd to direct and control the sheep
while feeding by day. This harvested
the crop, distributed valuable ma
nure on the pea field and produced
very superior mutton in from ninety
to 120 days. BY 1903 it was no uncom-
mon sight to see fields of eighty, l6O,
and even 800 acres, given over to this
crop. and at the close of the feeding
season lambs came out of these San
Luis valley pea fields by the thousands
TO find market peculiarly and largely
their own.