The Ordway new era., 1907-04-26
s.edlno fled rsss.
nv Prof. w. II. olIn Of the etafe ~
cultural College. (.

cultural COiioBvs r x fl.l. /.
Tho f,eld pea II a valuaDle ~.
lccume for both the stock ana tne 49,
~ tho farm. 1t Was grown ~ Cen.
many years before II was iuuvoucoe
irto the United States. For tn!s Ieer
son all kinds OF field peas on tnl. nIuo
the line are usually spoken Oh =. u
ada Field Peas" 1t mas only ~.
within the last few years that farmers
", Colorado have realized the value OF
this crop to the farm.
Climate and Soil requirements
Peas do best In n cool, moist climate.
where cool nights prevail. Many noun
lain valleys In the Rocky Mountain re-
eion seem TO be peculiarly adapted 70
Inc field pea culture. A clay loan. not
TOO heavy in texture, affords IN ideal
soil for this crop. provided there is
GOOD drainage in the subsoil below. a
sandy loan with ample moisture con-
duions gives also n satisfactory
growth. The ground for seed bed con.
ditions should be moist ana well
frmed but not hard.
Seeding the Crop--As early as the
season will permit seed the crop. TINS
should be the very first crop inc
farmer should plan to put In. after the
frost Is out of the ground sufficiently
10 get the seed bed ready for seeding.
MANY Colorado farmers find the grain
drill one of the most satisfactory seed
efs which they can use. They stop
no every other hole, or seed two holes
and stop up two right through the
drlll box. This places the rows six
ten inches apart
The amount OF peas used TO seed tho
ground yaries 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. whiie
farmers in the San Luis valley. where
$4,000 acres are being grown, use from
thirty-hye to fifty pounds per acre.
Harvesting the Crop-If the crop IL
10 he cut for hay or forage chietiy, IL
Ig best 10 cut when seventy.hvc per
cent, OF the peas are coming into the
middle dough stage. or the pods turn
iuy from green to yellow in the ripen-
ing stnge and the vines have stiil n
rich green color.
The method OF cutting. at the pres
ont 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 II Is cured
and stacked in the same way alfalin
hay is put up. When the grain is the
main purpose of the crop, permit
eighty per cent. of the peas 10 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
os production Q for grain farming To
prove profitable. II was then two good
down east" farmers who had grown
peas 'lnck home" tested the value or
TIE peas az 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. Tho
plan worked out very successfully and
gave to the valley a new crop and n
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 n good shep-
herd to direct and control the sheep
while feeding by day. This harvested
tho crop. distributed valuable ma.
nurc on the pea field. and produced n
very superior mutton In from ninety
to 100 days. BY 1903 IL was no uncom-
mon sight to see fields OF eighty. 160.
and even 320 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