The Hope pioneer. [volume] (Hope, N.D.) 1882-1964, 1911-04-06

I Agricultural Topics
Edited by w. r. Porter,
Supt. Demonstration Farms, N. d.
Canada Field Peas and Their Place
on North Dakota Farms.
Many farms in the eastern part of
the state up to the present time have
failed to produce either clover or
alfalfa successfully. Very few farms
in the central and western parts of the
state have begun to grow either OF
these legumes as yet. Many fields
seeded down to timothy and bronze
grass and clover fail for various
reasons. Any grass seed sown the
past season in any part OF the state
was a failure owing to the e
drouthy conditions. Many farmers
are doubtless asking themselves what
they will do for hay next year.
Seed Canada field peas and oats
sowing peas at the rate of one and
one-half bushels and oats at the rate
of one-half bushel per acre. Seed on
fall plowed land and seed as early in
the spring as the land is in good on
.dition to work. Seed the oats and
peas about three inches deep and give
the field a good narrowing ten days
after seeding O. shortly before the
grain comes up.
This has been the kind of hay that
has been grown on the state demon
stration farms where the clover or
other grass crop either summer Dr.
winter killed. In all forty fields have
been grown during the last five years.
The average yield has been 5184
pounds Of dry hay per acr until last
a which was very u~nfavorable
for this crop and cut the average
yield of these forty fields down to 2516
pounds OF dry hay per acre or ap-
proximately one and one-fourth tons.
The yield of the past season on twelve
fields was 957 pounds or a little less
than one-half ton per acre but this is
equal or superior to any other kind
of hay or clover produced the past
season with the exception of alfalfa.
This hay is, perhaps, superior to
any other form of roughage excepting
we'll cured alfalfa for all kinds of live
stock. 1t is particularly valuable for
dairy COWS. 1t should be cut when the
oats are in the milk or dough stage
and when the peas are nearly ripe. 1t
may be cut with either mower or bind
or particularly if the oats are stiff
strawed 80 as to hold the peas off the
ground. If cut with a binder the hay
is moree easily cured and handled. It
is very seldom that this form of hay
will cause the farmer much bother in
curing. Cut it in the forenoon, rake
into windrows and cock it up in the
afternoon; stack as soon as it is dry
or cut with a binder and shock up i'm
mediately as with any other grain.
The great drawback to the production
of this variety of hay is the high price
of pea seed but this can be overcome
to some extent by the farmers growing
their own seed.
For fattening hogs peas are a very
superior food. They can be used
green as a soiling crop and as a pas
ture crop. The peas will be ripe the
latter part of July or early in August.
A bunch OF spring pigs in such a pas
ture will make excellent gains without
being fed any threshed grain. When
the peas are all gone in September
they should have a field of gehu or
white flint corn to run in. BY this
means the hogs can be fattened sue
cessfully without feeding much if any
threshed grain and they will be ready
for market before cold weather sets in
in the fall.
Peas not only have an important
part to play on the farm in producing
cheap hay of a fine quality and cheap
feed for the hogs but they are legumes
y like the alfalfa and clover and have
the same ability, only to a lesser de-
gree, of taking the nitrogen from the
air and fixing it in the soil for the
benefit of the cereal crops that are to
follow.
Constipation brings many ailments
in its train and is the primary cause
of much sickness. Keen vOnr howels