Yerington times. [volume] (Yerington, Nev.) 1907-1932, 1913-04-12
FIELD PEAS.
AS Fertilizer and Beef Maker They
Are in a Class of Their Own.

paper on uses OF leguminous forage
plants, and | would like to discuss here
just one of the great family-the one
of course ! consider the most import
ant-namely, field peas; and | will say
at the start that this one is by far the
greatest of the great family. Field
peas have dual mission to perform
for the ranchman, being often plowed
under when about half grown, and Ill
this way made use of as one OF the
greatest fertilizers, especially in the
arid west where their nitrogen pro-
ducing vines are so much needed in the
dry. mostureless soil But it is as a
forage plant that their great uses are
found, being grown in this connection
for either soiling, grazing or hay. and
in each form producing far more meat
producing feed, and of a better quality
than any other crop known, not ex-
cepting alfalfa or corn. Now, as
the probable value OF a man, or horse,
or plant, for the future should be
measured by their record in the past
| will relate a few instances that are
now agricultural history: A couple OF
centuries ago when the old Spanish
Padres first taught the real wild men
of this country the rudiments OF agri-
culture, they found vast district up
near the headwaters of the Rio
Grande. which, titled even in their
primitive way, returned astonishing
yields of wheat; SO blest were their
labors that these old missionaries are
said to have referred to the district
as the Canaan of the New World. and
called it after one of their most be-
loved Saints-San Louis Valley Hap
nd cd ba
until the gold fever broke out in Cal
ifornia and brought its stream OF adj
venturers. then came i'll quick success
sion. settlement, change of govern
ment, and ownership by the modern
American. Now your modern Ameri-
can is seldom an economist and nearly
always loves to strain his own private
bank account exhaust his countrys
soil. denude the nations forests, or
burn the grass off the public range; so
he raised wheat year after year iii San
Louis until one day he received no.
tice from his soil Bank, NO Funds"
The great treasury was bankrupt the
soil refused to produce more wheat
Then panic ensued homes fell to
ruin, elevators and mills. unused and
neglected, went to rum and decay, and
whole towns were depopulated land
with good improvements on sold for
so cents an acre. Then one day
Frenchman appeared (have you ever
noticed how regularly a Frenchman
appears in American history to blaze
tree along the trail of Human Pro-
gress?) in the ancient Christian cap
ital OF America. the sacred city of
Santa Fe He was dying. doctors
said. of consumption. but he had lit
tie money, and soon had bargain
made to buy a quarter section of land,
at 50 cents an acre. and the legend
says while the papers were being writ
ten the willy seller slipped in three or
four other quarter sections Well,
there was one thing of which the
Prodigal could not rob Sunny Sar
Louis that was climate; and so til,
perverse Frenchman refused to die. bu
instead went to work, planted field
peas. trick he learned in Alsace-
Lorraine. fed them to hogs, paid for
his land and grew wealthy His
neighbors took heart. followed his ex
ample and in ten years, San Louis Val
lev was the most famous district in
America-for its meat products. You
NAV well ask, why the most famous"
And that brings us to another story.
Armour Packing Company put up one
certain brand of bacon that was
praised by the Ward McAllister of all
hogs. as the only few entitled by royal
decree to parade as the top notch of
Porcine Aristocracy. To qualify for
this class there were found in all the
land only three hogs in every one
thousand; the good quality OF the
meat is only legend, as my courage or
my coin never brought me to the
place OF making true test; but
after the pea-fed pork of San
Louis reached the Chicago market,
the ratio was changed to such
a remarkable degree that eighty
three out of every one hundred
sizable hogs qualified for Armours
excelsior brand of bacon Now isn't
this food for thought? But soon the
Colorado packers awoke to their OPP
portunity and agreed to pay one cent
a pound premium. over Chicago
market quotations. for all hogs fatten-
ed on field peas And this agreement
| believe, is in effect today.
| am shamefully intruding on your
space or | would be tempeted to detail
the experience of the Kingdom of
Denmark: of how 50 years ago Irish
bacon" and Limerick hams" set the
standard for the worlds perfection of
pork products, and how the 'Mullingar
Butter" was as much the hallmark of
perfection for European countries as
"Elgin Creamery" is for the United
States today OF how Denmark was
at the mercy of the meat producing
countries-not producing herself over
five per cent of the meat she consumed
OF how the Danish government ap-
pointed ROYAL Commission to inves-
tieate and it possible find remedy
OF how the Commission reported rec
commended the growing of field peas.
and that the government furnish free
seed. and how in one decade after the
findings of the Commission were pub
lished, Denmark had superseded Ire
land as the greatest producer of first