American Falls press. [volume] (American Falls, Idaho) 1907-1937, 1913-02-06
GROWING OF THE FIELD PEA
Plant Needs Cool Weather Through
out lts Period Of Growth-AIso
Abundance Of Water.

We can see a good deal Of stir going
on especially among the ranchmen al
the higher attitudes over the field pea
business and it is evident that a largely
increased acreage will be put In this
year. Field peas need cool weather
throughout their period Of growth and
particularly when the pods are filling.
When the field pea blooms in hot
weather the flowers blight and wither
away n but few peas form and this
10 what ais It's cousin, the soy bean.
In this country, writes H. M. Cottrell
In the Denver Field and Farm. With
rich soil. a deep mellow seed bed
n an abundance Of water the field
pes makes In excessive growth Of
vfnes-fve to fifteen feet in length
with few peas but a good hay crop.
With a shallow seed bed, the seed rest
ing on hard ground and the water
supply limited, the vines become
stunted, growing to a height of only
two to three feet and the yield of peas
Ia frequently fifty bushels to the acre.
Experienced growers usually plant
peas on their poor fields as the rich
soils produce vines and not peas.
The Mexican field pea is a mixture
Of large and small peas, gray, green
and white. In the mixture there Ia
generally a considerable per cent Of
small gray peas. These produce poor
ly podded vines with few peas in q
pod and the yield can be considerably
Increased by screening them out before
seeding. Several new varieties as
well as the popular Canadian give
larger yields han the Mexican and
two or three eastern seed companies
are now engaged extensively in grow
Ing them under contract to supply
their trade. The WhippoorwiIl or
southern cowpea will not do at all.
From thirty to sixty pounds of seed
are SOW to the acre but we have al
ways recommended from t~hirty-hve to
forty. Many growers pillow and thor
oughly prepare the ground for the pre-
vious crop, seeding the peas on un-
plowed ground with a grain drill. stop
ping every hole and setting the drill
to seed about three inches deep. This
Is lone to stunt the vines and force
the plants to produce large yields of
peas
The large yields OF peas come from
early seeding. which mean any time
up to the 18th Of April at the higher
attitudes. Seeding In May usually re-
suits In a poor crop and often In total
failure. Some experienced growers
believe that profitable crops of field
peas may be grown at an altitude as
low as 1000 feet, II seeded in February
but Of course this was out of the ques-
ton the present year. because of the
hangover the winter took on. At
such an altitude the pods must form
and the peas set before hot days
arrive. Early seeded peas often freeze
down in seasons of late spring frosts
but they come on again and the yield
Is not dimished.
Field peas are not cultivated. When
literally supplied with water, they
make luxuriant growth of vines bear
Ing few peas and may be cut for
nay; being treated the same as alfal
"a. When grain is wanted the water
supply must be limited and the vines
'tunted. When the vines begin to wilt
during the day from lack Of water but
freshen at night, do not irrigate.
When the appear wilted in the early
morning. apply water. soaking the
thoroughly. Irrigate a second
lime when the peas have again wilted
as previous to the first irrigation.
The rule is to SO apply water as to
the vines and keep down the
to two or three feet and force
I heavy setting of peas.