Ladysmith news-budget. [volume] (Ladysmith, Rusk County, Wis.) 1907-1927, 1913-04-11
RAISING Of PEAS
VALUABLE POINTERS TO FAR
MERS REGARDING THIS
CROP
HOW To- GET THE BEST GRADE
Letter From New Superintendent of
Local Canning Plant

The following is a letter handed
this paper by r. HuXtable, which he
received from w. A. Christensen, OF
Cumberland, who has succeeded
Frank Stare as manager of the 10
cal pea cannery and the plants OF
the same concern, the North WIscon-
sin Canning Co., at Cumberland, Clear
Lake and Almena
Inasmuch as there will be 500 or
more acres in the vicinity Of Lady
smith devoted to the raising of peas
for the local factory this season, we
believe this letter regarding the rails
ing of peas, and also the article on
pea blight, which will be found in an
other column, are worthy of space IN
this paper and we believe our farmer
readers, especially, will find it prof
liable reading.
Dear Sir-In preparing your land
crop which receives no cultivation
after your seeding has been done.
Therefore your land should be ploWed
as deeply as possible. Then disk it
and cross disk it as often as you
possibly can before seeding time, IS
the more you work your land and
the more you break up your land,
the better returns will be received
at the time of maturity.
When your turn comes to seed
your peas, put the disks at least five
to six inches into the ground. This
will give your seed a practical level
sowing of about four inches.
After you are through with the
seeder take your smoothing harrow
and follow the drill, but do not use
a harrow which has not the lever at
tachment to it whereby the harrow
teeth can be thrown back SO as to
drag the top of the ground smooth.
Harrow teeth that set directly into
the ground stir up your seeding
whereby some of your peas are
brought close to the surface of the
ground and naturally in growth you
will have uneven growth of peas,
which will give you uneven quality of
peas.
Should your ground bake, do not
be afraid to take your smoothing har-
row, even though your peas are from
one to four inches in height, and har-
row your piece of ground as straight
lv with the rows of your drill as pos
sible and you will find it will break
your crust without much injury to
the peas.
Give your growers to understand
that we intend to pack quality peas
at your factory this year and i'll or
der to get quality peas, the peas
must be cut when they contain the
greatest amount of water, or just at
the time before they begin their act
of shriveling in the pod. The minute
the pea begins to shrivel it loses
moisture and naturally the farmer
will lose in weight AS soon as the
pea begins to lose moisture it is OF
course not as good a grade of peas
for canning purposes, and therefore
We have our graded schedule in
prices and instead of getting the
highest price paid for peas they re-
ceive the lower schedule and there
fore for the mutual benefit of the
farmer and the factory the peas
should be cut when in the green
state.
Do not promise your grower any
thing that you know the factory can
not fulfill This does not mean that
you shall not give the grower all the
possible help and advice that can
be given him which to your knowl-
edge can be done.
Do not have any of your contract
ors put in a larger seeding than
you know they can handle It one
time, because if the farmer h S not
the facilities of bringing his peas in
when they are ready certain
amount of them will naturally GO
toward the ripened stage and nat
urally the farmer as well as the fac
tory loses by it.
Also give your farmers chance
at the different seeds that we have
for planting, and especially all con
tractors that have over two acres
if you can possibly do SO. This viii
alleviate the chances of having I
total crop failure should weather con
ditions be as they We're last year