The Julesburg grit-advocate., 1915-02-11
LET SEDGWICK COUNTY TRY
FIELD PEAS
Great Hog Industry Il One Result Of
Mistake
(By Arthur Cllapman)

(By Arthur Chapman)
About ten years ago farmer in the
San Luis valley made mistake which
now is adding millions every year to
CoIorado's live stock industry.
The ranchman had planted common
field peas in one of his fields. to re-
plenish the soil, which had been sap
ped by repeated crops of grain. The
peas. which he intended to pillow under
when they were green, In order that
the soil might get the benefit of the
nitrogen which that crop contains. go.
away from him and grew to full size.
the vines being covered with ripe peas.
When the ranchman realized his mis-
take he resolved to get rid of the peas
in the easiest and quickest fashion
and, to that end, turned his hogs into
the field
They were not overly fat hogs when
they were turned into the field of peas.
They showed their appreciation of the
ranchman's generosity by eating the
field peas. vines and all. The peas that
were trampled into the ground they
rooted" out In genuine hog fashion
and there il nothing better for hog
than to have to root for his food When
the ranchman again returned to his
field. in the course Of few days he
was astonished at the difference In the
appearance Of his hogs. They had
gained an almost Incredible amount OF
weight, and the ranchman was shrewd
eaoagh TO realise that his ''ni6eake''
was in reality ooiag 10 prove the bssis
OF . great yia1nstry. His hogs brought
the top of the market, and there came
a request for more like them. There
was peculiar flavor to the meat which
people liked.
More field peas were planted, and
sheep as we'll rs hogs we're fattened
on them. The sheep did as well as the
hogs. Such was the start of the pea
feeding industry in the San Luis valley
which today has grown to enormous
proportions.
Barley is sometimes sown with field
peas for the finishing food for Colo-
radios hog de luxe. Colorado barley is
exceptionally hard. and is one of the
finest finishing products in the world
Agricultural experts at Fort Collins
have been preaching its virtues for
years.
Now that the possibilities Of the field
pea have been shown, these experts
are devoting some attention to Bur-
banking that product 1t has been
proved that it is possible to grow,
through certain processes of selection,
field peas which dwarf the present va
riety-peas which will yield from Is
to 100 bushels of shelled peas to the
acre. In fact the common field pea
that is now known is only feeble
imitation of the article that can be
produced. Also it has been proved that
the field pea makes land richer and
more fertile, owing to the fact that
it is one Of the plants that can draw
nitrogen from the air and store it at
its roots. Two crops Of peas are guar
anteed to restore any acreage depleted
by successive grain 0rops.
1t has been proved, also, that field
peas do not do well in moist climates.
That is why Colorado has deathless
hold on this industry of fattening hogs.
sheep and cattle on finishing food
which is cheap to plant and requires
little or no cultivation and is fed with
out being harvested.
Colorado has more wonder-stories of
industry than any other state in the
national sisterhood, but when the final
chapter of the final story is written, IT.
is a question If anything will loom
with greater distinctness than the tale
of the San Luis hog raiser. who made a
mistake" that put millions of dollars
into the pockets of his fellow farmers.
Denver Times.
-O-