American Falls press. [volume] (American Falls, Idaho) 1907-1937, 1915-04-08
PEAS HAVE ADVANTAGE AS SOIL
RENOyATORS ON WHEAT FARMS

Every season the need of a summer
fallow crop becomes more apparent
and every year gains just a little bit
better hearing on the part of grain
farmers. One of the most interesting
and Informative circulars issued by
the State College of Washington was
Popular Bulletin No. SO, by Professor
George Severance, formerly agrono-
mist and now at the head of the agri-
cultural department of the state col
lege:
Field peas have long been a stand
ard crop among the dairymen OF west
ern Washington where the rainfall is
abundant, but very few of the grain
farmers of eastern Washington realize
that they may be grown successfully
in the moister parts of eastern Wash
ington or northern Idaho, or know
their real value. The numerous trials
with field peas on the experiment sta
ton farm at Pullman have seemed to
justify their very general introduction
on the moister soils of the wheat belt.
There are several reasons for intro
ducing this crop. Nearly all the older
wheat soils of Washington are becom-
ing more or less depleted In nitrogen.
This depletion is s~trikingly shown by
the ranker growth and darker color of
grain wherever manure has been
dropped or where an old fence has
been broken up. Like alfalfa and clo-
yer, peas add nitrogen in the soil
through the action of certain bacteria
nodules on the roots of the peas. Upon
the decay of the roots this stored nj
trogen comes into available form for
succeeding crops. Peas have the ad-
soil renovating crop in wheat farm
ing in that they must be grown dur
ing the year of rest from wheat while
clover or alfalfa must Occupy the land
two or three years If grown profita-
bly,. They are inferior to clover and
alfalfa as a humus producing crop
where the tops are removed for the
root system of peas is not nearly SO
extensive as of clover or alfalfa and
will add little if any more humus to
the soil than is broken down in the
soil during their growth.
That the more general introduction
of dairying into our system of agri-
culture would give stability by dis
tributing our risks, helping to main
tain our soil In a high state of fertil-
ity and developing a more intensive
system of agriculture. is generally
recognized, but one of the greatest
drawbacks on most wheat farms is
the shortage of seed during July, Au-
gust and September, ever though al
falfa is grown for pasture. Peas are
unsurapsed as a soiling food for COWS
and will supply this need from about
July / to the midle or later part of
August, after which corn that may be
grown on otherwise idle sumer fall
low will supply extra feed the balance
of the dry period.
Peas grown with oats will produce
heavy yields of hay, rich in protein
and much superior to wheat or oat
hay for cattle, sheep or colts. Peas
resemble alfalfa and clover in feeding
quality, but offer the advantage Of
producing a full crop of hay In about
three months from seeding, while the
land must be set aside TWO years for a
full crop of clover or alfalfa.
Swine production offers exceptional
remuneration to the extent that hogs
may be used to pick up the waste OF
our grain fields, but with no other
provision for summe feed, spring lit
ters will not attain satisfactory size
during one season. If alfalfa pasture
is used to start them on 1t becomes
pretty dry long before the grain fields
are ready to turn into. A patch OF
peas will tide over this period and
keep the pigs growing rapidly. With
a field of corr to turn into for finish
ing in the fall they will go onto the
market in excellent condition.
With land values In many cases
ranging from $75 to 500 per acre, 1t
becomes increasingly important that
we discover some crops that will en-
able US to Ike pthe land producing all
the time. Peas may be grown on the
better parts Of the sumner fallowr
thus aiding in the more complete util-
~ization OF capital invested.