The Bozeman courier. (Bozeman, Mont.) 1919-1954, 1927-03-11
Raising Beams and Peas is
Proving Profitable industry

Clarks Fork country with it's cool climate
offers the best possible environment for
the raising of vigorous seed. The fact that
there is as yet no invasion Of the local
territory by the pea weevil is another i'm
portant reason why the eastern Gamers Of
Minnesota, Wisconsin and Illinois prefer
the Montana grown seed. Besides the local
section, much seed is also raised in the
Gallatin country and in several other Sec
tiOns Of the Rocky mountains, with similar
conditions.
Do Not Deplete Land
In addition to the favorable financial
returns, farmers have regarded the rails
ing Of peas as good practice because they
do not deplete the land while the pea
for feed. Turkeys have also been turned
In TO pick up the loose peas. Some farm
erS in the Big Hole basin have been rails
ing garden peas for fattening stock, plac-
ing lambs in the fields and later turning
in hogs and poultry to clean up what the
lambs have left. 1t is said that more pork,
lamb and poultry can be produced by
weight to the acre from peas than any
other form Of feed.
The seed companies furnish the growers
with seed and every effort is made to keep
the different varieties true to type. One of
the important tasks is the rOgueing of the
fields which is done under the supervision
Of an expert who picks out all blooms
which do not belong to the particular type.
In threShing, again, great care is used to
keep the different varieties separate. When
ever there Is a change from one field to
another, the threshing machine is cleaned
and the first five sacks are kept separate
and handled in a different manner to pre-
vent mixing. Most Of the peas raised here
are Of the perfection or Alaskan types.
Planted In April
The peas are planted about the middle
of April and are harvested about the last
Of July. The peas are drilled in after
the ground is prepared and the ground is
not again cultivated. AS the work of irri-
cation is the only additional expense until
harvest. the cost of raising the peas is not
as great as with many irrigated crops.
After the peas are harvested. they are
put through cleaning mills and then hand
picked. Each Of the stations has about &c
men and women engaged in this work
which includes the taking out Of ali broken
ana on variety peas as well as foreign
matter.
The Great Western Seed company sup.
plies seed to canning companies of Wis.
cOnSin, Minnesota and Illinois, and these
companies in turn distribute the seeds tt
the growers who raise peas under cOntracr
for the canneries. The Roach Seed com
ipany supplies a group Of canneries il
Idaho and Utah. The BeartOOth Seed com
pany, of which A. e. Platz is president, il
an independent company which has sup
piled both the cannery and the seedhous
trade.
Gray & Gray last year contracted abou
1000 acres, in raising seed for Barthelde
company. The acreage planted by eacI
farmer varied from a few acres upward, tn
average being about 20 acres.
On certain farms, the return was as higI
as from $40 to $100 an acre although tn
average was considerably less. The com
pany furnishes the seed to insure pur
strains and also the bags and when tn
crop is weighed in pays a set price pc
pound which last year was approximate
hye cents. The beans are harvested earl
in September. The cleaning has been don
by arrangement with the Billings Ware
house and Trading company.
Garden Trade Heavy
The biggest trade is with market gal
deners. Three carloads of one variety wei
recently shipped to Texas to a markC
gardener at San Bonita, Texas, and man
OF the orders are from that district, II
Burpee stringless and the Giant stringleS
are the two varieties for which there
the largest demand.
A large order Of $4,000 pounds of La
!. tonian peas was recently shipped to En-
land by way Of Seattle and the Panam
canal. Several other shipments Of this tyr
Of pea have recently been made to En-
land. There is also a considerable mark
for MarrOwfat peas.
Gray Il Gray, who are also engaged
marketing commercial peas in addition
seed beans and peas, have handled abO1
I'D carloads of Mexican Reds, a bean usC
- largely in making chill products. OF the
four or five carloads were raised ne.
Hardin.
The seed beans are raised in Yelloy
stone and Carbon county including Belfr
Roberts and Billings Bench. NJ. B. Ora
who is associated with his daughter, Dor
thy NJ. Gray, in the firm, has raised Sc
in this section for II years, having be-
connected for many years with NOrthu
hlng Seed company.
The Red Lodge Cannery
Through the Red Lodge Canning col
pany. beginnings were made last year
securing an additional local market (
the raising Of market beans and peas
well as other vegetables. It is estimat
that there was nearly 100000 worth
vegetables marketed to the cannery inclu
ing green and wax beans, cabbage a
carrots in addition to peas.
Tn cannery contracted 500 acres for
first year and expects to increase {
amount to 1000 acres next year includi