Mar. 2, 1920.] Agricultural Gazette of N.S.W. 169 



The Giey field pea is a late variety, with fairly large gi'ey seeds mc^ttled 

 ■\vith brown. It matures with Huguenot wheat and with Algerian oats, and 

 lis the favourite variety for green fodder or green manuring on the coast. 

 It produces more forage than tlie Blue variety, and is also usually quoted at 

 about half the price of the lattei', being at present at about 10s. per bushel. 



The Blue variety is earlier and not such a good fodder sort, but matures 

 "with earlier grains like Thew wheat or Sunrise oats. 



The Canada variety is a small white-seeded kind which matures about the 

 ■same period as the Blue, and is a heavier yielder of fodder. Egyptian or 

 Dun is a large dun-coloured seed, producing a good growth of fodder and is 

 slightly earlier than Gre}'. 



Sowing. 



The Ijest results have been obtained from sowing sufficiently early in 

 •autumn to get a good growth before winter. During ver}' cold weather in 

 the colder districts little growth is made, but although the crop remains 

 practically stationary (except in the warmer climates) it resumes growth in 

 •early spring. As a fodder crop it does not seem to have been very 

 successful if the sowing is delayed till spring. Jn the warmer districts such 

 •as the coast it makes good growth as a rule if sown during April or May, 

 whereps in the tablelands districts it should either be sown ii- February or 

 31 arch, or left till early spring. High temperatures and frost are both 

 injinidus to field peas, not so much in the younger stage as at the flowering 

 and earlv ])oddin£; stages. 



Tiie I'ate of seeding depends on the size of the seed and the fertility 

 of the soil. For broadcasting on moderately fertile soil, from H to 2^ 

 l)ushels are requii-ed — the smaller quantity being used with a small .seeded 

 varipty. On fertile alluvial soil these amounts may be reduced by half a 

 ■bushel, while if sown in the growing maize crop, or with a combination crop 

 like wheat or oats, from g to 1 bushel only will be necessary — the amount of 

 grain being reduced accordingly. If sown in drills these quantities may be 

 still further reduced. 



Peas may be sown fairl}- deeply compared with most other seeds (except 

 on heavy clay soils), e\en ploughing in 4 or 5 inches deep on sandy loams or 

 'light soils — following with a shallow drilling or broadcasting of the cereal if 

 used in combination. 



N ) fertiliser has given such good results with peas as superphosphate 



■'one — from |^ to 1 cwt. being recommended, the smaller quantity in the 



' '^r districts, and the laiger amount on the coast. Thei'e is every reason 



""^^ 'Ueve that better yields of maize and summer crops on the coast will 



from fertilising the pea crop than from directly manuring these crops. 



Harvesting, Utilisation and Yields. 



^^ ^^ sown alone are seldom harvested for hay in this State, partly 

 ■owing t ' 'omewhat greater difficulty in curing the crops, but probably 

 more beca ^ tc ^^^ trouble experienced in mowing such a tangled mass of 

 iodder wi \rdinary mower. Many of the machinery firms in Sydney, 



