Culture and Utilization of the Field Pea 739 



directions for seeding 



Most growers claim that it is advantageous to plow the land in 

 fall for the field pea, on account of the necessity for early seeding. 

 Spring plowing is siatisfactory if it can be done early, and where 

 the seed is to be broadcasted by hand it is easier to cover it properly 

 on freshly turned land than on plowed land that has been allowed 

 to settle during the winter. Where the ground is plowed in fall 

 it is well to work it with a disk as early as possible in spring and 

 smooth it down after the disk with a drag harrow in case the seed 

 is to be planted with a drill. If one expects to sow the field peas by 

 hand, the ground may be left slightly rough and the seed covered 

 with a disk harrow. Finely pulverized sioil is advantageous for 

 the field pea, but not so necessary for it as for the small grains, 

 since the seed is much larger and the small plant correspondingly 

 stronger. 



An important thing to remember is that the field pea must be 

 planted eai'ly enough to have time, to set its pods before the warm 

 weather of summer arrives. High temperatures are of value to the 

 pea crop only during the ripening period. The young plants are 

 not harmed by light frosts, and even 'as far north as southern 

 Canada the seed can be planted during the latter part of April 

 and the first of May. 



The rate of seeding must be varied according to the size of the 

 seed. In New York, small-seeded varieties like the Golden Vine 

 should be sown at the rate of II/2 to 2 bushels to the acre; for 

 those with medium-sized seeds, 2 to 21^^ bushels: for the large- 

 seeded varieties, like the Marrowfat, 3 to 31/2 bushels of seod are 

 required. For a mixture with oats, the relative proportions should 

 be 1 bushel of peas to l^/^ or 2 bushels of oats. 



The field pea is best sown with a grain drill, and if either a 

 ho<3 drill or a disk drill is available it should be used in preference 

 to broadcasting the seed by hand. In clay loam a depth of two 

 inches is best, while in sandy soils a deeper covering is to be pre- 

 ferred. Where a grain drill is not available, peas may be sown 

 broadcast and covered with a disk or drag harrow. Care must be 

 used to see that the feed in the drill does not crack the seed. For 

 sowing peas, a drill in which the amount of seed delivered is con- 



