PROCEEDINGS OF THE WINTER MEETING. 25 



the farmers generally it has been beneficial and rather profitable. I 

 have grown a few acres every year. The first year I had eight acres, last 

 year about four, and the profit per acre, above all expenses, was |25. Of 

 course, we are out nothing; w^e get the seed from the canning factory and 

 we don't pay anything down for it, and when w^e settle up this is taken 

 out. There is no investment except the farmer's labor and the use of the 

 land. Last year I sowed, I think it was the 17th of April, and the 17th of 

 June I brought in a load of green peas. In sixty days I got my $25 per 

 acre. Not later than the 25th of June, everything was harvested and I had 

 my money. It really has been, as a rule, quite profitable. Some of the 

 farmers in this vicinity have made considerable more. I think the maxi- 

 mum runs up to $45 or |60 per acre, net; but this was medium soil of 

 mine; the soil had been run somewhat when I got the farm, and it was 

 rather a light soil for peas. 



Mr. Morrill: What is the best variety? 



Mr. Brassington: The best variety, taking into consideration the 

 bearing qualities and canning qualities, is Perfection. It yielded the best 

 with me, and they liked it best at the factory. 



Mr. Morrill: Is it a dwarf or half -dwarf? 



Mr. Brassington: It would come under the head of half-dwarf; it is a 

 little taller than either Little Gem or American Wonder. It does not 

 fall down at all, and bears more pods than any other variet3^ I tested 

 six of the leading varieties, including American ^Vonder and French 

 Canning, and this pea carried more pods than any of them and yielded 

 more per acre. 



Mr. Morrill: Are they subject to any difficulty liere? A. Not the 

 least. 



Mr. Morrill: Subject to insect depredations? A, Not an}'. 



Mr. Morrill: Have you tried to raise seed? 



Mr. Brassington: I tried to raise seed a year ago. I sowed the seed 

 last year, and found that there were many little holes in it, so I started 

 a little patch, and not more than one quarter of the seed grew. 



Mr. Morrill: You can treat your seed with bi-sulphate of carbon, 

 otherwise I think you industry heie will be injured. 



Mr. Brassington : The canning people get their seed from the northern 

 portion of the state where they are very free from the bug and blight. 



Mr. Rice: Do you sow in drills? 



Mr. Brassington: No. I sowed broadcast and then took a. spading 

 harrow and went over it thoroughly (the object of the sjjading harrow 

 w^as to prevent the peas rolling into furrow), and then I plowed them 

 under, five inches deep. The great difficult}- I experienced last year was 

 from frost. I sowed quite early (I think it was the lOth of April) and that 

 heavy frost in May hurt my crops. 



Mr. ^lorrill: Such a feeling as that is very exceptional. How about 

 the harvesting? 



Mr. Brassington: That is quite a j^'oblem. Of course, it is expensive, 

 if vou have to mow them by hand or rake them ofl'; but there is a better 

 way that is generally practiced here — to smooth the ground with a 

 smoother, or roll it thoroughh, and then mow it with a mowing machine; 

 still, in a dry season, I think that does harm, as it has a tendency to make 

 4 



