LEGUMINOUS PLANTS. 105 



in each pod, the color of the blossoms and the color 

 and shape of the peas. 



In the United States, peas are usually spoken 

 of as "Canada field peas," whatever the variety may 

 be. The term is a misnomer, for many varieties of 

 field peas are grown there which did not originate in 

 Canada (Fig. 14). Under the supervision of the 

 author, more than eighty varieties of field peas were 

 grown at the Ontario experiment station at Guelph 

 in 1893, on ly a ver y few f which were first grown 

 in Canada. The term originated probably in the 

 fact that the earlier importations of seed peas into 

 this country came chiefly from Canada. 



The field pea, as is generally known, is of an 

 upright habit of growth until it reaches a certain 

 hight from the ground, more or less according to 

 the presence or absence of wind and rain. Then it 

 falls over unless sustained by other grain sown along 

 with it, and it completes its growth in a recumbent 

 position. It is this trailing habit of growth that 

 renders it unsuitable for being grown alone to pro- 

 vide pasture for any kind of live stock except swine. 

 And it is because of this habit of growth that the pea 

 is usually sown along with one or the other of the 

 cereals to provide pasture for sheep. 



In Ontario a very large area is sown with peas 

 every year. These are grown chiefly for the grain 

 food which they furnish, but also for the winter fod- 

 der obtained from the straw when cured. And in 

 Ontario and some parts of the United States they 

 are being some\vhat freely grown in combination 

 with other grain to provide soiling food for sum- 

 mer use and fodder in the unthreshed form for win- 

 ter feeding. Peas are also sown along with oats or 



