232 THE FORAGE AND FIBER CRO1 3 S IN AMERICA 



United States they have been less largely grown. For this pur- 

 pose they are less extensively grown in the United States than 

 are field beans or cowpeas. Michigan and Wisconsin raise 

 field peas most extensively, the average yield in 1899 being 

 about 16 bushels per acre. In Canada 35 and 40 bushels per 

 acre are reported in individual instances. The legal weight per 

 bushel in Canada and in the United States is 60 pounds. 



For soiling, dry forage, or mixed grain, field peas mixed with 

 oats are grown in relatively small quantities. (C. A., 405) 

 They deserve, in the northern portions of the United States 

 and throughout Canada, a wider use for this purpose. Owing 

 to the ravages of the pea weevil, the acreage of field peas in 

 Canada in recent years has become greatly reduced. (280) 



278. Adaptation. Any soil that will raise oats will raise 

 field peas, although like other legumes, field peas will do best 

 on calcareous soils. Sandy soils are better than clay soils. 

 Those cool, moist climates in which oats find their best devel- 

 opment are also best for field peas. Artificial inoculation has 

 not ordinarily been found necessary, but the Alabama Station 

 found in pots an increase of 200 per cent, in yield of vines 

 through inoculation as compared with plants in which no inocu- 

 lation occurred. 1 



279. Seeding. The pea has a high germinating power, and 

 will germinate at quite a low temperature. In order to get the 

 largest amount of growth possible in the coolest and moistest 

 portions of the year, the seeds should be sown as early in the 

 spring as the soil will permit. One reason sandy soils are 

 better than clay soils is that the former permit earlier sowing. 

 For the same reason fall plowing is desirable. 



Peas do best when sown quite deeply. If sown broadcast, cov- 

 ering with a disk harrow or by light plowing is recommended. 

 Usually, perhaps, the ordinary grain drill is preferable, pro- 



1 Alabama Sta. Bui. No. 87 (1897), p. 472. 



