I.K(.lMI\OUS CROPS. 



577 



should be mown when about half the peas are ripe. A flail or a pitchfork 

 should be used for beating out the seed, and a tarpaulin spread underneath. 

 In dry weather the vines are soon fit for threshing, and it is best to do the 

 work in the Held; carting to a shed causes loss of a quantity of seed. The 

 peas may be cleaned by passing them through a winnower, or, if the quantity 

 is small, by pouring into a bag from a large dish, using the wind to winnow. 

 When growing quantities of seed for sale the peas should be carted from the 

 windrows to a thresher, the drum of which should be set rather open, as the 

 peas readily crack. 



A Type of Pea-harvesting Attachment for the Mower. 



The vetches for 

 numerous tendrils 

 recumbent, and to 



VETCHES AND TARES. 



the most part are slender climbing plants, producing 

 at the ends of the leaves. Their habit of growth is 

 facilitate harvesting they require to be grown with a 

 cereal crop. To most farmers the terms vetches and tares are synonymous, 

 and are used indiscriminately to include all varieties of this crop. Correctly 

 speaking, there is a botanical difference between the tare (Vicia sativa) and 

 the vetch (Vicia villosa). The difference, however, does not seem to be 

 taken into account by the seed merchants, and is therefore of little practical 

 importance. 



Vetches may either be used as a fodder or as a winter green manure. If 

 for the former, they are usually mixed with oats, barley, or rye, and give a 

 heavier yield and a better balanced ration. If as a green manure, they may 

 be sown alone or in a mixture. Such varieties of wheat as Huguenot are to 

 be strongly recommended. The strong and upright growth is better able to 

 support the vetches, and they seem to do better with wheat than with oats. 

 Algerian is the most popular variety of oats, especially along the coast 

 where rust is likely to cause considerable damage. 



t 51797-T 



