20 PEAS AND PEA CULTURE 



the soil has a favorable action on the crop, one in- 

 stance being recorded where the yield on the peas 

 was double. Electricity was provided by means of 

 upright rods placed in the ground and a network 

 of wire connecting them below, in the soil. 



Cultivation. — No after-cultivation is expected 

 when field peas are broadcasted in the usual cus- 

 tom of growing field peas. However, in case land 

 is badly infested with weeds or grass, drilling in 

 rows is sometimes practiced so that cultivation can 

 be given to destroy foul growth. Soil moisture 

 has an important relation to cultivation, and it is 

 interesting to note the conclusion of King^ on the 

 amount of water required to produce a pound of 

 dry matter. For peas it required 477 pounds of 

 water to produce one pound dry matter. This may 

 be compared with 564 pounds for clover, 301 pounds 

 for corn, 375 pounds for barley, and 515 pounds for 

 oats. 



If cultivation is resorted to it should be shallow. 

 Experiments by Rotmistrov^ were conducted to 

 show the vertical and lateral distribution of roots. 

 The season's average growth of peas was 92 centi- 

 meters^" vertically, and 104 centimeters laterally. 

 Corn roots measured 113 centimeters vertically and 

 134 laterally, while rye grew 118 and 60 

 respectively. 



Harvesting. — Harvest field peas when the ma- 

 jority of the pods have matured and when vines are 

 beginning to turn yellow. The scythe is sometimes 

 used to mow the peas, in which case they are later 



Wis. Exper. Sta. Annual Rpt., 1892. 

 ' E. S. R., Vol. 20. 

 "A centimeter is slightly over one-third of an inch. 



