138 SOILING CROPS AND THE SILO. 



not so pronounced as at a later period. It should be 

 remembered that at the period of early bloom the 

 plants have not nearly reached that stage when they 

 possess a maximum of nutrition. The feeding may 

 be continued until the crop is nearly mature. Any 

 residue not wanted for green food may be cut and 

 cured for hay. When the major portion of the pods 

 contain peas more than half grown, the crop is ready 

 for being cut for hay. It may also be harvested for 

 the grain as soon as one-half, or more than that, of 

 the pods are fully ripe. The ripening of the pods, 

 as with the common field pea, is more or less uneven. 



The cutting on a large scale is commonly done 

 with a field mower. But when the crop is not in 

 any way supported by another crop sown along with 

 it, the mower very frequently leaves more or less 

 of the peas uncut. The pea harvester will do the 

 work of cutting much more cleanly and economically. 

 Because of the difficulty of handling the crop when 

 feeding it green, there is a disposition on the part of 

 many to allow the stock to do the harvesting. The 

 waste resulting is not all loss, since the soil is 

 enriched more or less when the waste is buried 

 with the plow. 



As in feeding other green foods, this crop may 

 be fed on a pasture, in a paddock, in sheds or stables, 

 in fact, wherever it is most convenient. 



