BREEDING AND SEED IMPROVEMENT / 



inches deep. Harvesting- is done when the larger 

 portion of vines and pods have turned yellow. A 

 mower with bunching attachment is the approved 

 harvester, although science has now provided a 

 special pea-harvesting machine which does excellent 

 work. Peas are thrashed in an ordinary grain sepa- 

 rator, blank concaves being substituted for the 

 regulation ones. It is not uncommon for a machine 

 to thrash out 1,000 bushels daily. Peas may be 

 stored in granaries or taken to the market. Many 

 farmers find it to their advantage to grow on their 

 own hook without any contract with seed dealers. 

 The Scotch green pea is a leader in this section of 

 Wisconsin. 



In 1909 Lake county, S. D., alone had an acreage 

 around 3,000 acres garden peas which were raised 

 for seed purposes. The preceding season an eastern 

 seed company went into the county and interested 

 the farmers in the crop. The company furnished 

 the seed and contracted with farmers to pay them 

 $i a bushel at the station for the crop. An over- 

 seer was furnished by the company and he gave 

 advice as to cultural methods, manner of harvesting, 

 marketing, etc. The yield was irregular, running 

 from five to 20 bushels to the acre. Farmers con- 

 sidered the results disappointing, and many took up 

 other lines. One of the special drawbacks reported 

 was the great number of weeds that infested the 

 fields. On land that was fairly well prepared before 

 seeding, peas grew nicely until they had reached 

 full height. Then the weeds began to catch up with 

 them, and soon had outgrown them. When harvest 

 arrived, one could hardly tell without close exam- 

 ination, whether it was a crop of peas or weeds in 



