136 FIELD AND GARDEN PRODUCTS 



Horseweed (Erigeron canadensis). A bristly, hairy, erect, wand- 

 like, annual with numerous heads of small, dirty white flowers, 

 growing in waste lands and along roadsides; this has been reported 

 valuable as sheep fodder in the arid regions of New Mexico and 

 Arizona; horses like it. 



Cabbage (Brassica oleracea). An annual or biennial plant, 

 indigenous to various parts of Europe and widely cultivated as a 

 vegetable throughout the world. Cabbage is largely grown as a 

 crop for soiling, and as a stable food in late autumn is far superior to 

 turnips. It has been estimated that the crude protein of an acre of 

 cabbage amounts to about 1,500 pounds. Where cabbages are grown 

 as a commercial crop the waste leaves, trimmings, and heads that 

 are under grade or fail to mature can be used to advantage in fat- 

 tening sheep or young cattle. California Greasewood (Allenrol- 

 fea occidentalis} . The California greasewood occurs from northern 

 Nevada and Utah to western Texas and southern California; like 

 the common greasewood it is one of the characteristic black-alkali 

 plants. It was found growing in the San Joaquin Valley on a heavy, 

 yellowish clay soil containing from 27,320 to 194,760 pounds of 

 total salts per acre-foot. This greasewood is grazed in winter and 

 adds to the value of the pasturage at that season of the year. Camote 

 del monte (Peteria scoparia). A low, shrubby legume 2 to 3 feet 

 high, rather abundant in the mountains west of the Pecos River; 

 it has small, edible tubers which are eaten by hogs. Canadian 

 Blue Field Pea (Pisum arvense). There are many varieties of the 

 field pea in cultivation, showing conclusively that it is one of the 

 oldest forage plants, and yet it has not been brought to the atten- 

 tion of American farmers as largely as it deserves. In Canada the 

 acreage is about the same as that of winter wheat. Much of the 

 success of the Canadian farmers in fattening beef and pork for ex- 

 port is due to their extensive use of pea hay and oat hay and pea meal. 

 The field pea is adapted to cultivation in the northern tier of 

 States, from New England to Washington. It is sown in early 

 spring at the proper time for seeding grain, using from 1 to l 1 /^ 

 bushels of peas and an equal quantity of either oats, wheat, or bar- 

 ley. The crop is ready to cut for hay when the dominant variety 

 in the mixture is nearly ripe. If there are more peas than grain, 

 then the yellowing of the pea vines and pods marks the proper time 

 for cutting, or if the oats exceed the peas the mixture should be cut 

 when the grains are in the dough stage. For a seed crop the peas 

 are grown alone. They are not suitable for cultivation in the Middle 

 or Southern States, because of the ravages of a vine mildew which 

 affects the yield of forage and seed. It requires a long, cool sea- 

 son, with gradually increasing heat toward the time of maturity. 

 According to average analyses, 100 pounds of Minnesota-grown pea 

 hay contained 12.4 pounds of crude protein and 66.2 pounds of fat 

 and carbohydrates. Of this, 7.6 pounds of protein and 41.5 pounds 

 of the carbohydrates were digestible, giving a nutritive ratio of 1 

 to 5.7. One hundred pounds of the seeds contained 90.2 pounds 

 of dry matter, of which 80.2 pounds were digestible, having a nu- 



