FORAGE PLANTS OF THE FAMILY LEGUMINOS^E 



199 



tious, although it has a bitter taste due to its cumarin content. Fresh 

 sweet clover has the following composition: water 77.0 per cent., ash 1.8 

 per cent., protein 3.9 per cent., crude fiber 6.9 per cent., nitrogen-free 

 extract 9.4 per cent, and ether extract (fat) 0.6 per cent. Sweet clover 

 hay contains water 7.7 per cent., ash 7.5 per cent., protein 13.3 per cent., 

 crude fiber 26.9 per cent., nitrogen-free extract 42.6 per cent, and ether 

 extract 2.1 per cent. It has been determined that the value of sweet-clover 

 hay is almost double that of timothy and inter- 

 mediate between red clover and alfalfa. 



Field Pea (Pisum sativum var. arvense). The 

 field pea also called the Canadian field pea (Fig. 

 84) differs slightly from the garden pea (P. sativum) 

 (Fig. 85). They have violet flowers and small gray, 

 or buff seeds, which are rather angular, but not 

 wrinkled, while garden peas have white flowers and 

 whiter, more globular seeds, which may be either 

 smooth, or wrinkled. The field pea has hollow, 

 sparingly branched stems, two to five feet long 

 with leaves bearing two, or three pairs of leaflets, 

 one, or two inches long and ending in one or more 

 pairs of tendrils and a long median tendril. There 

 are present leafy stipules. Two, or more flowers 

 are borne in the axils of the leaves on flower 

 stalks shorter than the leaves. The legume is 

 finally flat, many-seeded and from two to four 

 inches long. The seeds are smooth, hard and 

 rather, angular and gray-green, gray-yellowish, or 



gray dotted with purple, blue, rust-red, or brownish Food - Farmers' Bulletin 



i2i, 1900, p. 13.) 

 spots. 



Cultivation and Harvesting. The plant is adapted to growth in 

 climates with a cool growing season, as in Canada, Michigan and Wiscon- 

 sin. The yield in Canada is from thirty-five to forty bushels and in the 

 above states sixteen bushels per acre. Any soil, that will raise oats, will 

 raise field peas. Sandy soils are better than clay soils. The pea has a 

 high germinating power and will start at quite a low temperature. The 

 seeds should be sown, as early, as possible in the spring, and hence, sandy 

 soils permit the adoption of this principle of sowing. Peas should be 

 sown deeply and broadcast. A disk harrow should be used to cover the 



FIG. 85. Pods of 

 garden pea (Pisum 

 sativum) . (After A bel, 

 Mary H.: Beans, Peas 

 and other Legumes as 



