130 



LEGUMINOUS CROPS 



% Fig. 72. Mower harvesting peas, with buncher attachment at right. 



matter. Best results are secured on the medium and heavy 

 clay loam soils that do not heat to any great depth and are 

 sufficiently rolling so that the surface water runs off rapidly, 

 Peas do not do well on poor sandy soils or on lands that are 

 low in fertility. On bottom lands and on rich prairie soils 

 the vines grow so luxuriantly that they fail to fruit properly, 

 thus producing low yields. 



Sowing the Seed. All seed should be tested previous 

 to sowing and only seed of strong vitality should be used. 

 Peas can be sown with the seeder or the drill and should be 

 put in as soon as the ground works well in early spring. The 

 drill is to be preferred for seeding as the grower is enabled to 

 plant the peas at a uniform depth, thus covering all seed 

 and encouraging uniform sprouting. Peas should be sown 

 at the rate of from two to three and a half bushels per acre, 

 and covered at a depth of two to five inches, depending 

 upon the nature of the soil. On heavy clays that are 



