404 FIELD CROPS 



growth of peas is also better and they are less troubled with 

 such diseases as mildew when they have some support. 

 The seed is drilled in on well prepared land as early in the 

 spring as the ground can be worked. As the seed is much 

 larger than that of the grains, it can be sown more satisfac- 

 torily separately than in a mixture, and the grain can be 

 added by going over the field a second time. The common 

 practice, however, is to sow the two at one operation. The 

 use of the grain drill is desirable in order to get the seed 

 covered to the proper depth. After the seed is sown, no 

 further treatment is required until harvest time. 



519. Making and Feeding the Hay. Field peas should 

 be cut for hay when the pods are filling but before any of 

 them are ripe. At this time the grain with which they are 

 sown should also be in the proper stage for hay. The crop 

 can be cut with the ordinary mower or with a mower with 

 buncher attachment. Curing in the cock is preferable to 

 long curing in the swath, for raking after the pods are dry 

 is likely to result in the loss of much of the seed. The curing 

 of the hay is not different from that of similar hay crops. 

 The hay can be fed to stock of all kinds. In the San Luis 

 Valley in Colorado, it is very largely used in the feeding of 

 sheep. Grain and pea hay is excellent for dairy cows and 

 for young, growing stock. Its feeding value depends to some 

 extent on the proportion of peas and of grain, but it is richer 

 than grain hay alone. Pea vines are about equal in feeding 

 value to clover hay. 



520. Other Uses of Field Peas. Peas and oats or peas 

 and barley make excellent pasture for cattle, sheep, and hogs, 

 particularly if the stock is not turned in until the plants have 

 made a good growth. Hogs and sheep will make large gains 

 and there will be little waste if the crop is allowed to mature 

 before the stock is pastured on it. This combination crop 



