THE FIELD PEA. 



403 



THE FIELD PEA 



516. Origin and Description. The field pea or Canadian 

 field pea, Pisum arvense, is a native of the region north of 

 the Mediterranean Sea, and the latter name has been given to 

 it simply because the plant is of more importance in Canada 

 than elsewhere in America. It differs little in appear- 

 ance from the common garden pea, except that the vines are 

 larger and more vigorous than 

 most varieties of the garden pea, 

 and the flowers are usually pale 

 purple or violet instead of white. 

 The vines reach a length of sev- 

 eral feet; some varieties branch 

 quite freely. The pods, which 

 are long and straight, contain 

 several white or blue peas. 



617. Importance of the Crop. 

 Field peas are most largely 

 grown in the states along the 

 Canadian border, and in Colo- 

 rado; one of the most important 

 districts is the San Luis Valley 

 in the latter state. In Ontario 

 and other portions of Canada 

 the field pea is much more generally grown than in the 

 United States. In the Northern states and in Canada, 

 peas are usually grown in combination with oats or barley 

 for hay, though they are also grown alone for the seed. 



518. Methods of Growing. The usual method of grow- 

 ing peas is to sow from 1 to 2 bushels of seed to the acre with 

 a bushel of barley or oats, the grain furnishing a support for 

 the pea vines and making them easier to harvest. The 



Fig. 125. Branch of field pea with 

 pods and flowers. 



