FIELD PEAS 151 



soil for peas is a porous moist clay loam. They will 

 not do well in wet lands. Sandy loams are good, 

 provided there is an abundance of moisture. Good 

 preparation should be given the soil previous to 

 seeding. Fall-plowed land is the best. They are 

 most frequently planted in combination with oats. 

 In a general way two bushels of oats and one bushel 

 of field peas are used to the acre. These may be 

 mixed before seeding and sown broadcast or with 

 a drill. The best results are obtained by sowing 

 the two crops separately. The peas are scattered 

 over the land and disked in to a depth of 3 or 4 

 inches. Following this at once, or shortly after, 

 should come the oats either in the grain drill or by 

 hand and broadcasted. 



The peas will stand a greater depth than the oats 

 and do better if covered 3 or 4 inches deep. The 

 two crops in combination work excellently. The oats 

 give the peas support that they need and the peas 

 add nitrogen to the soil and through the bacteria 

 supply much that they need for their own growth. 

 When oats and peas are grown as a dual crop the 

 harvesting is about the time the oats are in the milk. 

 As a hay it is both appetizing and nutritious and as 

 a food for dairy cows is unsurpassed. In many 

 dairy sections the custom prevails of seeding each 

 spring a small acreage to oats and peas to get an 

 early soiling crop. When the crop reaches a 

 height of a couple of feet daily cuttings are made 

 and these are given to the cows as green forage. If 

 the clover or alfalfa crops are available or the pas- 

 ture is ready before all of the oats and peas are 

 used up it is customary to cut the remaining part 

 and use as hay. 



FLAX. — In this country flax is grown primarily 



