GREY ROUNCIVAL OR DUTCH PEA 415 



Partridge. — An early prolific variety of good quality, and suit- 

 able for growing in late districts. 



The stems are soft, and usually about 4 feet long with broad 

 leaflets. The pods often grow in pairs, each containing from 

 five to seven roundish seeds of a pale brown colour beautifully 

 speckled with small darker spots and lines. 



Grey Maple. — ^This variety has speckled seeds like those of 

 the Partridge variety, but larger ; it is adapted to the better kinds 

 of soil in districts with mild climate. 



Grey Rouncival or Dutch Pea. — A very late field pea with 

 very long ' straw ' and large dun-coloured wrinkled seeds. The 

 stems are often 7 or 8 feet long, and the pods generally grow in 

 pairs and contain five or six seeds. This variety is only suited 

 to light soils in early districts. 



Soil. — Peas give the most satisfactory yield of seeds upon 

 soils of a medium or somewhat inferior character. In all cases 

 it is necessary that the ground should contain a considerable pro- 

 portion of lime. Upon good rich soils or those of a peaty and 

 damp character the stems and leaves grow too long and become 

 laid : the crop then yields few peas. 



In cases where the ground is comparatively rich, but not stiff 

 enough to yield a good crop of beans, a mixture of beans and 

 peas at the rate of i|- bushels of the latter to 2^ of the former 

 often gives good results. The stiff erect bean stems act as sup- 

 ports for the luxuriant weak stems of the peas, and the latter are 

 enabled to secure an adequate amount of light and air for seed 

 production. 



Sowing. — The seed is best sown in February or March in drills 

 at a distance of 14 or 18 inches apart and 2 to 3 inches deep : the 

 amount needed is 2 to 4 bushels per acre according to the size of 

 the individual seeds. On very clean ground the seed is occasion- 

 ally sown broadcast at the rate of 4 or 5 bushels per acre. 



Yield. — Peas are one of the most uncertain of farm crops, only 

 one crop out of every three or four being satisfactory. The yield 

 on the best soils adapted to the crop averages about 30 or 35 

 bushels of seed and about a ton of straw per acre, but on unsuitable 

 soils in bad seasons the yield of seed may be practically nothing. 



Composition. — Peas are slightly less nitrogenous than beans, 

 but they contain more soluble carbohydrates and less ' fibre ' 

 than the latter. 



