Peas 1495 



soils the pea crop may not be desirable, owing to the fact that it 



produces a rank vine growth and a limited pod formation. Con- 

 trasted with this are the light sandy soils which do not produce 

 enough vine hut do produce small pods in large quantities. A 

 good example of adaptability of varieties may be shown by citing 

 an instance. In southwestern New York State the cannery de- 

 mands a late type of peas. Men growing peas on the hillsides on 

 slit and clay loams were making from twenty to forty dollars per 

 acre, whereas men growing the same variety of peas on river- 

 washed gravel were actually losing ten dollars per acre. The 

 latter soil was unfit for late pea production hut would produce 

 good crops of extra early peas. 



ROTATION 



As a rule, peas should be rotated each year. Where they are 

 raised for canning, the peas should follow sweet corn or potatoes, 

 or some other cultivated crop, because there will be a tendency 

 toward a smaller production of weeds. It has always been no- 

 ticed where wheat follows peas that the wheat crop is increased. 

 In the garden, peas could be rotated with root crops or with other 

 crops of a different nature. Combinations for rotation will 

 easily suggest themselves to any thinking person. 



FERTILIZERS 



With peas, nitrogen and humus may be oversupplied, and it is 

 necessary to be careful not to use large quantities of stable man- 

 ure with this crop. Potash and phosphoric acid are never over- 

 supplied. It has been found that wood ashes and well composted 

 hen manure will give very good results. It is advisable not to 

 mix these substances any length of time before applying. Better 

 apply each separately. A good fertilizer for this crop is 350 to 

 500 pounds per acre of a fertilizer containing one per cent, nitro- 

 gen, six to eight per cent, phosphoric acid, and five to seven per 

 cent, of potash. In some cases, 400 to 500 pounds of a mixture 

 of potash and phosphoric acid, of which the percentages of the 

 potash and phosphoric acid are equal, has given good results. 



