284 ILLINOIS STATE DAIRYMEN'S ASSOCIATION 



Value of Field Peas in Rotations. 



The value of the field pea in rotation with hay, grain, and 

 corn crops has been proved throughout the Northern States and 

 also in a few localities in the mountain districts and irrigated 

 valleys of the .West. In the Northeastern and North-Oeaiftral 

 States, where rotations are regularly practiced, the field pea usu- 

 ally follows the meadow crop. This would seem to be the wrong 

 place for it in a rotation, because of the fact that nitrogen and.* 

 humus are usually fairly abundant in the soil after a meadow has 

 been plowed up. In practice, however, it is found that the cror^ 

 of field peas is very effective in furthering the disintegration of. 

 the sod left by the grass. It is this fact which has determined its 

 position in the rotation. The ground is left in especially good 

 condition for a wheat crop, and the increase in yield of grain due 

 to a preceding crop of field peas has been quite marked. The ef- 

 fect of the nitrogen added by a well-inoculated crop of field peas 

 is shown by a decided increase in the amount of straw accom-' 

 panying the larger, grain yield of the following crop. This is* 

 well illustrated by the results at the Montana Experiment Sta- 

 tion in 1903, as shown in Table IV. 



Table IV. — Yields of oats following six crops, show^ing the 

 beneficial effect of field peas. 



Yield of oats in 1903 



Crop on land in 1902 Grain Straw 



Bushels Pounds 



Field peas 106 3,4io 



Wheat 49 1,250 



Clover 86 2,665 



Barley 42 1,115 



Sugar beets 82 2,400 



Oats 64 1,448 



The use of the field pea as a winter legume in the South 

 permits the production of two crops on the land during one 

 season. In some localities, as at San Antonio, Tex., the peas are 



