INTRODUCTION 



15 



"An average of all varieties grown during the 

 years 1904 and 1906 show a yield of grain of 39.5 

 bushels and of straw 2.34 tons per acre." Mont. 

 Bull. 68. 



These references, selected from among quite a 

 number, all showing a great dissimilarity of opin- 

 ions, illustrate the danger of following any one writ- 

 er, without applying all theories by comparative 

 tests to each particular farm and field to be tilled. 

 Canada peas is commented upon, for something will 

 be said later about its value as an orchard winter le- 

 gume, and how satisfactorily its manurial returns 

 increase nitrogen and humus in the soil, as well as 

 benefit physical texture. The future course of 

 an, inquirer often depends more upon the prefer- 

 ences of the individual consulted than the relative 

 merits of different crops, and in this case a bene- 

 ficial legume would be discarded, or adopted, as 

 local observations of a writer would suggest, while a 

 green manure that might have just fulfilled his re- 

 quirements would, perhaps, have been neglected. 

 On the other hand, if the farmer knows what field 

 peas need as to soils and temperature, their effect 

 upon texture in general, and the nature of their 

 deposit of nitrogen in root nodules, then by learning 

 the kind of plant food that should be added to his 

 own soil to keep the orchard in health and vigor, 

 the opinions of others will afford valuable collateral 

 information which he can readily apply to individ- 

 ual operations. 



