20 
Colorado Experiment Station 
caused by Black Stem Rot or Alfalfa Blight. This disease attacks 
the alfalfa following a heavy frost which cracks the epidermis or 
plant skin on the stems, thus making it easy for the disease to gain 
entrance. The disease is almost never troublesome except after 
heavy frosts in the spring time. The only remedy known at present 
is to mow the hay at once, no* matter what the size of the cutting, 
l)ecause the Stem Rot retards or prevents the growth of the crop 
on the land, especially if very virulent, and it may kill out the crop 
entirely. Mowing obviates this trouble and prevents injury to 
succeeding crops. 
PEAS. 
Field Peas, or Canada Field Peas, is one of the best crops for 
the Valley. Before it was discovered that alfalfa could be success¬ 
fully grown field peas was almost the only legume crop successfully 
and generally planted. While authorities differ somewhat as to 
the time of introduction and as to the responsibility for the orgi- 
nal plantings, it is generally conceded that some of the first plant¬ 
ing was done in the vicinity of Monte Vista, and it is certain that 
the value of peas as a crop was first thoroughly established in this 
vicinity. James A. Kelly was one of the first to put out peas as a 
crop and to successfully feed it to stock. In 1914 peas constituted 
the major portion of the feed for something over 260,000 sheep 
fattened for market, while it is estimated that 18,000 to 20,000 
head of cattle and a large number of hogs were also fattened on 
this crop as the principal feed. 
When peas was first introduced the Valley had just reached a 
period when injury was being felt from continuous grain farming. 
Peas helped to restore the soil fertility and made a good rotation 
crop. It is quite probable that peas must be given credit—and a 
very large credit at that—for saving* the agriculture of the San Luis 
Valley at a time when it was in extreme danger of annihilation be¬ 
cause O'f reduced soil fertility. 
The common practice over much of the pea district is to disk 
peas into the grain stubble and not plow. This method has some 
advantages, but on the whole is slipshod and will not produce the 
greatest possible results. Frequently, under the methods of sub¬ 
irrigation prevailing in some localities, this method will give greater 
returns than better ones, but where proper surface irrigation is em- 
])loyed mucli more satisfactory yields can be obtained where the 
land is properly prepared for the crop. To be successful, peas 
should be planted just as early in the spring as the seed can be put 
into the ground. In order to accomplish this to the best advantage 
the land should be plowed in the fall. One of the best reasons for 
