THE GRASS -PEA.
A. McTAGGART,
M.S.A., Agriculturist
The valuable type of legume called the grass-pea has been grown, particularly for fodder purposes, fairly extensively in parts of Ontario, and local experience gained since ■ its recent introduction to . New Zealand (upon the recommendation of the writer) bears out ■ the good name the plant has in Canada. The grain of the grass-pea is dark yellow in colour, angular in shape, and small. . The plant is a fine-leaved edition of the fieldpea, • though more decumbent, and to some extent it resembles the vetch-plant. It requires a fair -amount of warmth, not too much moisture-, and a fairly good soil. . . - . J The crop may be grown either alone or with oats, rye, or barley for soiling (green-feed producing) purposes. It is highly palatable to stock, is easily grown, makes an excellent cover-crop in orchards, makes good hay, is a fair yielder of grain valuable for feeding (crushed) to various classes of farm animals, and is an excellent soil-renovating crop.
At the Ontario Agricultural College, Guelph, an average of 30 bushels per acre of grain of the grass-pea has been obtained over a series of years. At the same institution in 1909 various leguminous crops yielded per acre green fodder as follows : Harbara soy beans, 9-2 tons; grass-peas, . 8-o. tons;. Amherst soy- beans, 7-6 tons ; Shingto soy beans, 7-5 tons ; Cloud soy beans, 7-4 tons ; hairy vetches, 6-8 tons Isurunoko soy beans, -6-5 tons; . Chernie soy beans, 6-i tons and Nuttall soy beans, .6* 1. tons;. .
Over a period of five years ending in 1909, of six varieties of leguminous crops grown at Guelph for green fodder the following gave the greatest yield : Grass-peas, 6-9 tons per acre; Ito San soy beans, 6-8 tons; Early Yellow soy beans, 5-5 tons; and Wonderful cow-peas, 5-2 tons.
For a period of ten years ending in 1910, of four varieties grown in succession . for that period at Guelph for the production of green fodder the following average results were obtained : Hairy vetches, 7-4 tons per acre grass-peas, 7-2 tons ; Early Yellow soy beans, 6-9 tons; Wonderful cow-peas, - 5-2 tons. . - ■
From the above it will be readily seen that the grass-pea, in common with the hairy vetch, is a decidedly desirable crop to grow for soiling purposes. The tests at Moumahaki have fully justified the importation of the grass-pea, and it should prove an acquisition to the dairy-farmer and to the fruitgrower, just as the hairy vetch is a decided boon to the fruit-farmer, particularly, in Canada. But this can only eventuate when steps are taken to raise sufficient seed, and to sell it at a price satisfactory to the farmer and orchardist.
Mr. J. Beverley, Assistant Plant-breeder, supplies the following particulars regarding the tests with the grass-pea at the Moumahaki Experimental Farm during the past season :
The tests were made with the seed harvested - at . Moumahaki in April of last year. - Following a crop of early potatoes, seed was sown broadcast at the rate, of i bushel per acre on the- 3rd November, 1915. The crop was cut -with a scythe, on the 6th January last to facilitate the operation of digging in, while an ' adjoining plot of hairy vetch has not produced sufficient bulk to make the scythe necessary. ■ A later trial of - the pea was made with a similar seeding on the 12th January on a plot of 160 square yards. The illustration shows part of' this crop on the 19th May still in flower and -vigorous, with -a-little seed forming. Approximately the grass-pea ; weighs 5-3 oz. per 1,000 seeds, and it; should' be sown in October or November if a seed crop is desired.
Permanent link to this item
https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/periodicals/NZJAG19160620.2.9
Bibliographic details
New Zealand Journal of Agriculture, Volume XII, Issue 6, 20 June 1916, Page 461
Word Count
609THE GRASS -PEA. New Zealand Journal of Agriculture, Volume XII, Issue 6, 20 June 1916, Page 461
Using This Item
Stuff Ltd is the copyright owner for the New Zealand Journal of Agriculture. You can reproduce in-copyright material from this journal for non-commercial use under a Creative Commons BY-NC-SA 4.0 International license. This journal is not available for commercial use without the consent of Stuff Ltd. For advice on reproduction of out-of-copyright material from this journal, please refer to the Copyright guide.