THE GRASS -PEA.

New Zealand Journal of Agriculture, Volume XII, Issue 6, 20 June 1916, Page 461

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.