AT / ' ' f ' 1 y / Issued February 4, 1910 U.S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE, BUREAU OF PLANT [NDUSTRY -Circular No. 45. B. I. GALLOWAY, Chief of Bureau. THE UTILIZATION OF PEA-CANNERY REFUSE FOR FORAGE. M. A.CROSBY, Assistant Agriculturist, Office of Farm Management. WASHINGTON : GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE : 1910 DOCUMENTS DEPT i DEPOSITORY BUREAU OF PLANT INDUSTRY. Chief of Bureau, Beverly T. Galloway. Assistant Chief of Bureau, Albert F. w is. Editor, J. E. Rockwell. Chief Clerk, James E. Jones. [Cir. 45 2 II p I THE UTILIZATION OF PEA-CANNERY REFUSE FOR FORAGE. INTRODUCTION. Mosl of the peas grown for canning purposes are produced in the States of Ww York. Wisconsin, Indiana, Ohio, Illinois, Michigan, \ '\\ Jersey, and Maryland. This branch of the canning indust rv has made greal growth during the pasl lew years and is being rapidl} extended to new territory, especially hi those States where it is already established. In the early days of the pea-canning industry it was the practice to pick the green pods from the vines and shell them by hand, a slow and laborious process. With the invention of the "viner," a machine for thrashing peas out of the green pods, hand shelling has been largelj doneawaj with and the canning indusl ry given a tremendous impetus. Where these viners arc used, the peas can be cut with a mower, hauled in the cannery, and thrashed while green. This leaves the can ne r with a large quantity of refuse vines to be disposed of in some U :i\ . When the growing of peas for canning purposes first began to be extensively engaged in, the feeding value of the refuse vines was qoI fully appreciated and the canners experienced no little difficult} in keeping the factories free from this waste. At sonic factories the canners required the farmers who were growing peas for t hem to I ake aw a\ a load of \ hies for every load of peas hauled to t he cannery. At others the vines were dumped in piles near the factor} and later hauled out for manure. When these waste vines were allowed to accumulate in loose piles near the factor} a rapid decomposition would set in, and the stench from this decaying mass of vegetable matter would he almost unbearable. As a result of this condition the refuse vines were often hauled out and dumped in immense piles at some distance from the factory and later hauled away by the farm ers and used as a fert ilizer. Tliis pract ice i> st ill in \ ogue in some sei tions w here the feeding value of t he vines i-> nut yel appreciated. The dumping of vines in large piles soon led to the discovery that quite a percentage of the vines thus hand led was preserved like silage [fir. 45] 4 UTILIZATION OF PEA-CANNERY RE-FUSE FOB FORAGE. and greedily eaten by stock, especially cattle and slice)). The larger the pile of vines and the more they were trampled in piling the smaller the percentage of spoiled material. From this discovery developed the practice of stacking the vines in order to save them, when previously the only question to be solved was how to get rid of them. When the vines are carefully put up in large, well-trampled stacks, the decomposition is reduced to a minimum and the unpleasant odor is much less in evidence, thus making it possible to stack them quite near the cannery without disagreeable results. In other sections a short hay crop led the farmers to undertake curing pea vines for hay, and they soon discovered that the valuable forage thus secured paid them handsomely for their trouble. PRESENT METHODS OF UTILIZING THE REFUSE VINES. Several methods of utilizing refuse pea vines are in use at present. These are as silage, as hay, as a green feed or soiling crop, and as a fertilizer. During the season of 190S a large amount of data on methods of utilizing this by-product was obtained from canners, farmers, and feeders throughout the pea-growing sections. The data obtained show that 96 canneries handled the peas grown on a total of 65,959 acres, and that the refuse vines from 40,518 acres, or 61 per cent of the total, were used as silage; from 13,785 acres, or 21 percent, as hay; from 7,731 acres, or 12 per cent, as a green feed or soiling crop, and that from the remaining 3,925 acres, or 6 per cent, the refuse vines were either used as a fertilizer or thrown away. PEA-VINE SILAGE. From the figures just presented it is evident that the most popular method of using pea vines is as silage, and where the cannery is located in a dairy section this is almost universally the system in practice. The same statement is also true for some of the sections where sheep and cattle feeding are popular industries. There are two ways of making silage from pea vines, i. e., in large stacks and in silos. The practice of putting the vines in large stacks is the one most commonly employed, especially where practically all the vines from a cannery are handled l>\ the canner or by one or two other persons. At many factories it has become a custom for the canners to put the vines up in stacks or silos and either to sell the silage to fanners and feeders in the winter or to buy stock and feed it out themselves, thus realizing a profit on what was formerly a waste product. At other factories one or more fanners or stock feeders will contract to keep the refuse vines cleared away for what they can gel out of them. Still another practice is for the fanner who brings [CIr. 15] UTILIZATION OF PEA-CANNERY REFUSE FOR FORAGE. 5 M load of peas i" ilif Factor) to take home his quota of vines, jus! as the dairyman takes his load of whole milk to the creamery and tlien lake-, the separated milk home to feed. Where a large quantity of vines is to be put up for winter feed by one man and care is exercised in having the stacks well built, well drained, and thoroughly packed, the stacking method is undoubtedly the most economical way of handling the vines. Wil h proper care the vines from 300 acres or more can lie stacked with very lit tie loss, and it l- doubtful whether it would pay to go to the expense of construct- silos where this quantity i- to he handled. Careless stacking, though, will invariably result in the loss of a lot of valuable feed. Smaller quantities than that mentioned can probably he most eco- nomically saved in a silo, and many who have tried both methods favor the latter under all circumstances. Flo. 1.— stack- of pea-\ ine silage, showing i tie sloping sides where the vines are carted to the (oi>of the stack. At some factories the vines are pul into large stack-, one side of which i- left sloping see fig. L),so thai a cart loaded with vine- may be drawn up and the horse and cart driven around on top of the stack, thus thorough!) compacting the vines. At other factories the vine- are conveyed directl) to the -tack b) means of a carrier (see fig. -' and trampled by the men who are doing the stacking. The stacks should always he well drained underneath, so that the surplus juice may ooze out and he carried away in ditches. When properly built and well packed only about 8 indie- of t lie outside mass will spoil. Where the vines are kepi in the silo the) ma) be put in just a- t hey come from the viner or they may he run through a silage cutter first. When they are put in as they come from the viner the) require more I fir. 45] 6 UTILIZATION OF PEA-CANNERY REFUSE FOR FORAGE. trampling and packing than when run through the cutter. The silo should always be filled as rapidly as possible, for if the filling extends over a period of several weeks, the length of the pea-canning season, the silage will spoil and be unlit for feeding. For this reason it will hardly be practicable for a farmer or dairyman who lives at some dis- tance from the cannery to put the vines in a silo unless he has plenty of teams and labor and can get all the vines he needs. FEEDING VALUE OF THE SILAGE. The silage made from the refuse pea vines is generally regarded as possessing a high feeding value for dairy cows and other animals when a succulent feed is desired. There is some difference of opinion, however, regarding its value as compared with corn silage. Most dairymen who have had extensive experience in feeding both are of Fig. 2. — Stacks of pea-vine sikuje, showing the carrier used for conveying tin \ Ines to the slack. tin' opinion that the pea-vine silage produces a greater llo\\ of milk than does corn silage. On the other hand, a few contend that when a change is made from corn silage to pea-vine silage there is always a perceptible falling off in the milk production. The latter, however, arc decidedly in the minority. Some cases of this nature were found to he due to the fact that the pea-vine silage was partially spoiled, and it i> possible that .-ill unfavorable results could be traced to similar condit ions. The following table shows the composition of pea-vine silage from different sources in comparison with corn silage. [Cir. I.".] i NLIZATION OF PEA-CANNERY REFUS] FOB FORAGE. Table I Compos orn silage and pi lage. Kiii'l ol Corn (i: ( Corn (mature corn Pea vine 6 . Nitrogen- Moisture. Protein. Fat . Fiber. free \sh Per a ni. 1'ir cent. I'i r ci ill. extract. I'i r ci nl. /'/ f CI III 71.46 • i- «* I 16.64 1.44 • 1.2S - 1 :il 67. 37 t.29 - :t 73 9. 62 10.97 L' 10 " Vnnual Report, Wl perlment Station, 1904. lysis by Prof. Geoi • •■'• i inaugh, Cornell Cniversity, Ithaca, N "> It will be -tin thai pea-Nine silage is richer in protein than is coin silage, about the same in fat, but nut quite so rich in nitrogen-free exl racl . PEA-VINE SILAGE FOR DAIRY COWS. The result- "1' few carefully conducted feeding experiments with pea-vine silage for dab?) cow- are recorded. Mr. Joseph Gerber, who owns a small s 7. For t he next thirt) days they were U'i\ pea-vine silage and the receipts for cream were $96. During the last thirty-day period clover hay was W'A and the receipt- for cream were onl) $66. These results show a slighl increase in favor of pea-vine silage over corn silage. Pea-vine silage is especially valuable for late summer feeding, when pastures are short and before new corn silage i- available. A prominent Michigan dairyman States that a- a resull of three years' experience lie i- -at i -lied that pea-vine silage i- as good or better than com silage, provided it is properl) kept. He prefer- it to corn silage for summer feeding. One year he fed aboul 75 ton-, with good results. In some localities where the canners are selling silage the farmers are hauling it a- many a- 7 miles to \\'ci\ their dair\ COWS and are getting considerably increased yields of milk. In some cases the) report getting one-third more milk by feeding the silage. A New York dairyman states that in his experience when pea silage i- led with the same quantit) of grain it will produce more milk than corn silage. lie doe- nol consider it a- good for othei [Clr. I.".] 8 I TILIZATION OF PEA-CANNERY REFUSE FOR FORAGE. stock, with the exception of sheep, as corn silage. He winters about 50 head of cattle and when spring comes they are always in good condition. The only objection he has to the silage is the bad odor and the fact that it is very heavy to handle. The principal objection raised to pea-vine silage is thai it some- times taints the milk. Tins may be prevented by postponing feeding until after milking. Another dairyman states that he secured the best results by alter- nating pea-vine silage with com silage, feeding one for two or three weeks, then changing to the other. The pea-vine silage invariably increased the flow of milk, but also tended to decrease its keeping qualities. PEA-VINE SILAGE FOR BEEF CATTLE. Pea-vine silage has little value as a fat producer, but regardless of this fact it is very highly regarded as a supplementary feed for heel' cattle. Quite a number of feeders are using the silage, and almost invariably they claim that their cattle keep in much better condition than where no silage is fed. One New York canner writes that he annually feeds from 250 to 275 steers on the refuse vines from his factory. He begins feeding silage with a little corn meal in the winter. The amount of meal is gradually increased until the animals are on a full ration. They are usually finished off ami ready for beef early in June. The following is extracted from a letter from a canning company at Rome, N. Y. : We have used the silo for many years in which to preserve this by-product. We grow from 700 to 1,000 acres of peas in connection with our plant, and the waste from this, as well as from what the farmers grow for us, we find very valuable for both horses and cattle. We use no hay whatever in feeding our stock, including the work horses, and they seem to enjoy the feed and thrive on it. In the fall we usually purchase several hundred head of cattle, which we winter, feeding them on silage exclusively. In this way we secure fertilizer to assist in keeping up our farm. The farmers in the vicinity would be glad to buy all the silage we have, hut we prefer to keep the manure for our farms. We have handled this waste in silos and by other methods for many years, and after varied experiences have finally concluded that this i> the besl method. PEA-VINE SILAGE FOE SHEEP. In many sections of New York and Wisconsin pea-vine silage has come to be very highly regarded as a feed for slice)). In Wisconsin a large number of lambs and wethers that are being fattened for the market are fed on this silage in preference to any other roughage. The common practice is to take the sheep off of the pastures about the 1st of November and put them on a ration of silage and corn meal. At first they are given about 10 pounds of silage and from one-half to 1 pound of meal each day. The quantity of silage is [Cir. 45] UTILIZATION OF PEA-CANNER"V REFUSE FOR FORAGE. 9 gradually decreased and the meal increased, until al the end of thirty or forty days- the} are getting 6 pounds of silage and about 2 pounds of corn meal, li generally takes from forty to fifty days to lit sheep for the market on a ration of this kind. The silage i not credited with having any particular vali e a- a fat producer. It-- great value lies in the fact that it keeps the animals in good condition, so that i hc\ can bel ter assimilate the grain. It seems to la- quite generally conceded that a line qualitj of mutton is produced l>\ feeding pea-vine silage that is well kept. In the fall of puis ;i loi of lij western wethers thai had been fed on pea-vine silage and corn in Wisconsin for fifty days topped the Chicago market for heavj exporl sheep the day the}' were sold. Tea-Nine silage is an excellent winter feed for breeding ewes. Its laxative qualities keep the bowels in good condition and it produces a large llow of milk. Some sheep bicedeis who have had quite an extensive experience in feeding ibis silage prefer it to anything else they can gel for their breeding ewe-. One large Breeder in western N w York winters annually from 600 to 700 breeding ewes on pea-vine silage and alfalfa hay, without any grain. His ration is o'. pounds of silage and '_' pounds of alfalfa bay for each head daily. I lis ewes come through the winter in line condition, and their Iambs, which come in May. an- invariabb. strong and healthy. He states that he considers this silage superior to all other i'^i'd for breeding ewes. Pea-vine silage has been very successfully used as an .exclusive roughage ration for horses-, beef cattle, and sheep. When Used in this way, the animals are usually \\~i\ all t bey will eat up clean. I [orses and cattle w ill consume fro in lit to 80 pounds a day, w bile sheep will eat from t'» to 1 2 pounds daily. MARKET \ Ml E OF PEA-VIXE -H USE. The selling price of pea-A me silage varies considerably. Some can- ners put it up in stacks and sell it in l he winter at $1 a load . Others sell it at from $1.50 to $3 a ton. After farmers, especially those engaged in dairying, have learned the value of this feed the canners, a- a rule, can not supply the demand at s:; a ton. PEA-VINE HAY. The curing of pea vines for hay is a common method of handling them in many sections. This is a popular practice when the farmer is supposed to take home hi- quota of \ ines. Farmers living near the factory generally take the freshly thrashed vines home and spread t hem out to cure on sod land, while those who live some distance awaj Usually spread the vines oul to cure mi \ a cant land near t he factory. At some factories, if there happens to be a surplus of vines from the [Clr. I.". | 10 I TIIJZATION OF PEA-CANNERY REFUSE FOR FORAGE. peas grown, cither by the farmers or by the company, these are cured by the company (see ii^;. 3) and sold to the farmers at about the cost of curing. This price runs from $3.50 to $4 a ton, and many farmers, especially those living some distance from the factory, prefer to pay this rather than bother with curing the vines themselves. Pea-vine hay is greatly relished by horses, cattle, and sheep. Many dairymen prefer it to the best clover hay as a roughage for their cattle. In the winter even hogs will eat quantities of it, and it is an excellent feed for brood sows. There is considerable difference of opinion regarding the value of the hay as compared with the silage. Men who have tried both are divided in opinion, some contending that the hay is far superior and Fig. '■'>. — Curing vines for hay a! a canning factory. more economical to handle, while others claim just the opposite. It is generally conceded, however, that properly cured pea-vine hay is superior to clover hay for dairy cows. Some dairymen go s<» far as to say that they consider pea-vine hay worth twice as much as clover hay, hut this is undoubtedly an exaggeration. Pea-vine hay is also a good feed for work horses and mules and is especially valuable for conditioning thin, overworked animals. In giving his experience wit h pea-vine silage and bay, Mr. .1. F. Guenl her. of Owensboro, Ky., made the following statement : We used a large silo and put our pea vines In it the first year we packed pea-. We found that neither farmers nor dairymen would buy our silage from us. The nexl year we < Irie< 1 (he pea vines and found this was much better than making silage from i In •in. Pea vine hay is so far superior to silage that there is no comparison. Besides, I Cir. I-'. | UTILIZATION OF PEA-CAN N ER'i R] MM FOR FOB VGE. 1 I the I ia \ can be haled and Btored awaj and has a markel value in any Bection of the country, whereas you are confined to your own immediate neighbor] I in the pea silage. Vfter getting done with our farm work we had a large number of horses and mules on hand and |>ui them i" work at railroad excavating. When they came hack they were in pretty thin order and very much the worse for wear We buill a verj lac ■ out in a lot we had, so thai the mules and tin- horses could go to the pea \ ines and eal .dl thej wanted With tin- addition of a small amount of grain all the horses and mules were seal lat inside of six weeks I have never fed anything that improved stock bo rapid 1\ as these pea \ ( I RING Till VINES Mil: II \1 I ii curing pea vines for hay they should be taken direct ly from 1 lie viner, spread out orj the ground, and left during the day. The next morning, after the sun has dried the or ti pounds of salt over each load as it is placed in the harit. believing that this increases the palatahiht\ of the hay. MARK II \ \l.ll. < U PEA-VINE II \t . 1 1 is rat her difficult to del ermine t he market value of pea-vine ha} . as the greater portion of it is fed by the producer. Where it has been sold, however, the prices quoted range all the way from $4.50 to $20 a ton. 1 he average being about $12 when clover ha} is worth $10. PEA VINES AS A SOILING CROP. A- a green feed or soiling crop the refuse pea vines tire probably the equal of any crop grown. Dairymen universalis agree that feed tng the green vines increases | he flow of milk. The use of vines as a soiling crop, however, is confined to a comparatively limited area in the immediate vicinity of a carmen or viner. PEA VINES AS A FERTILIZER. Tea vines have considerable value when used a- a fertilizer, espe- cially on >oiU that are deficient in humus. Thej are rich in that all I fir. l.-.l 12 UTILIZATION OF PEA-CAN XEEY REFUSE FOR FORAGE. important element of plant food, nitrogen. The following analysis was made by Prof. George W. Cavanaugh, of Cornell University: Moisture 72.800 per cent. Nitrogen 0.585 per cent, or 11.7 pounds a ton. Phosphoric acid. .' 0.1 1 1 per cent, or 2.22 pounds a ton. Potash 0.482 per cent, or 8.64 pounds a ton. At current prices the fertilizing value of 1 ton of pea vines would be as follows : Nitrogen, 1 1.7 pounds, at L8 cents a pound $2. II Phosphoric acid, 2.22 pounds, at 44 cents a pound 10 Potash, s.iit pounds, at 4 A cents a pound 39 Total value per ton 2. 60 From these figures it will be seen that the refuse vines have a fer- tilizing value of $2.60 a ton, which makes them well worth using for this purpose. It would be much better economy, however, to feed the vines either as a soiling crop, as silage, or as hay, and to save. the droppings from the animals fed, in this way serving a twofold pur- pose. As but a small part of the fertilizer constituents is lost in pass- ing through an animal, the droppings, if carefully saved, are nearly as valuable for fertilizing as the whole vines. SUMMARY. The refuse vines from pea canneries tire valuable as sihtge, as hay, as a soiling crop, and as a fertilizer. Their use as silage is the most general practice. They may be ensilaged either in a silo or in a stack. Pea-vine silage compares very favorably with corn silage and In- many is regarded as superior, especially for dairy cows. It is also valuable for beef cattle and sheep and is sometimes fed to horses, mules, ami hogs. It has been successfully used as an exclusive roughage for dairy ami beef cattle, sheep, and even horses. Pea-vine hay is a valuable feed for all classes of stock. It is of ex- ceptional value for milch cows and sheep and for conditioning thin stock, especially horses and mules. It is generally considered to be equal or even superior to clover hay. Pea vines are valuable as a soiling crop, but their use as such is limited to the immediate vicinity of the cannery or viner. As a manure, pea vines have an actual fertilizer value of about $2.60 a ton. Approved: eJAMEs Wilson, Seen tary of Agriculture. Washington, 1). ('., December •>', 1909. It'ir. 451 o UNIVERSITY OF FLORIDA 3 1262 08928 9861