r2s 



A\ iiliiii ihu lubc'iriL's it is changed iiilo available fertilizer 

 iiiid is cmitIcmI by tlu^ sa]) io every ])ai't (»f tlie lej^umi- 

 iious phi 111. lieiice we may sjieak of these tubercles 

 as fertilizer f:i(l(»ri(^s wliere nilrogcnous fertilizei*s are 

 iiiaiuifactured and wlnMn-e they are sent to every part 

 of the eo^^7)ea or velvet beau, or other ieguniiuous plant. 

 The plowinj; in of tlie lej^nnie ji^ives this nitrojj^en to 

 the soil for the use of other i^lants. Nitroji:en when 

 jKirchased in the form of cotton seed mtMl costs 12 to 

 15 ceut« per pound, but when it is furnished by le<;umes 

 it is many times cheajK^r, the principal outlay being for 

 seed and labor. 



Great as is the need of the South for varied indus- 

 trial development, the factories most urgently needed 

 and paying largest dividends are those which every 

 farmer can bring into being b}' the millions on the 

 roots of such legumes as cowpeas, velvet beans, vetch, 

 crimson clover, melilotus, bur clover, and alfalfa. 



These crops afford nitrogen and vegetable matter, 

 thus supplying the principal deficiencies of southern 

 soils, and they may be either used directly and ex- 

 clusively for this purpose, or with greater profit the 

 tops may first be fed to livestock, thus affording a two- 

 fold profit in animal products and fertilizer, w^hile the 

 stubble and roots are immediately available for soil im- 

 provement. 



The stubble alone usually causes a sufficient increase 

 in the yield of the following crop to more than pay the 

 cost of seed, fertilizer, and cultivation of the legume, 

 leaving the food value of the tops as a net gain. 



The principal part of this bulletin is occupied with 

 data ol)tained at Auburn during the past five years and 

 bearing on the extent and permanency of the fertilizing 

 effect of cowpeiis and velvet beans. 



The following conditions prevailed in all of these tests, 

 unless otherwise specifically stated: 



