GRASSES AND FORAGE PLANTS. 217 



The Cow, or Field Pea. This is much cultivated in the Southern States, and is 

 more like a bean in appearance than a pea, and belongs to the leguminous or pulse family. 

 The ease with which it can be cultivated, and its value as a forage-plant, as well as fertilizer 

 of the soil, have given it a prominence in Southern agriculture. Two crops from two succes 

 sive plantings can be produced in one season, as it grows very rapidly. Hon. H. M. Polk of 

 Tennessee, in making a comparison between the field-pea and red clover, says: 



&quot; The pea will thrive upon land too poor to grow clover. 



It will produce a heavy and rich crop to be returned to the soil in a shorter period than 

 any vegetable fertilizer known. 



Two crops can be produced on the same ground in one year; whereas it requires two 

 years for clover to give a hay crop, and good aftermath for turning under. In this time four 

 crops of peas can be made. 



The pea feeds but lightly upon, and hence leaves largely in the soil, those particular ele 

 ments necessary to a succeeding grain crop, and the pea lay, in its decay, puts back largely 

 into the soil those very elements required for a vigorous growth of the cereals. 



There is no crop which is its equal for leaving the soil in the very best condition for a 

 succeeding wheat crop. 



It is the only crop raised in the South so rapid in its growth and perfection as to be made 

 an intervening manurial crop between grain cut in the spring, and grain sowed in the fall, 

 upon the same ground. And this alone makes the pea invaluable to Southern agriculture. 



In our particular latitude, it flourishes equally with clover; and with two such renovators 

 of the soil (aside from their value as food crops), no portion of the earth is equally blessed. 

 North of us, the pea does not succeed. 



It is admirably adapted to other crops, producing in the space between our corn-rows 

 both a provision and a fertilizing crop, with positive benefit to the growing corn. 



It aids in producing cheap beef, pork, milk, and butter. &quot;Without the pea, pork could 

 not be produced cheaply, where it costs so much to make corn. 



It furnishes a double capacity for wintering stock, and with this a doubly-enlarged 

 manure heap. 



The large plantations of the South can only be restored by green crops turned under, 

 united to a judicious system of rotation, looking to feeding the soil. This must be aided by 

 all the manure manufactured on the plantation. 



By its use, large addition is made to humus, upon which the tilth, as well as capacity of 

 the soil for retaining moisture, so greatly depends. 



As for the cultivation of the pea, one can scarcely go amiss. When two crops are 

 intended for renovating, break the land, sow broadcast, and harrow in. Or drill in rows 

 three feet apart, and plow out when a few inches high. When pods begin to ripen, if the 

 crop is intended for manurial purposes, plow under with large two-horse plow, with a well- 

 sharpened rolling coulter attached, or with chain passing from double-tree to beam of the 

 blow to hold the vines down for facilitating covering. A roller passed over the vines before 

 plowing under will assist the operation. Caustic lime should be sown upon the vines before 

 plowing under to promote decay, and neutralize the large amount of vegetable acid covered 

 into the soil. Select the pea which runs least. The vines are easiest covered into the soil. 

 They are the black bunch-pea, and the speckle, or whipporwill-pea. 



When planted in corn as a food crop, the bunch -pea ripens soonest; but the Carolina 

 cow-pea, the clay -pea, or the black stock-pea are preferable, as they do not readily rot from 

 wet weather, and will remain sound most of the winter. For early feeding of stock, plant 

 whipporwill-pea by itself in separate enclosure from corn, where stock can be turned upon 

 whenever desired. 



Peas are often sowed upon the stubble after small grain is harvested. Flush up the 



