MISCELLANEOUS CROPS 117 



it is not regarded an important pasture crop for cattle. 

 It is often sown with grain crops in the spring at the rate 

 of from one to three pounds of seed per acre. After the 

 grain crop has been harvested the rape grows up in the 

 stubble and furnishes pasture for stock during the fall. 

 For small fields to be pastured by sheep or hogs, it is com- 

 monly sown alone, at the rate of three or four pounds per 

 acre. It may be seeded at almost any season of the year 

 until fall. Six weeks after seeding it is ready to be pastured 

 off, if fair growing conditions have prevailed. It is one of 

 the most popular annual crops grown for hog and sheep 

 pasture, because the seed is comparatively cheap. 



Field peas are grown to some extent for seed and also 

 for hay and pasture, especially in the North. Its chief 

 value is for pasture for hogs and sheep, either when green 

 or when the crop is mature. The chief objection to the 

 crop is the amount of seed required per acre and its cost. 

 Peas must be sown early in the spring. They may be 

 sown alone at the rate of three to four bushels of seed per 

 acre, but are more commonly sown with oats at the rate 

 of two bushels of peas and one bushel of oats. The crop 

 may be pastured off green, cut for hay, or allowed to ripen 

 and then fed off by hogs or sheep. 



The soy bean is an annual legume crop quite commonly 

 grown in southern parts of the United States, but at present 

 is not of great importance in the North. The common 

 field pea takes its place in the North, because the soy bean 

 is very tender to frost. This crop is grown for seed, for 

 hay and for pasture. It is sown both in drills and broad- 

 cast. When sown in drills about one half bushel of seed 

 is required per acre, and when sown broadcast about one 

 bushel of seed is used. It is not sown until danger of frost 

 is past. 



The cowpea is another annual legume that is becoming 

 of great importance in the South as a green manure hay 

 and pasture crop. It may be sown late in the summer 

 after a corn or cotton crop is out of the way, or between 

 the rows of corn or cotton, then cut for hay, pastured or 

 plowed under late in the fall. It, also, is very tender to 

 frost, and is not profitable as far north as is the soy bean. 



