OTHER CEREALS 95 



easily lodge and a good yield will not be obtained. The land 

 should be plowed early in spring, harrowed down, and har- 

 rowed at various times to kill out weeds until time to sow. 

 Often the land is not plowed until late, and then it is not put 

 in good shape for the seed. The seed is sown about the first 

 of July at the rate of about one bushel per acre. It may be 

 sown in drills or broadcast. 



Buckwheat keeps on blossoming and producing seed until 

 killed by frost. The crop should be cut before heavy frosts. 

 Some of the green kernels will mature as the plants dry out. 

 The crop is usually cut with a self-rake reaper or with a 

 mower. The threshing should be done as soon as the stems 

 are fully dried out. The grain should not be stored at first 

 in large piles or tight bins as it heats easily and spoils. 



Cow-peas and Soy-beans. — The growing of these plants 

 will be spoken of in the chapter on forage crops, for they are 

 grown as much or more for hay than for the seed. The seeds 

 of both of these plants are used for human food and for live 

 stock. In the southern states cow-peas are highly prized for 

 table use, and in Asia the soy-bean furnishes a part of the 

 human diet. In America, however, the seeds of both plants 

 are used mainly for feeding live stock. Cow-peas are pastured 

 off by hogs or ground for feeding to cattle. Soy-beans can be 

 fed in the same way. Soy-beans have been fed to all classes 

 of live stock with good results. Neither cow-pea nor soy- 

 bean seed should be fed alone, but should be mixed with 

 four or five times its weight of corn or other grain. 



