208 MEADOWS AND PASTURES 



the pods are ripe, and made into hay. They cure far more 

 easily than cowpeas. 



Soybeans and Inoculation. It is a curious fact that 

 soybeans will, if grown on the same ground consecu- 

 tively, inoculate themselves the second year. There is 

 yet some undiscovered reason for this fact, which was 

 first pointed out by Prof. H. Carman in Kentucky Bul- 

 letin 98, page 19. Certain varieties of soybeans become 

 inoculated much sooner than other varieties another 

 unexplained fact. One should always, where possible, 

 grow soybeans for two or more years successively on 

 the same land. Artificial inoculation is very easily per- 

 formed; one can take earth where inoculated soys have 

 grown, make it fine by sifting, wet the seeds just as 

 one is ready to plant, and mix with them the dry, sifted 

 earth till they are dry enough to plant. Or, one can 

 simply drill the dry, sifted earth along with the beans, 

 which may work better with machine-drilling. Unless 

 the soil is very rich, the growth with inoculation will be 

 much better than without. The nodules of soybeans are 

 very large and the amount of nitrogen secured from 

 the air must be considerable. 



Uses of Soybeans. The whole crop may, mixed with 

 corn, be put into the silo, and it is believed that thus 

 cows may have their protein cheaply supplied. Tests 

 with beef cattle do not show superiority of this mixed 

 silage over that from corn alone. The beans may be fed 

 as a soiling crop, and this is one of the best uses. The 

 seeds may be allowed to ripen, threshed and ground and 

 fed to pigs to furnish protein for balancing a ration of 

 corn. Remarkable results have been achieved in this way. 



