LEGUMINOUS PLANTS. Ill 



down the earth into the depressions and in this way 

 covers the seed. If the sod were turned over in 

 broad furrow slices and left in a flat state, it would 

 be necessary to use the disk cultivator to make a 

 proper seed bed. 



It is not common to manure the land for peas, 

 but manure will be very helpful on poor land. Farm- 

 yard manures are nearly always in order. When 

 commercial fertilizers are to be used, phosphoric 

 acid and potash are likely to be more helpful than 

 nitrogen. 



Sowing the Seed. When peas and oats are 

 sown for sheep pasture, about three bushels of the 

 combined mixture should be sown, but for some 

 soils a less quantity will suffice. About equal parts 

 by measure of each kind of seed should be used, but 

 there may be reasons for ^varying these proportions ; 

 as, for instance, when the oats grow more vigorously 

 than the peas it would be necessary to increase the 

 proportion of the pea seed sown. The small varie- 

 ties of field peas should be preferred, as they produce 

 more forage. The seed may be mixed and sown 

 with the drill, taking care to bury it deeply, as deep 

 as three to four inches. Sometimes the peas are 

 first sown broadcast and the land is then plowed, as 

 deeply on light prairie soils as four to six inches, 

 and then the oats are drilled in less deeply. But on 

 the whole, the first method is to be preferred when 

 it is the proper thing to plow the land in the fall for 

 the reasons, first, that the moisture is better con- 

 served ; second, that the labor is less, and, third, that 

 the harrowing subsequently given by way of cultiva- 

 tion may be more thorough than when the oats are 

 planted less deeply. And here it may be mentioned 



