134 FORAGE CROPS. 



Preparing the Soil. Since cowpeas in the south 

 may be placed almost anywhere in the rotation, since 

 they may be sown as an intervening crop and as a 

 catch crop, and since they may be sown at almost 

 any time during the growing season when the ground 

 is moist enough to sprout them, the methods to be 

 adopted in preparing the land will of necessity vary. 

 It would unduly encroach on space to give in detail 

 the mode of preparing the land that would suit every 

 instance. But when so preparing it, the aim should 

 be to secure fine tilth, a firm seed bed and enough 

 moisture to start the crop. After a cultivated crop 

 which has been kept clean, such as a crop of potatoes, 

 it may be well in some instances simply to disk the 

 land without plowing it when preparing it for cow- 

 peas, especially when there is a scarcity of moisture. 

 And this method of preparing, the land for peas to 

 be grown for pasture or to provide fertility after 

 a harvested crop on clean land, may also be the best, 

 but there may be exceptions. 



On soils low in fertility it will usually pay to 

 apply some fertilizer. While farmyard manure is 

 admirably adapted to promoting the growth of the 

 vines, it can seldom be spared for this crop in the 

 south. Nor is it considered strictly economical to 

 use it thus, since the nitrogen content in the manure 

 is not absolutely needed by the pea crop. If nitro- 

 gen is used, it can be applied with advantage in the 

 form of nitrate of soda. The nitrate should be 

 sown broadcast a short time after the crop has 

 appeared above ground. Potash when used should, 

 as a rule, be sparingly applied, and on some soils, 

 especially such as are covered with oak or hickory 

 timber, it does not seem to be needed. 



