^ THE COW PEA. 



Phosphate and potash fertilizers should always be ap- 

 plied before the seed is planted, whether the planting is 

 done broadcast or in drills. In the former case, the fertilizer 

 should be sown broadcast and covered by the ploughing or 

 the same harrowing which covers the peas. In the latter, 

 the fertilizer may be strewn along where the rows are to be, 

 and afterwards mixed with the soil by opening the drill 

 with a bull-tongued plough. It would be better to use a 

 fertilizer distributer, which thoroughly mixes the fertilizer 

 with the soil and opens the drill at the same time. 



A good mixture for cow peas is 300 Ibs. of acid phosphate 

 and 100 Ibs. of muriate of potash per acre. In case kainit 

 is substituted for muriate, four times as much is required 

 that is, 400 Ibs. to furnish the same amount of actual pot- 

 ash. If a commercial brand of fertilizer be used for cow 

 peas, perhaps the best proportions, on average soils, are 

 about 8 per cent, available phosphoric acid and 6 per cent, 

 actual potash, applied at the rate of 400 to 500 pounds per 

 acre, and thoroughly mixed in the soil before the peas are 

 sown. 



If the young plants display a sickly yellow appearance, 

 about 75 Ibs. of nitrate of soda ought to be used as a top 

 dressing, but in order to avoid injury to the plants in top 

 dressing, the nitrate should be mixed with four or five times 

 its bulk of dry earth to dilute it and insure a more uniform 

 distribution. 



As a rule nitrogenous fertilizer is not required for cow 

 peas, and under the circumstances above mentioned, 



