44 THE COW PEA. 



UTILIZING THE CROP AS A FERTILIZER. 



Among the many methods for using the cow pea crop 

 for benefiting the soil are : 



1 . Ploughing under the entire crop while green. 



2. Allowing the crop to remain and decay on the 

 surface of the ground during the winter and ploughing it 

 under in the spring. 



3. Grazing the field and then ploughing under the 

 stubble, roots, and droppings of the cattle. 



4. Mowing the field for hay and then ploughing under 

 the stubble and roots. 



While it is true that ploughing under the entire green 

 crop will add the greatest amount of plant food to the soil, 

 nevertheless it is not always economy to follow that 

 method. The forage is worth as much for food as an equal 

 weight of red clover, and since about 80 per cent, of the 

 fertilizing value is retained in the manure, it often pays 

 better to feed the pasture or hay and return the resulting 

 manure to the land. On good soils the roots and stubble 

 from the peas furnish sufficient nitrogen, and it remains only 

 to supply an amount of phosphoric acid and potash suited 

 to the following crop. On a very light soil it is not desirable 

 to turn under a heavy mass of green forage, thus to make it 

 still lighter and looser and liable to suffer from hot dry 

 weather, but it is better to wait until the vines have had 

 time to become thoroughly decayed. Again, a late matur- 

 ing crop on land not protected by a growing crop or sod, 

 Curing the winter is often nearly wasted, and its fertilizing 



