THE COW PEA. 45 



elements washed away by heavy rains leaching through the 

 unfrozen ground. It has been found in the south, that 

 ploughing under a crop of cow peas is very likely to sour 

 the land, and therefore, it is not to be recommended. 



From what has been stated, it is clear that judgment 

 must be used regarding ploughing under the entire crop, 

 otherwise a positive injury may be done to the soil. 



On other lands and under other conditions, ploughing 

 under the entire green crop is often the most profitable and 

 best disposition to which it can be put. Where humus is 

 lacking and needed, especially on stiff clays, nothing else 

 available so quickly betters the physical conditions of the 

 soils so well as to loosen them up by turning under the 

 entire bulk of vines. The after-effect of such ploughing 

 under on a heavy soil, which grows only a light crop of peas, 

 is little short of wonderful. Whenever, on such a soil, a light 

 crop of peas matures early enough to be followed by another 

 crop of peas, or winter growing wheat, oats, or vetch, it is 

 usually better to plough under than to graze, when other 

 pastures are good. The prevailing weather at harvest 

 time may often determine whether it is best to plough 

 under or harvest the crop. 



As a protection to a light soil, liable to wash, during the 

 winter, it is often actual economy to allow the pea crop to 

 decay on the surface and postpone ploughing until spring; 

 in doing this, to be sure, there is some loss of fertilizer by 

 winter winds and washing, but there is more than a compen- 

 sation in what the vines retain and hold in place. 



