46 THE COW PEA. 



' * Theoretically the most economical way to use the crop 

 is to graze the fields and plough under the stubble. The 

 solid ^and liquid droppings of the animals contain nearly 

 all of the plant food that was in the forage. There is a 

 small loss, -but it is hardly as great as when the vines are 

 left on the ground during the winter. 



Grazing the field and turning under the stubble and 

 animal droppings do away with the difficult, often expen- 

 sive Work of ploughing under a great mass of vines, when 

 labor is scarce or wages -high. Cow pea pastures are espe- 

 cially valuable for milch cows and growing hogs, and make 

 more milk and pork per acre than any other grazing. Hogs 

 use the crop more closely than cows, and are less particular 

 about quality of food, so it is well to let them finish what 

 the: cattle have left. Hogs make good growth and fatten 

 onjsueh pasture, yet it. is .better to add some other and suit- 

 able-feed during the last month or so. of their feeding for 

 market or pork, or "finish off." on corn, as otherwise meat 

 and fat are likely to be too soft, and lacking in quality and 

 delicacy of flavor. As. intimated above, a fairly good pea 

 !rop is rather difficult to plough under wii;h its entire mass 

 of fresh, green vines, but grazing a few days makes the 

 covering easier and causes practically no loss of plant food. 



On soils already in condition to produce a heavy growth 

 of peas, and where grazing is not convenient, if the crop 

 be made into hay, the soil is.-5.till greatly improved. The 

 roots, stubble,' and waste from, the hay, furnish all the nitro- 

 gen needed for the following crop, and the hay costs simply 



