Soiling Crops. 169 



grow mtich of a crop, it probably did as well as any- 

 thing would on that particular ground. Since visit- 

 ing some enterprising farmers in North Carolina, 

 who are large growers of the plant, I am thoroughly 

 convinced that, for the South at least, there is not 

 at hand another forage crop that can be called its 

 equal. In order to grow the first crop on exhausted 

 land, barnyard manure or commercial fertilizer 

 would be a great assistance. The following extracts 

 in substance are sifted from the Georgia State Bul- 

 letin, No. 29, 1894: 



" It is really not a pea, but a bean. Clover of the 

 South, king of land renovators. More valuable to 

 the Southerner than clover to the Northerner. 

 Draws nitrogen from the atmosphere. Grows on 

 light soil. 



Result : The best disposition of the crop was to 

 convert the vines into hay or ensilage. There was 

 little gain in plowing under the whole crop green, 

 or plowing under the stubble. That it stands to- 

 day at the head of all soil renovators, at least for the 

 South, is beyond question. 



" Cow peas will grow on land that is so impover- 

 ished that clover will not grow. It has been proved 

 to do well in the North, in Iowa, Illinois, Indiana, 

 and Ohio, and in New York and Connecticut. A 

 crop of 16,000 Ib. of green vines per acre is reported 

 from Connecticut. It is certainly worthy of trial as 

 a renovator, even if the seed is yearly obtained from 

 the South. Best for hay or soiling or ensilage are 

 the erect varieties, Unknown, Clay, and Whippoor- 



