CHAPTER XIII 

 LEGUMINOUS CROPS 



THE legume family of plants is sometimes called the clover fam- 

 ily, as it includes all the clovers. Here are also found the soy 

 bean, cow pea, all true beans, field and garden peas, vetches, lu- 

 pine, serrodella, the locust tree and many other valuable plants. 

 Several of these are considered in the present chapter. The plants 

 of this family all have divided leaves of one form or another. The 

 flowers are irregular in shape with five sepals and five petals. 

 The seeds are borne in one-celled pods, and the products, whether 

 seeds or forage, are always rich in protein, which is one-sixth nitro- 

 gen, hence any feeds made from these crops are especially valuable 

 for dairy stock and for growing animals of all kinds. 



The members of this family have the characteristic power of 

 obtaining nitrogen from the atmosphere when they are supplied 

 with their own special bacteria. No other families of plants have 

 this power. It is for this reason that it is important to provide the 

 proper bacteria in the field where legumes are growing. Of course 

 in many cases these bacteria are found naturally. The great value 

 of legumes for use in upbuilding the soils and providing nitrogen 

 for all other crops is appreciated by farmers in all regions where 

 the soils are deficient in nitrogen. Members of the legume family, 

 if supplied with the nitrogen-gathering bacteria, will not only se- 

 cure their supply of nitrogen from the air, but will also leave a 

 supply for use of succeeding crops of other kinds. This supply 

 is left chiefly in the roots, stubble, stems and leaves of the legumin- 

 ous crop. The decay of these tissues soon liberates nitrogen for 

 corn, potatoes, wheat or other crops growing in that field. 



CLOVERS. The true clovers most used for forage are: Red 

 clover, alsike clover and white clover. The latter is used only in 

 pastures. Crimson clover is used as a winter cover crop and is 

 frequently cut for hay in early spring or may be grown as a sum- 

 mer annual and cut for hay. 



Red Clover (Fig. 112) is far the most popular clover grown in the 

 United States. It is well suited to humid climates and is grown 

 throughout the eastern states and on the western coast. The seed 

 is commonly sown in early spring, using about fourteen quarts 



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