206 BETTER DAIRY FARMING 



previously mentioned. Alsike will withstand more cold and heat 

 than will red clover, and will grow in regions where the latter will 

 winterkill, as well as in sections too hot for red clover to thrive. 

 Alsike is the hardier plant and will continue four to six years on a 

 good soil. However, it furnishes only one cutting a season and thus 

 is at a disadvantage as regards yield. Where red clover does well, 

 alsike cannot compete with it but the dairyman who does not 

 succeed with either red clover or alfalfa, due to the nature of his 

 soil, has a much greater promise of success in alsike. The culture 

 of alsike is very similar to that of red clover. A mixture of three 

 parts red clover, three parts timothy and one part alsike often 

 gives splendid results. 



Other clovers which are grown to some extent for hay are sweet 

 clover, mammoth clover, crimson clover, and hubam clover. 



352. Peas and oats. — Field peas are not usually sown alone 

 because it is difficult to harvest the low vines. The favorite com- 

 bination is peas and oats. Using equal parts of seed, three to 

 four bushels should be sown to the acre. The yield of the mixture 

 will be two to three tons of dry forage per acre. Barley and spring 

 wheat may also be sown with field peas. For the best growth of 

 peas the soil should be inoculated. A culture of bacteria for peas 

 can be obtained through your State College of Agriculture. 



When cut early, field peas, either alone or in combination with a 

 cereal, make a palatable and nutritious hay for dairy cows. Peas 

 and oats make the best soilage crop for the northern states. The 

 combination also makes very good silage. 



353. Soybeans. — This legume crop is especially adapted to 

 a hot dry climate, and can be grown for haj T wherever corn will 

 mature for silage. The hay is nearly equal in feeding value to 

 alfalfa and a j-ield of one to three tons per acre may be expected. 

 Soybeans are a comparatively new crop, but are proving very use- 

 ful for growing in sandy soils and where other legumes do not 

 flourish. 



354. Cowpeas. — This crop is a very important legume for 

 roughage in the cotton belt but will not thrive in the more northern 

 latitudes. 



