THE SOYBEAN 265 



for forage it should preferably be planted in rows 

 in order that it may be tilled, although it may be 

 seeded broadcast. The quantity of seed per acre 

 varies from one to one and one -quarter bushels 

 broadcast, depending on how well the seeds are 

 covered. When seeded in rows, the quantity may 

 be reduced to one-half bushel or three pecks per 

 acre. The land should be put in good condition, 

 and fertilized as advised for cowpeas, that the 

 germination may be prompt. 



For forage purposes it does not possess charac- 

 teristics very different from those mentioned for 

 cowpeas. Experience thus far shows that the soy- 

 bean is slightly more difficult to handle, and that 

 the yields are not so heavy, but the plant contains 

 more nitrogen in the dry matter than the cowpea. 

 It has been grown for forage when there has been 

 a scarcity of cowpea seed, and many prefer it to 

 the cowpea because it is easier to harvest. Its 

 period of growth is about the same as for cowpeas, 

 reaching its best condition in two and one- half to 

 three months. The stems are stiff and hard, and 

 the entire plant is not so palatable as the cow- 

 pea, although, owing to the abundance of large 

 leaves, the feeding value is quite as high as that 

 of the cowpea; in fact, at the stage of growth 

 best for forage, it is richer in dry matter and 

 protein than the cowpea. Yields of forage on 

 good soils average lower than the cowpea, — about 



