MANURES, THEIR KINDS AND USES. 21 



It will be seen by these two tables that the leguminous 

 plants are especially rich in the three most important 

 items: nitrogen, potash, and phosphoric acid. 



These roots bring up from the subsoil plant food, and 

 in decaying, tend to deepen the soil along their course. 

 A crop of cow peas would probably have nearly as great 

 a weight of roots as clover; and in the neighborhood of 

 twenty tons of tops. The latter alone would contain 

 one hundred and sixteen pounds of nitrogen, principally 

 obtained from the atmosphere; or as much as is contained 

 in twelve and nine-tenths tons of barn-yard manure, and 

 directly applied to the soil. Seven pecks to two bushels of 

 peas would cost from two dollars to three dollars, and the 

 barn -yard manure, if at all attainable, nineteen dollars 

 and thirty-five cents, applied to the land at one dollar 

 and fifty cents per ton. 



ANALYSIS OF GREEN COW PEA VINES. 



This and the following two analyses were made by 

 Prof. A. E. Le Doux, chemist to the State Board of 

 Agriculture, of North Carolina. 



Water 73.87 per cent. 



Ash 2.00 



Albuminoids.... 1.85 



Cellulose 15.27 



Fat 0.21 



Carbohydrates.. 7.86 



containing ammonia, 0.35 ; nitrogen, 0.38 



ANALYSIS OF THE ASH OF COW PEA VINES. 



Ash 2.00 per cent. 



Potash 14.80 



Soda 23.29 



Magnesia 6.74 



Lime 23.57 



Phosphoric acid 9.28 



Sulphuric acid 2.35 



Silica 1.08 



Chlorine 0.19 



Oxide of iron a trace 



Carbonic acid 19.70 



