CROPS AND SOIL IMPROVEMENT 



The soybean does not come up through a crusted 

 surface as well as most other plants, and plant- 

 ing should not be made immediately before a rain. 

 The plants are tender and easily injured by use of 

 a weeder. 



The fertilizer requirement is like that of the cow- 

 pea. An application of 200 pounds of acid phos- 

 phate per acre should be given, and the addition 

 of 50 pounds of muriate of potash often pays. 



Harvesting. The soybean is not an easy crop 

 to handle without loss. When grown for seed, 

 the tendency of the pods to split and to drop the 

 seed compels early cutting, and that makes curing 

 more difficult. The mower is the only practical 

 harvester on most farms, and the swath must be 

 turned out of the way of the horses to save tramp- 

 ing. A side-delivery attachment can do the work. 

 This is the best practice when cut for hay. When 

 used for mixing with corn in a silo, the self-binder 

 is satisfactory. The hay and seed crop must have 

 thorough field-curing in windrow and bunches, 

 and the harvest comes in a season when cold rains 

 may prevail. This disadvantage of one of our 

 most valuable crops is to be taken into account, 

 but it will not prevent rapid increase in acreage 

 as the merit of the soybean becomes known. 



[112] 



