CORN TILLAGE 183 



The disadvantages of drilling are noted below : — 



(1) The smaller amount of hay or pasturage pro- 

 duced and the smaller amount of vegetable matter and 

 nitrogen left on the soil for the next year's crop ; 



(2) Drilling cowpeas between corn rows may interfere 

 with the use of certain cultivating implements. 



The advantages of broadcast sowing (Fig. 89) are the 

 larger amount of hay or pasturage and the greater amount 

 of fertility left on the soil. Broadcast sowing has the follow- 

 ing disadvantages : — 



(1) Corn must be " laid by " early, sometimes too early ; 



(2) The cowpeas must be sown rather late ; 



(3) A much larger amount of seed is required, about 1 

 bushel of cowpeas per acre being customary ; 



(4) The stand of cowpeas may be poor, due to the en- 

 forced shallow covering and to the lateness of planting. 



A good general rule is to give preference to broadcast 

 sowing when cowpea seed are cheap and abundant, and to 

 practice drilling this legume when a large yield of seed is 

 desired. 



172. Method of sowing broadcast cowpeas in corn. — In 

 broadcast sowing, the work is usually done by hand, or with 

 a broadcast seed-sower slung over the shoulder. Covering 

 is effected by giving the usual last cultivation to the corn, 

 which sometimes covers the cowpeas to an insufficient 

 depth. It is not customary to fertilize the cowpeas grown 

 in corn fields, whether sown broadcast or in drills. This 

 is probaby because there is no easy method of applying 

 fertilizer in this case, unless it be found practicable to use 

 between the corn rows a one-horse grain drill with fertil- 

 izer attachment. However, fertilizers are usually helpful 



