38 THE COW PEA. 



UTILIZING THE CROP AS A FERTILIZER. 



Among the many methods of using the cow pea crop for 

 benefiting the soil are : 



1. Plowing under the entire crop while green. 



2. Allowing the crop to remain and decay on the surface 

 of the ground during the winter and plowing it under in the 

 spring. 



3. Grazing the field and then plowing under the stubble 

 roots and droppings of the cattle. 



4. Movving the field for hay and then plowing under 

 the stubble roots. 



While it is true that ploughing under the entire green 

 crop will add the greatest amount of plant food to the soil, 

 nevertheless it is not always economy to follow that method. 

 The forage is worth as much for food as an equal weight of 

 red clover, and since about 80 per cent, of the fertilizing 

 value is retained in the manure, it often pays better to feed 

 the pasture or hay and return the resulting manure to the 

 land. On good soils the roots and stubble from the peas 

 furnish all of the nitrogen, and it remains onh' to supply 

 an amount of phosphoric acid and potash suited to the fol- 

 lowing crop. On a very light soil it is not desirable to turn 

 under a heavy mass of green forage, thus to make it still 

 lighter and looser and liable to suffer from hot dry weather, 

 but it is better to wait until the vines have had time to 

 become thoroughly decayed. Again, a late maturing crop 

 on land not protected by a growing crop or sod, during the 



