THE COW PEA. 39 



winter is often nearly wasted, and its fertilizing elements 

 washed away by heavy rains leaching through the unfrozen 

 ground. It has been found in the south, that ploughing 

 under a crop of cow peas is very likely to sour the land, 

 and, therefore, it is not to be recommended. 



From v/hat has been stated, it is clear that judgment 

 must be used regarding plowing under the entire crop, 

 otherwise a positive injury may be done to the soil. 



On other lands and under other conditions, plowing 

 under the entire green crop is often the most profitable and 

 best disposition which can be put. Where humus is lack- 

 ing and needed, especially on stiff clays, nothing else 

 available so quickly betters the physical condition of 

 the soils so well as to loosen them up by turning under 

 the entire bulk of vines. The after-effect of such plowing 

 under on a heavy soil, which grows only a light crop of peas 

 is little short of wonderful. Whenever, on such a soil, a 

 light crop of peas mature early enough to be followed by 

 another crop of peas, or winter growing wheat, oats or 

 vetch, it is usually better to plow under than to graze when 

 other pastures are good. Weather conditions, which are 

 apt to prevail at harvest time, often serve as a guide as to 

 whether plowing under or harvesting is most desirable. 



As a protection to a light soil, liable to wash, during the 

 winter, it is often actual economy to allow the pea crop to 

 decay on the surface and postpone plowing until spring; in 

 this to be sure, there is some loss of fertilizer by winter 

 winds and washing, but there is more than a compensation 

 in what the vines retain and hold in place. 



