14 THE COW PEA. 



be obliged to do for clover or grass, but he can rough in the 

 hardier cow peas. 



A single plowing or working with disc, cutaway or 

 springtooth harrow, anything that will tear up the land, 

 will be sufficient to start the cow pea. It may be broad- 

 casted on the rough furrows and covered with a harrow or 

 roller or even "scratched in;" such a rough fitting will not 

 give the best results, but even with this unfavorable start 

 the plant will quickly cover the ground, smother weeds and 

 subdue the soil, besides adding greatly to its fertility. 

 This plan is of special value for northern farmers in New 

 England and other sections where parts of farms have 

 passed out of cultivation. There are many instances where 

 such waste land has been changed in a single season into 

 good corn ground. The plan followed was simply to make 

 an application of the mineral elements of plant food. Potash 

 and Phosphoric Acid, causing a heavy growth of peas, 

 which absorbed much atmospheric nitrogen and by it and 

 the vegetable matter improved both the chemical and 

 physical condition of the soil. It is folly to expect poor 

 culture and heavy rough ground to produce the best pay- 

 ing results with this or any other plant. The point is that 

 no farmer should reject the plant because for any good 

 reason he cannot give it the best of care. Its abilitv to 

 thrive under hard conditions, its power to take nitrogen 

 from the air, and its wonderful economy in the use of pot- 

 ash and phosphoric acid make it all in all, one of the most 

 wonderful plants recently introduced to the northern farmer. 



