CHAPTER XIX. 
PULSE CROPS. 
EAS and beans are the pulse plants, and 
although they are cousins they are 
widely different in their requirements. 
In this respect peas and beans resemble children, 
who though in the same family, do not always 
thrive under the same conditions or do best 
with the same treatment. Both these crops 
are leguminous, and, therefore, capable of stor- 
ing the nitrogen from the air in their roots, 
and thus enriching the soil where they grow, 
yet it is often necessary to apply nitrogen to 
secure a quick start for early crops. This is 
especially true where the soil has not before 
been used to grow leguminous crops. The more 
we study plants the more we learn about children 
and the more likely are we to recognize the 
close relation between all forms of life. 
PEAS. 
Peas are a partial season crop, and do not 
require very rich soil. They are so hardy that 
the seed may be sown where it is to stand, even 
before frosty weather is wholly gone. It is 
best to plant the seed from three to five inches 
deep, which allows the roots always to be in 
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