THE SOYBEAN 265 
for forage it should preferably be planted in rows 
in order that it may be tilled, although it may be 
seeded broadcast. The quantity of seed per acre 
varies from one to one and one-quarter bushels 
broadcast, depending on how well the seeds are 
covered. When seeded in rows, the quantity may 
be reduced to one-half bushel or three pecks per 
acre. The land should be put in good condition, 
and fertilized as advised for cowpeas, that the 
germination may be prompt. 
For forage purposes it does not possess charac- 
teristics very different from those mentioned for 
cowpeas. Experience thus far shows that the soy- 
bean is slightly more difficult to handle, and that 
the yields are not so heavy, but the plant contains 
more nitrogen in the dry matter than the cowpea. 
It has been grown for forage when there has been 
a scarcity of cowpea seed, and many prefer it to 
the cowpea because it is easier to harvest. Its 
period of growth is about the same as for cowpeas, 
reaching its best condition in two and one-half to 
‘three months. The stems are stiff and hard, and 
the entire plant is not so palatable as the cow- 
pea, although, owing to the abundance of large 
leaves, the feeding value is quite as high as that 
of the cowpea; in fact, at the stage of growth 
best for forage, it is richer in dry matter and 
protein than the cowpea. Yields of forage on 
good soils average lower than the cowpea,—about 
