THIRTY-FIFTH ANNUAL CONVENTION. 243 



teria is required in order that the legume crop may store ni- 

 trogen and improve the fertility of the soil. 



A soil of medium fertility is considered best for the pro- 

 duction of cow-peas. On poor soil the plants produce a light 

 yield of hay, although often seeding well. Upon a very fertile 

 soil there is apt to be an excessive growth of vines which fail 

 to produce seed well and which are difficult to cure for hay. 

 Cow-peas, like other legumes, will not grow well in a wet soil; 

 nor are they particularly well adapted for dry farming, unless 

 given very careful culture. They will grow wherever corn will 

 grow successfully. For the drier portions of the state the 

 earlier-ripening varieties are to be preferred. 



Preparation of Soil. 



While the cow-pea will grow upon a poorly prepared seed- 

 bed it responds to good cultural methods. The seed-bed for cow- 

 peas should receive as careful preparation as the seed-bed for 

 corn. Although cow-peas are necessarily planted late in the 

 spring, it is often desirable to plow the ground early and culti- 

 vate the field at intervals with the disk or harrow to destroy 

 weeds and maintain a soil mulch to receive and retain the 

 moisture. It is advisable to plow in the fall or winter certain 

 types of heavy soil not inclined to drift, or land which has no 

 cover of stubble or stalks. Such land may be disked and har- 

 rowed in the spring to clear it of weeds and put it in good con- 

 dition for planting. 



When seeded as a catch-crop after wheat or other small 

 grain, the most practical method is to prepare a seed-bed with 

 the disk-harrow, or to seed with a single-disk drill without pre- 

 vious cultivation, if the ground is clean and mellow. Plowing 

 the ground at this time would put it in condition to hold more 

 moisture and might give a greater growth and a more perfect 

 stand of peas, but in order to plow wheat or oat stubble it 

 would often be necessary to wait until after thrashing, which 

 in most instances would mean planting too late to insure a good 

 stand and good growth of cow-peas. Unless the stubble is 



