CHAPTER IX 



PEAS AND BEANS 



Peas and beans are usually closely associated in the 

 public mind, and they are in fact closely related botani- 

 cally ; yet they have few points in common from the culti- 

 vator's point of view, since peas are hardy cool-season 

 plants and beans are tender warm-season plants. Both are 

 leguminous crops, and are therefore capable of using at- 

 mospheric nitrogen by means of their root nodules and the 

 bacteria in them. As garden crops, however, they may need 

 applications of nitrogen to secure a quick start, particu- 

 larly if an early crop is desired. " It is frequently the 

 wiser economy,'' as expressed by Yoorhees, " to apply ni- 

 trogen, particularly if they are raised upon land which 

 has not been previously planted with these crops, and thus 

 may not possess the specific nitrogen-gathering bacteria.'^ 

 The peas and beans, of divers kinds, constitute the pulse 

 crops. 



The basic formula recommended on page 383, if applied 

 to pulse crops at the rate of 500 to 600 pounds to the 

 acre, will usually furnish sufficient nitrogen, and may, if 

 necessary, be supplemented by the application of amounts 

 of superphosphate and potash salts which will add from 

 30 to 30 pounds of phosphoric acid, and 60 to 75 of potash 

 (Voorhees, Fertilizers, rev. ed. 297). 



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