160 



and generally too coarse for good fodder, though they are used in some 

 countries for sheep The seed is exceedingly nitrogenous and in Europe 

 is used for cattle food. As it contains a bitter alkaloid injurious to 

 animals it must disembittered before feeding. Kellner's process 

 of disembittering lupine seed consists in soaking the seed in water for 

 twenty-four hours, with frequent changes of water, steaming for one 

 hour, and then extracting for two days, with frequent stirring. In the 

 latter operation the discoloured water is drawn off frequently and fresh 

 water added. Five pounds daily of this disembittered lupine seed may 

 be fed to cows per 1,000 pounds live weight. 



Lupines are much used in Europe for green manuring. They thrive 

 on a light sandy soil, make a rapid growth, and produce large amounts 

 of organic materials, which when ploughed into the soil improve it in 

 humus and enrich it in nitrogen. A practice recommended for bring- 

 ing up very poor soils is to grow a crop of lupine manured with kainit, 

 turn the crop under, and follow it with winter rye manured with 

 Thomas slag phosphate. 



In order to derive the greatest possible advantage from the green 

 manuring, the lupines should be sown early in May. By the first half 

 of August, which is believed to be the best time of the year for ploughing 

 under, the seed of the lupine will be nearly or quite formed, and the 

 crop will contain the maximum quantity of nitrogenous matter. Four 

 or better six, weeks should intervene between the plowing under of the 

 lupine and the sowing of the rye 



Under such a rotation a poor sanly soil will gradually improve in 

 humus until the change is perceptible to the eye in the darker color of 

 the soil, and there will likewise be an increase infertility. 



In Europe large tracts of barren waste have been brought into con- 

 dition for profitable cultivation by green manuring with lupines trejted 

 with phosphates and potash salts. 



COMPOSITION OF GREEN LEGUMINOUS CROPS. 



The following table gives the average amounts of water and fertili- 

 zing materials in 100 pounds in a number of green leguminous crops : 



Fertilizing ingredients in 100 pounds of green leguminous crops. 









Phos- 



Potas- 





Mois- 



Nitro 



phoric 



sium 





ture. 



gen. 



acid. 



oxide. 





Pjunds. 



Pounds. 



Pounds. 



Po wds. 



Red clover 



80.00 



0.53 



0.13 



0.46 



White clover 



81.00 



0.56 



0.20 



0.24 



Alsike clover 



81.80 



0.44 



0.11 



0.20 



Crimson clover 



82.50 



43 



0.13 



49 



Alfalfa ... .♦. 



75. ao 



72 



0.13 



0.56 



Cowpea 



78.81 



0.27 



0.10 



31 



Serradella 



82.59 



0.41 



0.14 



0.42 



Soja bean 



73.20 



0.29 



0.15 



0.53 



Horse bean 



74.71 



0.68 



0.33 



1 37 



White lupine 



85.35 



0.44 



0.35 



1.73 



Yellow Lupine 



83.1) 



0.51 



0.11 



15 



Flat Pea ( Lathyrus sylvestris) 



71.60 



1.13 



0.18 



0.58 



Common vetch 



84.50 



59 



1.19 



0.70 



