HINTS ON RAISING FARM CROPS 51 
as early in the spring as the other legumes. 
They are sown at the rate of one-half bushel 
per acre. There is a regular bean harvester 
on the market that cuts the plant off near the 
surface of the ground, so that a clean crop can 
be harvested. The vines are hung on a pole 
to dry out, and when perfectly dry, they may 
be flailed, or threshed out with a regular bean 
thresher. 
Vetch is another legume that is raised to a 
great extent, especially as a cover crop and 
soil improver. It is usually sown on the land 
during the latter part of the summer and al¬ 
lowed to remain on the soil until the following 
spring, when it may be plowed under. This 
aids in the humus content of the land, as well 
as increasing the nitrogen supply. Sometimes 
this crop is sown with rye as a cover crop, 
thus making a splendid soil renovator. 
The last legume we will discuss here is the 
common sweet clover. This has grown as a 
weed in most parts of the country, and is 
probably familiar to most people. The plant 
is a tall, rank growing ' biennial, the 
flowers being produced in long spikes. While 
sweet clover has a feeding value about equal 
to alfalfa, it is not nearly as palatable, and 
animals do not care much about it as a feed, 
as the stems are especially thick and woody. 
In some places it is used as a soil improver. 
Where it is artificially sown, about fifteen, 
pounds of seed are sown to the acre. 
