FORAGE CROPS 
239 
LEGUMES 
Those plants which bear seed in pods and have nodules 
upon their roots for gathering nitrogen are called 
legumes. Beans, peas, clover, and peanuts belong to 
this group. 
Cowpeas should be grown on every southern farm. 
They not only provide a supply of food for animals but 
also for man. Soil is greatly enriched with the nitrogen 
gathered by the plants, by plowing under the cropland 
pasturing with hogs and cattle. (Figure 172.) Whip¬ 
poorwill and New Era varieties are the best cowpeas 
for general planting. Hay may be made from such 
varieties as the Red Ripper, Iron, and Clay. The 
Speckled Crowder and Blackeyed varieties are the best 
for raising seed. 
During April, May or June, cowpeas may be planted. 
Broadcasting, planting in the row or mixing with corn 
are common methods followed. Broadcasted seed re¬ 
quires about two bushels per acre, while drilling requires 
about one and one-half bushels per acre. 
Harvesting is often accomplished by plowing out the 
vines, curing in wind rows, and storing in the barn 
where there is plenty of air. When the earliest pods 
begin to ripen the cowpeas may be mowed. They are 
left during the day and bunched until dry. Hogs, and 
cattle will harvest the crop better than it can be done 
by any other method, after enough seed has been saved 
for home use. 
Soy Beans are valuable as a forage crop, being rich in 
protein. The Mammoth Yellow and the Small Yellow 
are the most profitable varieties. They are planted in 
rows and are more carefully cultivated than cowpeas. 
The treatment of the hay and seed of the two crops is 
about the same. 
