Productive farming . Fig. 52.—^Alsike-clover roots (on left) and garden-pea roots (on right). Usefulbacteria live in these nodules and enable the plan ts to use nitrogen from the air whichthey otherwise could not do. They have many advantages: Quick, dense growth ifsown in warm weather; a big supply of green forage to feedwhen pastiu-es are dry; very good for hay if cut and curedin dry weather; ten to twelve per cent of protein in the curedcrop; a very high content of protein in the ripened seed,especially of soy beans; a big supply of nitrogen and greenmanure for the improvement of the soil i
Productive farming . Fig. 52.—^Alsike-clover roots (on left) and garden-pea roots (on right). Usefulbacteria live in these nodules and enable the plan ts to use nitrogen from the air whichthey otherwise could not do. They have many advantages: Quick, dense growth ifsown in warm weather; a big supply of green forage to feedwhen pastiu-es are dry; very good for hay if cut and curedin dry weather; ten to twelve per cent of protein in the curedcrop; a very high content of protein in the ripened seed,especially of soy beans; a big supply of nitrogen and greenmanure for the improvement of the soil if the crop is turnedunder, or even if the stubble and roots only are worked in;and the deep roots are a great physical help in most soils. FARM CROPS 103 In a warm spring it is safe to sow cow peas early in June,and the quick-groT^ing varieties -n-ill be ready to begin feedinggreen by the middle of July. Six or seven pecks of seed peracre are so-wti. By a succession of sowings of two or three. Fig. Cow peas grown in hot weather in eight weeks. They produce good greenfeed or green manure. (Experiment Station, X. J.; varieties we can give the cows fresh green forage everj dayfrom early July until frost time. Cow=Pea Mixtures.—A larger jield to the acre can beproduced by mixing cow peas or soy beans with other must choose a crop that does best in the hot weather, 104 PRODUCTIVE FARMING such as barnyard millet, pearl millet, sorghum, kaflSr, oreven common field corn. These all serve as nurse cropsand allow the use of taller climbing varieties of cow most conditions the mixtures are better for the dairyfarmer than the cow peas alone. The mixtures usually curebetter if any is left to cut for hay. Splendid winter forage isthus produced. The True Clovers.—The most important clovers of theNorthern States are white or Dutch clover, red clover,alsike or Swedish clover, and crimson or scarlet clover. Theclovers are the most popular forage plants of the legu
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Keywords: ., bookcentury1900, bookdecade1910, bookidcu, booksubjectagriculture
