The county record. [volume] (Kingstree, S.C.) 1885-1975, 1922-05-25
FEED YOUR LAND AS WELL
AS YOUR LIVE STOCK.
Some Timely Admonition for the
Letters of the Soil Who Would
Improve the Same.

For the honor of the land and for
the health of the farm animals utilize
as much acreage as is available for
planting some legume crop. Three of
the best for the cotton states are
cowpeas, soy beans and velvet beans.
Cowpeas-The cowpeas is the best
known and most extensively grown
leguminous crop in the southern
states.It is grown mainly for forage
and to improve the soil, but the seeds
ale rather commonly used for human
food.
The cowpea will do best on sandy
loans, but will succeed on practically
all types of well drained soil.
The cowpea should not be sown be-
lore corn planting time, and usually
it is better to wait until at least two
or three weeks later. For green ma
ruring, pasturage, or hay, cowpeas
sown as late rs the first of August
will take considerable growth. When
they are to follow wheat or oats they
should be sown at the earliest possi-
BILE moment litter the crop is cut.
For seed production the best prac-
tice is to sow in rows three feet apart,
while for forage or soil improvement
broadcasting is most generally prac-
ticed.
Cowpea hay is an excellent hay for
all kinds of stock. When cut at the
right stage of growth and properly
handled the cowpea is equally as nu-
tritious as hay from other legumes
and is greatly relished by all farm
animals.
For further information see United
States Department of Agriculture,
Farmers Bulletins 1148, 1853, 1125
and 986.
Soy Beans-Soy beans are fine for
feed and fine for fertility. Time Of
planting extends from early spring
Until midsummer, depending on lati-
tNde and use to be made of the crop.
For grain or as a main hay crop,
the best time is about that for plant
ing corn, when the ground has be-
come thoroughly warm.
Soy beans are more generally grown
with corn than with any other crop,
and may be combined advantageously
with many systems of crop rotations.
The growing of soy bean-seed en-
ubles the farmer to produce at moder-
ete cost, part of the high protein
concentrates necessary for stock feed
and milk production.
AS a pasture, green manure, soil
ing, or even as a hay crop, the soy
tean may be sown as late as August
1st.
For further information see United
States Department of Agriculture,
Farmers Bulletin 973, 9s6, 1125 and
1908.
Velvet Beans-Ths velvet bean is
the most vigorous growing annual
legume cultivated in the United
States.
AS velvet beans are very susceptible
to cool weather, they should not be
planted until the soil has become
warm.
Plant velvet beans with corn. They
may be planted in the same row with
corn or in separate rows. Two rows
of corn to one of velvet beans is the
most popular method of planting.
Plant the beans when the corn is
about two feet high. The yield of
corn may be decreased slightly by the
beans but the value of the beans for
green manure and feeding purposes
will be much greater than the losss
to the corn crop.
The velvet bean is a splendid soil
improving legume. 1t produces
vast amount of leaves and vines which
add both humas and fertility to the
soil.
An acre of good velvet bean vines
when plowed under will add as much
smonia to the soil as will an applica-
ton Of 1900 pounds Of cotton seed
meal.
The velvet bean is an important
protein for the production of beef and
dairy products and furnishes excel
lent winter foraging for cattle.