Sweet clover (Trifolium melilotus, Fig. 19) is grown as a forage crop to a limited extent in some of the central and southern States. 'It will grow on soils that are too poor in humus for the successful production of either alfalfa or red clover. Sweet clover may be used as hay, silage, soiling crop, or as a pasture for all classes of farm animals. It must be cut before blooming, since the plant rapidly becomes coarse and unpalatable to stock after this stage. Owing to the presence of a bitter principle (cumarin) in sweet clover, animals at first refuse to eat it, but appear to relish the plant when once accustomed to it, whether in dry or succulent form. Sweet clover stands next to cowpea hay and alfalfa in its content of crude and digestible protein, but is also somewhat higher in fiber than other legumes.

Average Composition of Leguminous Hays, in Per Cent 11

Canada field peas (Canadian peas, Pisum sativum, var. arvense) are grown extensively in the States along the northern border of our country that are favored with fairly cool summer temperatures and a moderate amount of precipitation. Although its culture in this country is extending, we are still far behind Canada in taking advantage of the possibilities of this crop. Field peas are grown for seed or for forage as a soiling crop, for pasture, or cured as dry forage. The seed makes a valuable rich grain feed for horses, cattle, and sheep, and is generally fed mixed with oats, wheat bran, etc.

Peas are frequently grown in conjunction with oats as a soiling crop for milch cows, or for pasturage for sheep and swine, for both of which purposes it is of superior value. Large areas of peas sown alone early in the spring at the rate of two bushels per acre, with a small amount of wheat or oats, are grown in the northern mountainous States for sheep and lamb feeding. These are turned on to the land when the peas are ripe, and harvest both grain and

11 Farmers' Bul. 797, 820 and 836; Mich. Cir. 23; Kan. Cir. 34; 44; Neb. Ext. Bul. 22; S. D. Bul. 151; W. Va. Cir. 14; Ont. Agr. Coll. Bul. 235.

vines, making a gain of about 8 pounds per month while thus grazing. An acre of peas will fatten 10 to 15 lambs, putting these in the finest possible condition for the market in the course of 70 to 90 days. A somewhat longer period is required for ewes that are lean when first turned into the pasture. Swine will keep healthy and make rapid gains on a pea pasture alone when turned in as soon as the peas are full-sized. For both these classes of animals the growing of field peas presents great possibilities in the northern sections of the country where this crop grows to the best advantage.

Fig. 19. -Sweet clover is an excellent soil builder. Cut for hay at an early stage (before blooming), it makes a good quality of hay which resembles alfalfa in composition. (Breeders' Gazette.)

When peas are grown for canneries, the whole crop is now generally delivered, and the peas are separated from the vines at the factory by means of threshers. The vines, which often contain many peas with pods, are either siloed and the silage used for sheep and steer feeding, or cured into hay. Pea vines make a very nutritious hay that is relished better by horses, cattle, and sheep than the straw of the grain crops (Stone). If cut before maturity and well cured, it approaches clover hay in feeding value.1?

Vetches. Only two of the vetches grown in this country are of importance for feeding purposes: Common vetch (Vicia sativa) and hairy or Russian vetch (V. villosa, Fig. 20). The former is an annual grown rather extensively for hay on the Pacific coast and to some extent in the South. There are two strains: Winter vetch, sown in the fall, and spring vetch, sown in the spring. Hairy vetch is a biennial, much more hardy than the common vetch, and

FIG. 20.-A South Carolina vetch field. Hairy vetch will grow in most sections of the country, yielding, on the average, about two tons of hay of excellent quality. It is a good crop to grow where red clover fails, and also makes a good cover crop. (Breeders' Gazette.)

can be grown almost anywhere in the country, withstanding well the winters of northeastern United States. Both vetches make an excellent quality of hay and also furnish luxurious pasture that is eagerly eaten by farm animals. The yields of hay obtained average about 212 tons to the acre. Hairy vetch is perhaps the best legume for sections where red clover fails, and this is especially true for sandy soils. In the northern States it can be used to seed in corn at the last cultivation, and will furnish a subsequent crop for green manuring or hay.18

Cowpea (Vigna cutjang) is grown for both forage and seed. The latter is used as a food for both man and beast. The plant reaches its highest development in the South, where it has been of untold value in enriching poor soils and furnishing abundant green and dry feed for farm animals. During the last decade experiments have been conducted in many States with the view to determining the value of the cowpea as a forage plant, and its cultivation has extended considerably northward as a result. It has been found to do well in the lower New England States, Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Missouri, and Kansas; in the States east and south of those mentioned its agricultural value is fully established. The entire plant has a high feeding value, and it is generally fed, seed and all, to farm animals in the South. The Alabama station obtained an average yield of about 3600 pounds of hay and 510 pounds of peas in trials continued for three years.14 A good quality of cowpea hay possesses a similar value as alfalfa hay, and is nearly as valuable as wheat bran, ton for ton; hence it is often used in rations for dairy cows to take the place of a portion of the concentrates, as is the case with alfalfa. In this way it is often possible to lower considerably the cost of production of milk and butter fat. In a feeding trial with dairy cows at Alabama station 15 a saving of 23 per cent in the cost of the ration was thus effected by substituting cowpea hay for wheat bran. Experiments have shown that one-half of the concentrates fed to cows or fattening steers may be replaced by cowpea hay without decreasing the feeding value of the rations. The chemical composition of the different parts of the cowpea plant is shown in the following table:

Composition of Parts of the Cowpea Plant, in Per Cent

Cowpeas are often planted with either sorghum or Indian corn, especially if the Indian corn is intended for silage; this makes a very satisfactory combination in regions where the cowpea does well and reaches maturity at about the same time as either sorghum or corn. Sumac sorghum and some vigorous growing variety of cowpea, like Brabham or Unknown, appear to give the best crops, six parts of cowpeas with one part of sorghum making about the desired proportionate stand in the mixture. The hay is greatly relished by stock if cured properly.16

Soybean (Glycine hispida, Fig. 21) is of greater importance for seed production than for forage purposes, except in the South.

Fig. 21.-A field of soybeans, a valuable protein feed, both for seed production and as a

forage crop. (Wisconsin Station.) Composition of Soybean Plant, in Per Cent

where its value as a forage plant, for feeding green, as hay or as silage, is about as great as for production of seed. It is grown for the sake of the seed throughout the United States about as far north corn will mature. In the Gulf States it will usually yield six to ten tons of green forage or silage to the acre and one and one

19 Farmers' Bul. 89, 318, 458 and 1148; Neb. Bul. 150; Okla. Bul. 105.

16