Percy found the cowpea hay piled in large shocks over tripods made of
short stout poles which served to keep the hay off the ground to some
extent, and this permitted the cowpeas to be cured in larger piles and
with less danger of loss from molding.

"I find that the soil on your farm and on the other farm is very
generally acid," said Percy a few hours later when Mr. Thornton asked
what he thought of the condititons of farming. "Have you used any lime
for improving the soil?"

"Yes, I tried it about ten years ago, and it helped some, but not enough
to make it pay. I put ten barrels on about three acres. I thought it
helped the corn and wheat a little, and it showed right to the line
where I put cowpeas on the land, but I don't think it paid, and it's
mighty disagreeable stuff to handle."

"Do you remember how much it cost?" Percy asked.

"Yes, Sir. The regular price was a dollar a barrel, but by taking ten
barrels I got the ton for eight dollars; but I'd rather have eight
dollars' worth of bone meal."

"I think the lime would be a great help to clover," said Percy.

"Yes, that might be. They tell me that they used to grow lots of clover
here; but it played out completely, and nobody sows clover now, except
occasionally on an old feed lot which is rich enough to grow anything.
It takes mighty good land to grow clover; but cowpeas are better for us.
They do pretty well for this old land, only the seed costs too much, and
they make a sight of work, and they're mighty hard to get cured. You see