45 



the only cultivation needed is to keep down grass and weeds. The tubers mature in 

 October and November, aud are easily rooted out by the hogs. Of little value on 

 heavj' soils. 



Cowpea {Vigna catjavr/). — Well-known annual of unknown origin; cultivated 

 throughout the South for more than one hundred years. kSonie varieties mature 

 within sixty days from planting, while others will continue to grow until killed by 

 frost. In planting it is better to select varieties which will mature a good x)art 

 of the seed before time for frost. The heavier yield is secured by planting in drills 

 and cultivating, but Avhen seed is cheap and labor scarce a less expensive crop can 

 be made by sowing broadcast. The better farmers always plant peas between the 

 rows of corn at the last plowing, and the crop isone which can be grown with profit 

 during any two months of warm weather when the land would otherwise be idle. 

 Crimson Clover {Trifoliiimincarnatum). — Anniial; stems erect, somewhat branch- 

 ing, 1 to 2 feet ; leaves nu- 

 merous, oboA^ate, rather 

 large; tlowers bright crim- 

 son, in long spikes. 



Introduced from Europe ; a 

 valuable plant in nearly all 

 of the country east of the Al- 

 legheny Mountains from New 

 Jersey to Georgia, but has 

 rarely succeeded well in any 

 of the Gulf States. Seed 

 should be sown in September 

 or October at the rate of 20 

 pounds per acre, and where 

 it grows well it can be grazed 

 during the winter or cut for 

 hay in the spring before the 

 seed begins to mature. The 

 plant has not proved gener- 

 ally valuable west of the Al- 

 leghanies, and in the South 

 has rarely made a crop of any 

 value, as the plants usually 

 die during early winter. The 

 matured plant is dangerous 

 for feed as the stiff hairs on 

 the calyx form balls in the 

 stomachs of animals and 

 often cause death. 

 Perennial; much like winter vetch in 



Fig. 16. — Cassava (Manihot aipi). 



Flat Pea {Latliyrua sylvestris wagneri). 

 appearance. 



This was introduced from Europe a few years ago, and extravagant claims were 

 made for its luxuriant growth on the hardest and most sterile soils. It has been 

 tested repeatedly at each of the Southern experiment statious and by hundreds of 

 farmers, but has been uniformly disappointing. Its growth the first year from seed 

 is rarely as much as 12 inehes, and it requires the best of care to make it survive the 

 summer. Older plants are more hardy and vigorous, but fail to hold the ground 

 against native grasses and weeds, and soon disappear. 



Florida Beggar-weed {Desmodium tortuosum). — Annual; stems erect, branching, 

 4 to 7 feet; leatiets 3, rhombic or elliptical, tomentose beneath, rough above; flowers 

 small; legumes 1 to 1^ inches long, 3 to 6 jointed, rough-hairy. 



Very common on sandy soils in Florida, and extending into South Georgia and 

 Alabama; often planted and becoming naturalized along the coast farther west. 



