58 The Bulletin. 



It should be said, however, that the largest yield of hay was pro- 

 duced from the Unknown, the average for three years being 5,200 

 pounds or 2.6 tons per acre, against a yield for the Iron, the highest 

 yielder in the longer test period, of 3,872 pounds, or 1.9 tons hay 



per acre. 



In addition to vigorous growth and large yield of hay, the charac- 

 ter or habit of growth of the plant, whether erect, half erect, or trail- 

 ing, and the difficulty or ease with which it sheds its leaves, need to 

 be considered. The trailing varieties are difficult to cut and handle, 

 while the erect and half erect ones can be mowed and the hay saved 

 with much greater ease than the trailing kinds. Some varieties shed 

 their leaves early or they drop with great ease after cutting for hay. 

 The leaves are the richest part of the pea plant for hay and it adds 

 greatly to the value of the hay variety for the leaves to remain long 

 on the plant and to adhere tenaciously after cutting so that as few as 

 possible of them will be lost. These facts are all given in the sum- 

 mary table and show 



Iron, 



Clay, and 



Whippoorwill 



to be specially valuable hay varieties. 



Peas and Hay. — For the production of both peas and hay the fol- 

 lowing are among the best varieties, according to our tests : 



Whippoorwill, 

 Red Crowder, 

 Iron, 

 E"ew Era. 



Grazing and Soiling. — Where hogs are to be grazed and fattened 

 after the peas are largely mature the heavy pea-yielding varieties 

 are desirable; while for soiling and gTazing with other live stock the 

 heavy hay and pea-yielding varieties are favorites. 



Soil Improvement. — Now and then you will hear the idea put 

 forward that the main part of the soil-improving and fertilizing 

 value of the cowpea is the roots. Some people used to think that 

 there would be as much improvement of the soil and increase in 

 after crops from removing the hay as there would be if the entire 

 plant were left. This is entirely erroneous. From 80 to 88 per cent 

 of the fertilizing or soil-improving value of the cowpea is contained 

 in the hay and peas which go with it, and 12 to 20 per cent remain 

 in the roots and stubble. Different varieties vary in the proportions 

 of hay and peas and roots and stubble. Our investigations now in 

 progress include a further study of these questions for the purpose of 



