THE CULTURE OF THE COWPEA. 



Being a Report of Work with the Cowpea on the Iredell Test Farm in 



lfK)3-'8, Inclusive, and Including 



I. FERTILIZER TESTS; 



11. VARIETY TESTS; 



ill. CULTURE, FERTILIZATION AND USES. 



By B. W. Kilgohe, C. B. Williams, G. M. MacNider and F. T. Meacham. 



SUMMARY. 



1. The right fertilization of the cowpea pays handsomely. What 

 this should be, together with the varieties which give best results 

 for different purposes, is set forth in the following summary and 

 pages. V 



2. The same fertilizers did not increase the yield of peas in 

 the same proportions they did hay. The profits were therefore 

 not as great from fertilizing peas for pea yields as for hay. It is 

 to be remembered, however, that where there was an increased 

 yield and profit from the use of fertilizers, the peas only were 

 removed and the increased yield of hay was left on the land to 

 increase its fertility. Taking these two factors into consideration — 

 the yield of peas and improvement of soil from the extra growth 

 of vines and stubble left on the land — the increase in yield and 

 profits were the same. 



3. For the production of hay, nitrogen alone, potash alone, and 

 nitrogen and potash combined, produced small increases in the yields 

 of hay over the plats receiving no fertilizer. For the production of 

 peas these two constituents used alone and in combination with 

 each other were at a loss. 



On the whole, it may be, therefore, said that nitrogen alone and 

 potash alone and nitrogen and potash combined with each other 

 have little or no value in the growth of peas on this land. 



4. For the production of hay, phosphoric acid alone produced 

 decidedly increased yields at good profits. Nitrogen combined with 

 phosphoric acid did not increase the yields over phosphoric acid 



