36 The Bulletin. 



II. Uses of the Cowpea. 



The main uses of the cowpea are for grazing and soiling, haj and 

 soil improvement. 



Grazing and Soiling. — The cowpea is largely grown in the South 

 for grazing hogs, especially, as well as other animals ; its use for this 

 purpose being more appreciated and extended from year to year. 

 Cattle, sheep and like animals must become accustomed to it and be 

 put on it gradually before they are allowed full pasture, or bad re- 

 sults may follow. It is used for soiling with excellent results, and 

 to some extent for silage when grown with corn. The richness of 

 the green pea vines and leaves, green and ripe peas in protein, or 

 muscle and lean meat and milk-producing constituents, make it a 

 most valuable plant for these purposes. Where hogs are to be grazed 

 and fattened on the peas the Whittle is one of the best varieties, as it 

 produces a large yield of peas of large size. Small Black, New Era 

 and Whippoorwill are also good varieties. 



Hay. — Pea-vine hay is difficult to cure, especially if the weather 

 is not favorable. Different methods or modifications of methods are 

 followed in different sections with greater or less success. Where 

 an individual has found a particular plan to be successful, or where 

 he knows that a method followed by some one else has given satis- 

 factory results, it is well to follow it, though there are a number of 

 standard ways of handling the crop and which are generally known 

 to growers of peas. Our only suggestion here is that it be handled 

 as little as possible, as the leaves of many of the varieties drop easily, 

 and outside of the peas in pod the leaves are the most valuable part 

 of the hay. Pea-vine hay ranks in feeding value with the clovers, 

 vetch and other leguminous hays, and is practically equal in feeding 

 value to wheat bran for what is eaten by the animal. By this is 

 meant that animals will not, especially where the stems are tough, 

 eat up clean all of the hay, but what is eaten is equal in milk and 

 butter and growth-producing value, pound for pound, to wheat bran. 

 If ground, as it might be, as alfalfa is at present, to produce pea hay 

 or pea-vine meal, it should sell as readily ou the market and at prac- 

 tically the same price as wheat bran, which is now more than $30 

 per ton. This is a possible profitable industry for sections of the 

 South where feeds are high, which is almost everywhere, and where 

 pea-vine hay is grown in large quantity. It has a much higher feed- 

 ing value than the grass and similar hays, and we can not better 

 show its merit than by comparison with wheat bran, which is uni- 

 versally recognized as a feed of general usefulness and high merit. 



The following table shows the comparative composition and feed- 

 ing value of pea-vine hay and wheat bran : 



