The Hay Crop 259 



Varieties of the seeds. But the variation is not in this 

 the Cow Pea characteristic only, for they vary greatly 

 in habit and in the length of time needed to mature 

 the crop, some maturing in sixty days, while others 

 need loo or more days of warm weather. It will 

 easily be seen then that in the more northern sections 

 only those of early maturity are suited. But from North 

 Carolina southward all the varieties mature perfectly. 

 Among the earUest, which usually mature in sixty days 

 are Warren's Extra Early, New Era and the Large White 

 Black-eye. Of these, two crops can be ripened on the 

 same land in one season in the South, and in almost any 

 section of the North where the farms are not too elevated 

 and the nights cold, any of these can be matured. But 

 these are bush varieties like the bean and do not make the 

 heaviest crops of hay, but are valuable for summer pasture 

 and for soil improvement. 



Next in earhness is the variety known as Whip-poor-will. 

 This will mature in about seventy-five days, and it, too, is 

 a bush variety and one of the most productive of seed. 

 Next come the black peas. Of these there is quite a 

 groups all with jet black seed varying only in the size of 

 the peas. The one most commonly used is the large 

 black, which is commonly grown in Virginia. It is a 

 strong running variety and will climb to the top of com 

 among which it is planted, and sown alone it makes a 

 heavy crop of hay that is apt to be badly tangled and hard 

 to mow. It requires loo days of warm weather to mature 

 perfectly. The clay pea, so-called from the clay color of 

 the seed has the same habit and season as the large black 

 and can be classed with it. 



