260 Practical Farming 



The strongest runner of all the cow pea family is the 

 variety long called the "Unknown" in the South. Re- 

 cently it has been named Wonderful. Though this is the 

 most rank runner of all the varieties, and makes vines ten 

 to fifteen feet long, its early habit is to grow very erect and 

 then to run all over the tops of the plants. This makes it 

 easier to mow than the black or clay, as the mower gets 

 under it easily. 



But the Wonderful is a very late pea and not adapted 

 to conditions north of east central North Carolina, as in 

 southern Pennsylvania it would not more than get in 

 bloom before frost. But for pasture and soil improve- 

 ment it will be useful on account of the wonderful mass of 

 vines it makes. 



These are only a few of the leading varieties, and I 

 might fill a volume with a description of all the sorts that 

 have been produced in the South. Botanically the cow 

 pea is still something of a puzzle to the botanist. It has 

 been called by various names, but it is now generally con- 

 ceded to be Vigna catiang, and from the investigations we 

 made a number of years ago we are satisfied that the 

 species is represented by the one known as the White 

 Black-eye, and that from this variety the others have been 

 derived. The White Black-eye is largely grown in the 

 South as a table vegetable, taking the place of beans in 

 the North, and when one gets accustomed to it he becomes 

 an ardent lover of the food. 



The Velvet Bean, Mucuna utilis, has at- 



Bean ^ ^^^ tracted great interest of late years as a forage 



crop for the South. It is the rankest cHmber 



of all the legume family. In southern Georgia I once saw 



