162 Feeds and Feeding. 



gathered by hand, the plant has generally been used only for 

 forage. At the Kansas Station ^ this plant gave yields ranging 

 from 12.5 to 19 bushels of beans per acre. At the Massachusetts 

 Station* a comparative test of soja-bean meal with cotton-seed 

 meal terminated in favor of the former for milk and butter pro- 

 duction. (310) See Farmers' Bui. 58, Office of Experiment Sta- 

 tions, Dept. Agr., Washington. 



230. Cowpea. — This plant now holds an important place with 

 Southern stockmen because of its rapid growth and the large 

 amount of forage it yields. The earlier varieties will make a 

 satisfactory growth as far north as "Wisconsin, though all the 

 seeds will not ripen before frost. As with the soja bean, the 

 seeds which ripen first must be gathered by hand. For this 

 reason the crop is usually cut for hay or silage. 



At the Alabama Station, » Duggar fed cowpeas to fattening pigs 

 with excellent returns. More lean meat was found in the bodies 

 of pigs fed cowpeas than those fed corn meal only. (109, 863) 



At the Texas Station, * the cowpea gave yields ranging from 

 eight to thirty-five bushels per acre. These findings point to the 

 value of the plant for producing concentrated feed. (309) 



231. Horse bean. — This legume is used in England for feeding 

 stock, especially horses. The horse bean grows fairly well in 

 some parts of Canada, but has never proved a success in tlie 

 United States. 



232. The common field bean. — Many varieties of the common 

 field bean are grown in this country for human food. In bean- 

 growing districts, cull beans are purchasable in large quantities, 

 usually at low prices, and should be used by stockmen, since they 

 are then a cheap feed. Sheep are fond of beans administered in 

 a raw state. For other animals they should be cooked. Since 

 they are rich in protein, corn meal is a natural addition to the 

 porridge. 



233. Fertilizing constituents. — All leguminous seeds are rich 

 in nitrogen with from fair to rather high mineral content. The 

 soja bean is of particular value in the nitrogen and ash it carries. 



1 Bui. 32. * Rept. 1894. 



• Bui. 82. * Bui. 34. 



