246 THE FORAGE AND FIBER CROPS IN AMERICA 



The Delaware Station 1 recommends New Era and Whippoorwill as the 

 best varieties for that state, while next in favor are Black, Clay, Unknown 

 (Wonderful) and Black Eye. Among 34 varieties the Kansas Station, 2 con- 

 sidering the quality of fodder with yield of fodder and of peas, found the 

 following to be the more promising: New Era, Black Eye, Black, Warren's 

 Extra Early, Old Man's, Whippoorwill, and Lady. The Kentucky Station 3 

 recommends Whippoorwill and Black Eye for forage, and Extra Early Black 

 Eye and Large Black Eye for table use. With 28 varieties the Texas Station * 

 secured an average yield of 15 bushels per acre, with Pearson Beau (35), 

 Black (20), Mush, or Rice and Coffee (19) leading in yield of peas. Pearson 

 Beau was one of the latest to mature (September 20), while Mush or Rice 

 was the second to mature (July 25). 



The Virginia Station 5 found the Southern, Wonderful, Iron, and Clay to 

 be the most productive varieties for forage. The Louisiana Station recom- 

 mends the Conch variety for forage. The Whippoorwill variety gave the 

 largest yield of seed at the Mississippi Station. 6 The New Jersey Station 7 

 found Red Ripper the best variety, while Southdown, Small Black and Taylor 

 were good. At the North Carolina Station the highest yields of peas among 

 six varieties were obtained in the following order: Unknown, Red Ripper, 

 and Clay. Oklahoma Station recommends Whippoorwill for general use. 

 Rhode Island Station found Black, Blue, and Unknown to produce the heaviest 

 yields of dry matter, each yielding above two tons per acre. 



303. Cross-fertilization. From 24 varieties the Louisiana 

 Station 8 selected 78 growing plants. Each plant was surrounded 

 with a wooden frame. Upon one-half of the frames mosquito 

 netting was stretched, upon the other half thin muslin. When 

 the pods had become three or more inches long no difference 

 was noted in the covered plants. Matured seed was found in 

 over 95 per cent., indicating that each flower is capable of self- 

 fertilization. Neither honey nor bumble bees were observed to 

 visit exposed plants. Attempted artificial fertilization gave nega- 

 tive results. While the structure of the cowpea flower is, like 



1 Delaware Sta. Bui. No. 46 (1900), p. 16. 



2 Kansas Sta. Bui. No. 123 (1904), p. 199. 



3 Kentucky Sta. Bui. No. 98 (1902). 



* Texas Sta. Bui. No. 34 (1895). 



* Virginia Sta. Bui. No. 149 (1903). 



6 Mississippi Sta. Bui. No. 84 (1904), p. 12. 



7 New Jersey Sta. Rpt. 1903, pp. 350-362. 



8 Louisiana Sta. Bui., 2d ser. No. 40 (1896), pp. 1447, 1448. 



